Linking families and individuals with autism to services, care, support and learning resources for more than 10 years.
Family Educator Partnership Project
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The Family Educator Partnership Project (FEPP) is funded by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Our purpose is to help create partnerships between families, educators and community agencies to support children and youth that need special education services. Family educator partnerships are changing the ways that families and educators work together to ensure educational success for children with disabilities.
Our Partnership Team Training promotes strong-shared leadership within a school district to bring a positive, proactive approach to planning services for children with disabilities. These teams commonly include parents, the special education director, teachers, para-educators, general education staff, community representative and others. This training is offered regionally.
The following examples highlight some of the initial activities of the partnership teams that have participated in the training.
Gather Information
Develop and distribute parent and staff surveys to gather information about current special education services and areas that need change or improvements
Interview general and special education staff about special education services
Learn about community resources that support school-to-work transitions for students with disabilities
Improve Communication
Develop resource packets for families of newly identified students with disabilities
Establish parent-mentors in each building to welcome families of newly identified and/or transfer students with disabilities
Promote including children with disabilities in diversity curricula and activities
Create a partnership website to link from the district homepage
Conduct Outreach
Sponsor a booth at community health fairs/school culture fairs
Organize and co-sponsor school-to-work transition fairs for families of students with disabilities
Promote and distribute the Family Educator Guide to families of students with disabilities
Write grants and secure funding for special projects especially to increase family involvement
Produce a newsletter as a recruitment and publicity tool
Promote Education
Sponsor speakers and/or training for families and educators: ADHD, Autism, IDEA (federal law) and WAC (state law) Training, Wills/Trusts, Family Educator Guide
Make presentations to school boards and school site councils about family educator partnerships and the needs of students with disabilities
Regularly sponsor informational speakers to help partners connect with community resources
Work with ESD to co-sponsor Leadership Training Series for families and educators in each of the regions
Improve Programs for Students with Disabilities
Share models of how the Essential Learning Requirements can be used in IEPs
Explore ways to support special education teachers
Help design new programs, including the Peer Buddy Program, Behavior Intervention Program, and Integrated Preschool
Develop School-to-Work Transition Objectives to include in IEPs of students with disabilities from age 14 to graduation
Establish an Inclusion Task Force
Sponsor sessions on improving study skills for families to support students with disabilities
Design strategies to support strong transitions from middle school to high school for children with disabilities
Our Partnership Team Training promotes strong-shared leadership within a school district to bring a positive, proactive approach to planning services for children with disabilities. These teams commonly include parents, the special education director, teachers, para-educators, general education staff, community representative and others. This training is offered regionally.
The following examples highlight some of the initial activities of the partnership teams that have participated in the training.
Gather Information
Develop and distribute parent and staff surveys to gather information about current special education services and areas that need change or improvements
Interview general and special education staff about special education services
Learn about community resources that support school-to-work transitions for students with disabilities
Improve Communication
Develop resource packets for families of newly identified students with disabilities
Establish parent-mentors in each building to welcome families of newly identified and/or transfer students with disabilities
Promote including children with disabilities in diversity curricula and activities
Create a partnership website to link from the district homepage
Conduct Outreach
Sponsor a booth at community health fairs/school culture fairs
Organize and co-sponsor school-to-work transition fairs for families of students with disabilities
Promote and distribute the Family Educator Guide to families of students with disabilities
Write grants and secure funding for special projects especially to increase family involvement
Produce a newsletter as a recruitment and publicity tool
Promote Education
Sponsor speakers and/or training for families and educators: ADHD, Autism, IDEA (federal law) and WAC (state law) Training, Wills/Trusts, Family Educator Guide
Make presentations to school boards and school site councils about family educator partnerships and the needs of students with disabilities
Regularly sponsor informational speakers to help partners connect with community resources
Work with ESD to co-sponsor Leadership Training Series for families and educators in each of the regions
Improve Programs for Students with Disabilities
Share models of how the Essential Learning Requirements can be used in IEPs
Explore ways to support special education teachers
Help design new programs, including the Peer Buddy Program, Behavior Intervention Program, and Integrated Preschool
Develop School-to-Work Transition Objectives to include in IEPs of students with disabilities from age 14 to graduation
Establish an Inclusion Task Force
Sponsor sessions on improving study skills for families to support students with disabilities
Design strategies to support strong transitions from middle school to high school for children with disabilities