Instructional Support

Alabama has worked diligently to address disproportionality in special education since 2000 through the initiatives of the Lee v. Macon Special Education Consent Decree. This Consent Decree required special education programs in this state to address the overrepresentation of African-American students identified as having mental retardation (MR) and emotional disturbance (ED) and the underrepresentation of African-American students identified as having a specific learning disability (SLD) and giftedness (GT). Alabama made significant progress in reducing the disparities and, in December 2006, was granted unitary status with the provision that the state would continue to provide training to teachers, administrators, and evaluators with regard to disproportionality.

With the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA), the focus of disproportionality is taken to the next level. IDEA 2004 regulations extend the directives of the Consent Decree mandates to include an analysis of three additional disability areas: autism (AUT), other health impairment (OHI), and speech or language impairment (SLI) in addition to MR, ED, and SLD. It further requires that we also analyze state and local education agency (LEA) data with regard to disproportionate representation by race and ethnicity in least restrictive environment (LRE) and discipline. Congress commissioned the National Academy of Sciences to study disproportionality in 1982 and again in 2002.

As a result of those studies, “congress contends that: (1) greater efforts are needed to prevent the intensification of problems connected with mislabeling minority children with disabilities; (2) more minority children continue to be served in special education than would be expected from the percentage of minority students in the general school population; (3) African-American children are identified as having MR and ED at rates greater than their White counterparts; (4) in the 1998- 1999 school year, African-American children represented 14.8% of the population aged 6 through 21, yet comprised 20.2% of all children with disabilities served in our schools; and (5) studies have found that schools with predominantly white students and teachers have placed disproportionately high numbers of their minority students into special education.” (Williams, Perry. Building the Legacy: IDEA 2004 Training Curriculum). Disproportionality is a complex problem - a symptom - and not a cause.

Click on the link to view the Alabama State Department of Education’s presentation regarding disproportionality, the implications of significant disproportionality, why disproportionality is a priority, and IDEA 2004’s provisions to address disproportionality. Links have also been provided to access ALSDE training materials on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Makes Sense Instructional Strategies.

• ALSDE Makes Sense Strategies Training
• ALSDE Makes Sense Strategies Training
• ALSDE PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Training
• ALSDE PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Training
• Addressing Disproportionality in Schools

Continuous improvement is very important to continue to provide high quality education to all students. Troy City Schools’ values continuous improvement planning as it ensures all students success. Please click on the links below to view each school’s continuous improvement plan

• TES ACIP 2019-20
• TES ACIP 2018-19
• CHMS ACIP 2019-20
• CHMS ACIP 2018-19
• CHHS ACIP 2019-20
• CHHS ACIP 2018-19

• RTI Pamphlet

The mission of Troy City School’s Guidance/Counseling Program is to work with the students, faculty, parents, and the local community to facilitate success in the lives of each individual in the areas of academics, career, and personal/social development. Students’ needs are met through educational/career planning, prevention, and crisis intervention, individual and group guidance/counseling.

Philosophy

Counseling is available for all students. The emphasis of the Troy City School counseling program is preventative, developmental and corrective. Students are provided the opportunity to gain and exploration, and to pursue career planning opportunities in a clean, safe, friendly environment. The counselor’s work begins with kindergarten pre-registration activities, or in the case of new students, as they enter school and continues throughout elementary and beyond. The skills needed to complete a life-long journey of learning can be achieved through a planned, developmentally appropriate, and sequential school counseling program that is based on the National Standards for School Counseling Programs.

School Guidance Curriculum

The Troy City School System’s guidance curriculum includes structured experiences presented systematically through classroom and group activities from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The curriculum emphasizes decision making, self-understanding, study skills, career exploration, survival skills, life preparation, and goal planning. This guidance curriculum is a planned, sequential program of Alabama Course of Study objectives for large/small groups, individual activities and guidance sessions that enhance the instructional program and meet the needs of students. This planned program serves as the counselor’s yearly schedule and is further divided into monthly calendars of large/small group sessions, individual activities and counseling logs. The national school counseling standards of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the state model, Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance for Alabama Public Schools, are aligned with the Educate Alabama Standards for counselors. At the beginning of the school term, yearly outlines and monthly calendars are to be disseminated to the local principal, teachers and central office administrators. Examples of school guidance curriculum delivery options within this component may include, but are not restricted to:

• Classroom Guidance Activities: Counselors will facilitate, co-lead, or assist in the delivery of guidance curriculum activities. Their activities may be conducted in the classroom, in the guidance center, or in the other school facilities. 
• Group Guidance: Counselors will conduct small-group counseling sessions outside the classroom to respond to students’ identified interests or needs. Small-group counseling may be either immediate-response or long-term counseling. 
• Parent Workshops and Instruction: Counselors will conduct workshops and information sessions at the local school for parents/guardians to address the needs of the school community and to reflect the school counseling and guidance curriculum. 
• Interdisciplinary Curriculum Development: Counselors will participate on interdisciplinary teams to develop and refine curriculum in content areas. These teams develop classroom units that integrate subject matter with the school guidance curriculum, with emphasis on character education. Counselors will assist teachers in the delivery of classroom units that lead to an acquisition of competencies in the domains of effective, social, and employability skills for every student in developmentally appropriate ways.
   

• Mental Health Resources
• Troy City Schools Comprehensive Guidance Plan

School Safety is a priority at Troy City Schools. All schools have safety plans that are updated annually. Also, drills are conducted in accordance with ALSDE required timelines. Click on the link for TCS Safety Brochure. 

