Data Analysis.Data analysis is a process of working with data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making.
|
Meet ESU 5
Click on the photo's below to learn more about each Staff Member at ESU 5!
Data Collection Begins 2019 |
Our Goal |
After each department defined what an effective program looked like, they worked to determine what data could be collected to indicate the success or challenges of their specific program. Below you will find the program effectiveness documents for each program along with the data analysis report housing the data, recommendations and challenges for each program.
|
ESU 5 Will develop systems to utilize data to make informed decisions about the effectiveness of the programs and supports offered to member districts (utilize data informed decision making). With this goal in mind, we set forth to track, analyze and make data informed decisions as we determine the success and challenges of each program.
|
AdministrationThe administrative team focuses on providing innovation, leadership and service to schools located in Southeast Nebraska. Through a model of excellence we help increase educators’ effectiveness and student learning as a result of offered programs and services. By combining resources, equipment, and manpower, ESU 5 is able to provide a variety of technology, technology infrastructure, student services, professional development, instructional materials and administrative services that would otherwise be unavailable, unaffordable, or inconvenient for southeast Nebraska schools. ESU 5 is governed by a 7 member board of directors elected by voters in our region. By partnering with each of our school districts, the Department of Education, other ESUs and service agencies, we are taking steps every day towards our mission
|
Behavior & Autism SupportsThe Behavior, Autism, and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program provides supports to both special and general education staff and students to identify challenging behaviors and ways in which we can together, as a team, reduce those behaviors. The emphasis with PBIS is ensuring a system-wide development of expectations and positive supports. In addition, this program helps educate staff on the different opportunities to provide functional, academic, and behavioral support for staff who are teaching students on the autism spectrum.
|
Deaf & Hard of HearingAs a teacher of the deaf or hard of hearing, I integrate hearing technology into the classroom and train staff in the effective use of the technology. When working with students, I help them gain self-advocacy skills such as caring for hearing equipment, understanding their hearing loss and sense of identity, identifying and repairing communication breakdowns, and advocating for themselves and their learning needs.
|
E-rate ServicesESU 5 E-rate Services manages the E-rate process for 60 school districts within ESU 3, 4, 5 and 6. The E-rate program provides federal funding to school districts for telecommunication services, such as their wide area network connection, and also funding for network equipment. Managing the E-rate process on behalf of the school districts, not only allows the schools to receive the funding but it also takes the responsibility off of district personnel so they can focus on their staff and student needs.
|
ESU 5 is a great place to work because of the people and the atmosphere!
~Nancy Schmidt - Administrative Assistant
Exposing Kids to Career Opportunities (EKCO)ESU 5 Exposing Kids to Career Opportunities (EKCO) supports administrators, teachers and students in the 10 member districts. This program helps districts to incorporate career exploration opportunities into their PreK-12 curriculums. The focus of this program is on the Career and Technical Education programs. Equipment not otherwise available to schools can be checked out for use with students through EKCO. Assistance with meeting new laws (such as the computer science law) can also be found through this program. Additionally support is provided through assistance in grant writing to place equipment directly into districts, partnership building with local business and industry and assistance and/or training to teachers to get equipment integrated and working with their students in their classrooms. Availability of a staff member to assist districts has been very important to the utilization of our equipment.
|
Mental Wellness: Wellness4AllThe Wellness 4ALL program began in the 2017-2018 school year. The program supports all 10 member districts within the ESU5, and three other districts in ESU6. The Wellness 4ALL model focuses on student wellbeing, educator wellbeing, professional development, and climate and culture. The Wellness 4All program provides professional development for staff and wellness assemblies for students and are asked to consult across the state on the program. Every student can access support from the Wellness 4All program without cost to them regardless of insurance coverage, SES, etc. Since the inception of the program, we have provided mental health support to over 500 students. Counter intuitive to what one would expect, when adding additional districts and reaching a larger number of students, suicide assessments have actually declined over 75%. Depression and anxiety have reduced dramatically, and an increase of self-esteem and self-worth has increased for our students consistently across districts when comparing pre and post therapy data. It is hypothesized that this is not only due to reaching individual students earlier on, and not waiting until a crisis brings a student to support, but rather by taking a proactive approach and building, supporting and nurturing a wellness for all approach district wide, reaching students and staff alike.
