Lawrence is a unique community in that it is the home of the University of Kansas. The lead educational agency in Lawrence, Kansas is the Lawrence Public School District. The Lawrence Public Schools serve a population that appears suburban although Lawrence is not a suburb of a large city. The district also serves a small rural population.

The Lawrence Public Schools have made an investment in the education of young children, both typically developing as well as children with special needs. In 1996, the Lawrence Public Schools developed an early childhood school readiness program for 4 year olds with the support of the Business Education Partnership. The district now operates 4 readiness classrooms in elementary buildings. The district also provides facility space for early childhood classrooms operated by separate agencies and organizations. The Lawrence Early Childhood Special Services program provides services to children in 2 center-based classrooms (3 sections) as well as numerous community preschool programs.

The city of Lawrence continues to grow and the community is faced with the issues surrounding this growth. In the fall of 1997, Lawrence opened a second high school, Lawrence Free State High School. A new elementary school will be opening in the Fall of 2000.

Number of children with disabilities that are participating
Community Preschool Enrollment Spaces (provided by USD #497): All Children enrolled in USD #497 community preschool spaces have a primary label of early childhood (EC ) with related services provided as needed. Examples of services provided in the community include: Speech-Language, Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Social Work, Physical Therapy, Visual and Hearing Impaired, Augmentative Communication, and School Psychology. Children with less significant needs are typically not considered for school district provided spaces; however, needed services are provided to those children in their natural setting.

District demographics
Demographics of Community Programs & Services for the Lawrence Public Schools as of February, 1998

Community Children's Center-HeadStart
Enrollment Spaces:

Six 1/2 day tuition-free spaces

USD #497 $ Support:

• 2 half-time paras
  
• Related services as indicated on individual children's IEP's
  
• Specialized equipment/materials and inservice training as needed
  
• Total number of children with IEP's enrolled: 10

Raintree Montessori School
Enrollment Spaces:

Three 1/2 day tuition-free spaces

USD #497 $ Support:

• 1/2 time paraprofessional (p.m.)
  
• .25 ECSE FTE salary
  
• Related services as indicated on individual children's IEP's
  
• Specialized equipment/materials and inservice training
  
• Total number of children with IEP's enrolled: 4

Hilltop Child Development Center
Enrollment Spaces:

Two 1/2 day tuition-free spaces

USD #497 $ Support:

• 1/2 time paraprofessional (p.m.)
  
• Material and Supply Fee of $800/year
  
• Related services as indicated on individual children's IEP's
  
• Specialized equipment/materials and inservice training as needed
  
• Total number of children with IEP's enrolled: 5

Jayhawk Learning Center
Enrollment Spaces:

Two 1/2 day tuition-free spaces

USD #497 $ Support

• Itinerant paraprofessional support
  
• Material and Supply Fee of $800/year
  
• Related services as indicated on individual children's IEP's
  
• Specialized equipment/materials and inservice training as needed
  
• Total number of children with IEP's enrolled: 2

Brookcreek Learning Center
Enrollment Spaces:

Six 1/2 day tuition-free spaces

USD #497 $ Support:

• 1.0 ECSE FTE Salary
  
• Related services as indicated on individual children's IEP's
  
• Specialized equipment /materials and inservice training as needed
  
• Total number of children with IEP's enrolled: 9

Additional Community Preschool Programs
Enrollment Spaces: A variety of preschool programs in the Lawrence community have also shown a commitment to serving children with special needs. These are programs in which children are already enrolled. Special services are provided to these children as determined by the level of need.

USD #497 $ Support:

• Itinerant paraprofessional support as available
  
• Related services as indicated on individual children's IEP's
  
• Specialized equipment/materials and inservice training as needed
  

Total number of children with IEP's enrolled:
Ballard Child Care Center: 1
Pinckney Readiness Program: 2
UCDC: 2
Sunshine Acres: 3
La Petite: 1
Stepping Stones: 1
Centennial Readiness Program: 2
Homebased Services: 8

How is program administration organized (staff and roles and responsibilities employed by the district)?
Doug Eicher is the Director of Special Services for the Lawrence Public Schools and the Coordinator of early childhood special education services. Janet Bates is the Lawrence Inclusion Model (LIM) coordinator. Her position was created originally by a grant to implement inclusion in community programs then was maintained by the district upon completion of the grant. Janet coordinates the placement of children in community programs and the recruitment of community programs to reserve enrollment slots for children with IEP'S. Janet is one of the early childhood special education teachers employed by the school district who consults in the community. Janice Blair and Sandy Davalos also consult and provide services in the community. Rusty Schnur consults with the early childhood readiness classrooms with an early childhood educator. Sandy Davalos and Kimberly Kelly teach in the school district center-based classrooms. A core team model is implemented. Each child's core team is made up of the parents, the classroom teacher and the service providers.

How is the program financed?
The two major financial issues facing the district in providing these inclusive services are: how to pay for the necessary staff and how to compensate for tuition for children with IEP's placed in community programs. The program was begun with funding from a state grant. At the conclusion of the grant, the school district absorbed the staff positions which the grant had created. Enrollment slots which are held at community programs are financed through several strategies. Enrollment slots at some of the participating community programs where ECSE teachers are employed as classroom teachers are funded by the district contracting for a portion of the teacher's salary. In other instances, the school district provides the community program a "material and supply" allowance which provides the program funds to purchase toys and equipment for the classroom. While this allowance does not nearly cover the cost of lost tuition for these programs, the funding along with paraprofessional support in the classroom assists in the compensation of monies.

What types of staff development programs are in place at the district level?
The early childhood special services team participates in district-wide staff development activities. Staff development is also conducted according to the needs of each community program. Staff development may be specific to one child with disabilities attending a program or more general in nature. For example, a community program team may need specific training on positioning and handling or health care issues.

Public relations strategies issues?
Lawrence Public Schools Mission Statement
The mission of the Lawrence Public Schools is to enable all students to acquire developmentally appropriate skills and knowledge necessary to become informed decision makers and effective communicators who assume responsible roles in society. This will be accomplished by teaching all students challenging curricula in stimulating and flexible environments enriched through parental involvement and resources of a community committed to the conviction that all children can learn.

Early Childhood Special Services Program, Lawrence Public Schools, Mission Statement
We believe that each child deserves a safe, friendly and stimulating environment in which to learn and grow. We promote the development of school readiness and life skills through a variety of play activities and peer interactions. We recognize the importance of quality early childhood experiences as a foundation for life-long success in school and community.

District demographics(populations, number of buildings, number of staff, number of children, range of services)?
Total student enrollment for 1997/98: 10,462
Early childhood special education enrollment: 72
Total number of school buildings: 25
Number of elementary buildings: 19
Number of participating community programs approximately: 17
Number of ECSE staff: 31