Freedom Elementary School and Its Community

Abstract

Special education is often a fragmented service delivery system not usually well integrated into the total school community. this isolation has contributed to overreferral to special education. a major state effort is now under way to link an ongoing state school restructuring initiative (every student succeeds) with a localized, child-family services integration initiative (healthy start). the result of this effort is a series of reform processes that essentially restructure the entire culture of the community of the school. this article reviews the processes involved in a 3-year demonstration of one example of this linkage of two major reform processes in california. these processes include redefinition of professional and parental roles and perceptions, adjustments in the nature of professional and administrative relationships with children and their families, and alternative approaches by the school and community agencies in the day-to-day operations of providing support and service functions. these processes are described in the context of a case study of a student who was referred for special education. after 3 years of coordinated interventions at the school site, the child no longer warranted a special education label and is currently performing above grade level in all academic subjects.