|
Occupational Therapy |
Physical Therapy |
Educational Service Unit #5 Occupational Therapists support students, educators, and families with occupational therapy needs across the district. Occupational therapists work with birth to three children to provide early intervention services within their homes and daycares supporting both the child and their families to promote development. Occupational therapists also work within the schools serving students ages 3 to 21 years of age through direct instruction and indirect consultative services with a focus on academics, play, leisure, social participation, self-care skills as well as transition/work skills. As school-based OTs, we use meaningful activities to promote and develop independence within a student's academic environment including visual motor skills, self-care skills, fine motor skills, and sensory integration. We work as part of a student's multidisciplinary IEP team serving students through direct instruction and indirect consultative services to provide meaningful opportunities for practice and to provide modifications and adaptions within the student's classroom.
|
ESU 5 Physical Therapy serves children from birth to age 21 in 6 school districts. A physical therapist (PT) looks at a child’s ability to safely and successfully move and explore the natural environment (home or daycare) and educational setting (school, playground) to his or her greatest level of independence. In the birth to 3-year-old population, physical therapy is provided in the child's natural environment through coaching to the parent and/or caregiver. When a child is over the age of 3, PT is provided to a student when directly related to his or her educational needs. Physical therapy interventions are designed to promote student travel throughout the school environment; participate in classroom activities; maintain and change positions (e.g. get on/off the floor, classroom chair, playground equipment), as well as manage the playground, stairs, restrooms, and the cafeteria. The physical therapist may provide adaptive seating or mobility equipment to help the student access the educational environment. The service may be provided in a direct (e.g. working with the child 1:1 or with peers) or indirect (e.g. consulting with staff on adaptations or modifications) manner. The physical therapist collaborates with other members of the IEP team to help develop and support goals for educational success.
|
Professional Development
Professional Development services support AQuESTT (Accountability for a Quality Education System Today and Tomorrow), Continuous School Improvement, Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment, Instructional Model selection and implementation, Technology Integration, Federal Grant Administration and, upon request, even Special Projects. All districts have the opportunity to receive high-quality professional development training for their staff, both at ESU 5 or onsite at the district. A significant investment is also made in providing individual service through consultation and continuous school improvement and support with implementation for state and federal initiatives. Additionally, ESU 5 is taking leadership in facilitating job alike networks, which meet throughout the year. Currently, Principals, Media Specialists, Elementary Reading Coordinators, Counselors and Leaders of Technology and Curriculum Coordinators are established. The school improvement assistance offered by Educational Service Unit No 5 is currently being utilized by all ten school districts. All of the districts are continually involved in analyzing student achievement data, program data, perceptual data, and demographic data. ESU 5 professional developers are partners with the districts in this process. Once goals are identified, ESU 5 professional developers work with districts to identify, implement and monitor research-based strategies. ESU 5 provides support to schools by guiding them through the entire process of school improvement with the Accreditation Standards.
I Have always been supported in my professional development
and programming needs.
~Lisa Richardson - Deaf Educator/Speech Pathologist
School Psychologist - MTSSThe ESU 5 Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Program includes the areas of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), student behavioral support, and school psychology services. All staff within this program work to support implementation of MTSS/PBIS across 10 districts in the ESU 5 area. Staff also work with teachers to enhance classroom management skills, conduct student observations, develop behavior interventions, provide coaching to MTSS/PBIS leadership teams, and assist in the use of evidence-based practices and the problem solving process. School Psychologists conduct evaluations to determine student eligibility for special education services.
|
Science Support & LearningESU 5 Science has been teaching science lessons to elementary students since 2008 via distance learning technology. It was started as a model for teachers of what good science instruction looks like and a method to get students to enjoy science again. It has now also assisted teachers in the implementation of high quality instructional materials by providing free year long program materials and equipment kits for the materials to our schools. Training on the units is also included.
|
Early ChildhoodESU 5 holds the Planning Region Team contract to provide Services Coordination for the Early Development Network (EDN). EDN is a partnership of the Nebraska Department of Education and Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. EDN created Planning Region Teams (PRTs) to ensure the rules and requirements are met for each of the two departments for early intervention services. PRT 5's Service Coordination supports the 10 member districts in providing early intervention services for children ages birth to three. The three services coordinators assist districts in the development of individualized family plans. They, as well, work as an advocate for the family to ensure they are receiving the early intervention services and help find resources to assist the family in meeting their young child's needs. The Planning Region Team, here at ESU 5, is the grant manager for the Early Childhood Grant. We plan initiatives and use grant funds to complete child find activities, identify and address gaps/barriers for families to gain services for their young child, and offer professional development for our service providers.