Health Services
We provide information on meningococcal meningitis disease and its vaccine to be provided to parents and guardians of students. For more information, please visit the ADPH website by clicking on this link. Information regarding Influenza disease and its vaccines are also available from the ADPH website. To view, please visit Alabama Public Health and Alabama State Department of Education.

Heavy Backpacks
Information on the impact of heavy backpacks is provided. Click on the link for more details.

• TCS Safety Brochure

Troy City Schools is committed to providing a  free appropriate public education.

Child Find
Child Find is a statewide effort to locate, identify, and evaluate children with disabilities.  Alabama is required by Federal Law to make Child Find available for children from birth to age 21.   For further information about these services, please contact Dr. Christie Armstrong, Special Education Director at the Troy City Board of Education or you may call 334-566-3741.

Gifted Students
Gifted students are those who perform at or who have demonstrated the potential to perform at high levels in academic or creative fields when compared to others of their age, experience, or environment. These students require services not ordinarily provided by the regular school program. Students possessing these abilities can be found in all populations, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.

A student may be referred by teachers, counselors, administrators, parents or guardians, peers, self, or any other individual with knowledge of the student’s abilities. Additionally, all second-grade students will be observed as potential gifted referrals using a gifted behavior checklist. For each student referred, information is gathered in the areas of Aptitude, Characteristics, and Performance. The information is entered into a matrix where points are assigned according to established criteria. The total number of points earned determines if the student qualifies for gifted services. For more information, contact the Troy City Schools Special Education Department, Dr. Christie Armstrong, at 566-3741. 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Students and their parents/guardians have the right to file a formal complaint alleging noncompliance with regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  A Grievant alleging discrimination on the basis of disability may act according to the following grievance procedure.

• Alabama Alternate Assessment
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

TITLE IX NONDISCRIMINATION AND ANTI-HARASSMENT

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities. It is the policy of this District that both sexes shall be provided equal access to educational and extracurricular programs and activities. It is the intention and policy of the District to fully comply with all Title IX requirements of providing an equal and harassment-free educational environment for all students. The Superintendent is authorized to designate a Title IX Coordinator, whose duties will include but not be limited to receiving and responding to Title IX inquiries and complaints.

 Notice of Non-discrimination

Troy City Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Dr. Christie W. Armstrong, Section 504 and Title IX Coordinator
358 Elba Highway
Troy, AL 36079
334-566-3741 
armstrongc@troyschools.net

AUXILIARY AIDS AND SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 

Troy City Schools will take appropriate steps to ensure that persons with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in our services, activities, programs.  The procedures outlined below are intended to ensure effective communication with stakeholders. All necessary auxiliary aids and services shall be provided without cost to the person being served.

PROCEDURES:

1. Identification and assessment of need:

• When an individual self-identifies as a person with a disability that affects the ability to communicate or to access or manipulate written materials or requests an auxiliary aid or service, staff will consult with the individual to determine what aids or services are necessary to provide effective communication in particular situations.

2. Provision of Auxiliary Aids and Services:

Troy City Schools shall provide the following services or aids to achieve effective communication with persons with disabilities:

1. For Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

1. For persons who are deaf/hard of hearing and who use sign language as their primary means of communication, Troy City Schools is responsible for providing effective interpretation or arranging for a qualified interpreter when needed. Troy City Schools will obtain an outside interpreter if a qualified sign language interpreter is available.  

2. Communicating by Telephone with Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
   Troy City Schools utilizes relay services for external telephone with TTY users.  We accept and make calls through a relay service.  The state relay service number enables you to still call a person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired by using the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS). With TRS, a special operator types whatever you say so that the person you are calling can read your words on his or her TTY display. He or she will type back a response, which the TRS operator will read aloud for you to hear over the phone. Toll-free TRS services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Contact 1-877-787-1989 (Speech-to-Speech) 1-866-931-9027 (VCO) Email: accessibility@sprint.com. ME Customer Service - Customer Care: 800-270-9709(voice/TTY).
3. Some persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may prefer or request to use a family member or friend as an interpreter.  However, family members or friends of the person will not be used as interpreters unless specifically requested by that individual and after an offer of an interpreter at no charge to the person has been made by the facility.  Such an offer and the response will be documented in the person’s file.  If the person chooses to use a family member or friend as an interpreter, issues of competency of interpretation, confidentiality, privacy, and conflict of interest will be considered.  If the family member or friend is not competent or appropriate for any of these reasons, competent interpreter services will be provided.

Troy City Schools will obtain an outside interpreter if a qualified sign language interpreter is available.*

2. For Persons Who are Blind or Who Have Low Vision

1. Staff will communicate information contained in written materials by reading out loud and explaining these forms to persons who are blind or who have low vision.
   Large print, Braille, and electronically formatted materials may be made available via AIDB or devices with accessibility features. 
2. In addition, the staff is available to assist persons who are blind or who have low vision in filling out forms and in otherwise providing information in a written format. 

Persons requiring these services should contact the education agency contact listed below.

100. For Persons With Speech Impairments

Writing materials, accessibility devices, and other communication aids can be made available upon request.

For the provision of auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities, please contact the school's principal or Dr. Christie W. Armstrong, Special Education Director. 

Occupational Therapy Request Form

Please click on the information below to view entire file. 

• OT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)