|
Speech Langage SupportsEducational Service Unit #5 Speech Language Pathologists support students, families, and educators with speech and language development across the ESU #5 district. Efforts include working with Birth-3 children and families within their natural environment and students within the educational setting from ages 3-21. Services provided encompass support and instruction in all areas of speech language pathology including articulation, expressive language, receptive language, voice, fluency, social skills, literacy, feeding, augmentative and alternative communication, and overall communication. Speech Language Pathologists at ESU #5 provide services through direct instruction, consultation, and evaluation, along with working closely with individual schools’ MTSS teams to support both verified and at-risk students. Additionally they are to complete accurate and thorough Special Education paperwork, attend and lead Individual Education Plan and Multi-Disciplinary Team meetings and continue professional development to provide the most current and research based services to the students and staff within their districts.
|
Special Education SupervisionDr. Matt McNiff takes an active role in the day to day operation of both ESU and school owned special education programs and will provide direct contact with students, teachers and parents (for school owned programs). We work with ESU staff development personnel to establish in-service components for IEP development and learning strategies training. We continue to assist school districts with the ILCD (Improving Learning for Children with Disabilities) process. Districts within ESU 5 are now completing their ninth year using SRS. The administrative assistants, Pam Borgman, Allison Scott and Nancy Schmidt are responsible for maintaining student demographics through NSSRS. The scheduling of educational assessments is a part of the Program Supervision Coop, as is submission of special education information incorporated into PowerSchool and SRS. This includes monitoring a monthly SPED Snapshot to NDE, to insure SPED data and PowerSchool data are current ESU 5 SPED staff continue to support the districts with ADVISER. If students receive physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy and are Medicaid eligible, the administrative assistants are also responsible for filling out the Medicaid in the Public Schools (MIPS) forms. We will continue to process and oversee IDEA applications and final financial reports.
|
Technology Integration SpecialistThe ESU 5 Technology Integration Program focuses on helping administrators, educators, and students enhance teaching and learning through Educational Technology. Collaboration with others, both inside ESU 5 and across our ESU network, is key to address this goal. Support provided to school districts includes both adult-focused initiatives (e.g., professional development workshops / conferences) and student-focused initiatives (e.g., K-8 Makerspace / Robotics). Throughout this Accreditation Cycle, ESU 5's Technology Integration Program has been a leader in the Statewide ESUCC Teaching and Learning with Technology Affiliate.
|
Transition CoordinationThe transition specialist works with secondary special education students to explore scholastic goals and career opportunities after they exit high school programming. The specialist also consults with area teachers to develop age appropriate, meaningful and compliant assessments and programming in the areas of education and training, employment and independent living for their students as well as provides professional development opportunities for the secondary special education teachers. Furthermore, when called upon, the transition specialist will assist families in accessing post- graduation services within the community that are deemed appropriate for their child.
|
Technology Supports & SupervisionThe ESU 5 Technology Department supports our 10 school districts in networking, Internet connectivity, cybersecurity, and all other day to day technology support. We provide core support to all districts as well as the option to contract for weekly in-district tech support depending on the needs of the district. Our goal is to provide our districts and users safe and reliable access to the internet as well as modern technology to enhance teaching and learning.
|
Vision SpecialistThe job of the Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) is to provide services to students with a visual impairment that adversely affects their education. The TVI provides initial assessment when vision is a new concern and assessments for reevaluations by completing a Functional Vision and Learning Media Assessment. During this assessment we also look at the Expanded Core Curriculum and assess the nine core components of the ECC. For students that qualify with a visual impairment the TVI provides direct services to that student in the areas of need identified in the FVA/LMA and IEP goals. The TVI works with special education teachers, general education teachers and administration to provide accommodations and modifications to the general education curriculum for the student as determined during the IEP. The TVI works with the IEP team to determine assistive technology needs for the student and facilities obtaining products to fit those needs for trial periods through the Nebraska Instructional Resource Center in Nebraska City.
|
World Language Distance Learning ProgramThe ESU 5 World Language Department seeks to provide equitable access to high quality world language education through distance learning. Program Data indicates students enjoy our classes, are motivated to learn, value learning the second language, and succeed at acquiring it. At ESU 5, we believe that all students can succeed, in a supportive classroom environment and in world language best practices. In the 2022-23 Academic Year, ESU 5's World Language Department serves 425 students in 16 public schools located across the State.
|