Technology keeps little Dani connected to her classmates

Three-year-old Dani loves Dora the Explorer and Play-Doh, books and baby dolls, dress-up time and a makeshift tent. Dani also loves school.

“She’s a kid; she wants to be around other kids,” her mother, Beth Pruitt, says.

But Dani has not been to school since before Thanksgiving -- for her own good.

Her genetic neurological condition, spinal muscular atrophy, means she’s fragile. She cannot swallow or cough, for instance, and there are too many bugs floating around school during the winter months.

Dani still keeps in touch with her friends at Rosa Parks Elementary, though, thanks to technology and a lot of support at school and at home. Through a link of Web cameras and computers, she can stay involved in her classroom.

Early Start teacher Amy Stults sets up a laptop on a little red, square stool so Dani can join the 10 other children for songs and stories at “circle time.”

“It’s just been really neat to watch,” Stults said.

The children also can hear Dani much better these days since she got a headset microphone at home.

“They ask her all kinds of questions; they talk back and forth,” Stults said. “When she’s not here, she’s missed.”

Dani’s parents pulled her out of school for the high-risk months; they hope she can return in March, when the weather warms up.

Meanwhile, flexibility on both ends is crucial. Dani and her mom log on for circle time roughly 11:30 a.m. to noon only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, for instance, because Dani is too busy with therapy on the other days.

“She definitely knows it’s her friends and that it’s live and interactive,” Pruitt said of Dani’s reaction to the webcam link.

When the children break into small groups or pairs, a teacher wheels the laptop to the activity area of Dani’s choice. For instance, if she picks “dramatic play,” her mother pulls out the dress-up clothes and Dani puts on costumes at home as they watch the other kids dress up in class.

While linking with schoolmates sometimes is difficult to fit into Dani’s regimented life, it’s worth the effort. Pruitt said Dani’s father, Frank, a civil engineer, also is excited that Dani is learning about the computer, which will be “her strongest friend.”

“It will open up a world to her that nothing else can,” said Pruitt, who sets a laptop on a yellow easel in the family’s living room for the virtual sessions.

Dani, who cannot sit up, lies on a pad atop the nearby coffee table and watches the screen as her mother moves her frail arms and legs to the music. When a teacher asks what Dani wants to sing, the tiny blonde laughs and chooses “Jingle Bells” as she and her mom join in with the other students.

“She’s very social, very aware,” Pruitt said.

Children with Dani’s condition are missing a vital protein needed for their muscles to receive nerve transmissions. And if a muscle is not activated, it will atrophy and die. Dani, who will turn 4 in March, has light to no muscle tone. She is fed through tubes and sleeps with the help of a nasal ventilator, but cognitively there’s nothing wrong, according to her mother.

Stults sends home lessons electronically so Dani can follow along with her classmates, who these days are learning about winter animals. The goal is to keep her from losing ground.

“Everybody knows that you include all children, but to see it in action is different,” Stults said of the webcam link. “And it’s a fairly easy thing to do… It’s doable for any child that may be at home.”

Jeff Jones, a technical resource teacher for the school district, describes the setup as an instant-message-like service of video conferencing. It’s just like a picture phone; it’s real time, with no delay.

“The beauty of this is that with a laptop in the classroom… they can wheel this thing anywhere,” said Jones, who noted that with the available technology, the real questions are:
Is the teacher comfortable?

Are the parents able to support the effort?

“This has been a wonderful experience,” Jones said of helping keep Dani connected to her school. “Everybody was working for a common goal, and it came together.”

The effort began back in September with talk of video conferencing for Dani. “It was a team approach that got started because of all the people who cared about her,” said Becky Farmer, a special education resource specialist, who cited the Early Start teachers and paraeducators, school principal, therapists and Dani’s family among the driving force.

Jones took their ideas and came up with several options; by Thanksgiving, the Pruitt family was hooked up.

“This was perhaps the best example of collaboration I have seen within and around the district between the family, the school and the support services,” Farmer said. “It was phenomenal.”

As for expanding on the concept for other homebound students, “we’ve got the technology; it’s there,” Farmer said. “It’s just us learning how to use it.”

Pruitt had nothing but praise for Rosa Parks Elementary.

“It very much reflects the attitude of the entire school and also the teachers. They bent over backwards to find ways to keep in touch and keep (Dani) in school.

“They looked for ways to help us before we asked.”

Principal Leslie Thomas said the success of Dani’s case has been a positive for the entire school.

“Everybody has rallied around and gotten excited about this one little girl,” she said. “… The ripple effect will impact lots of kids because of the lessons being learned by teachers and others involved with Dani.”

View a slideshow containing pictures of Dani video conferencing with her classmates.

SOURCE: FCPS press release

Fayette Education Foundation recognizes, rewards achievement at four schools

The Fayette Education Foundation today awarded $5,000 each to four schools for their success in narrowing the achievement gap while raising overall student performance.

Large crowds of students and faculty at Rosa Parks Elementary School, Picadome Elementary School, Maxwell Spanish Immersion Magnet Elementary and Morton Middle School cheered the news that their success would mean additional funds to help continue their outstanding work in raising student achievement.

“Our goal is to get all kids to proficiency and to close our achievement gaps,” Fayette County Schools Superintendent Stu Silberman said. “When we have an organization like the Fayette Education Foundation recognizing schools for positive movement in this direction, it accelerates our progress! We are so grateful to the foundation for all it is doing to help our kids.”

For the third consecutive year, the foundation rewarded schools that have narrowed more than 80 percent of existing achievement gaps; earned an academic index of 70 or higher on the Commonwealth Accountability and Testing System (CATS); and either posted at least a 10-point gain in reading or math, or have reading and math scores above 90. At the middle and high school level, schools must narrow at least 75 percent of existing achievement gaps to be recognized.

Maxwell Elementary posted an overall score of 99.9 on CATS, earned a reading score of 101.8 and a math score of 108.8 while narrowing all existing achievement gaps.

It was a record year for Morton Middle School, where students earned an overall score of 97.4 – a school best – and also posted the school’s highest-ever reading and math scores of 109.6
and 96.3, respectively. There was also great movement on narrowing achievement gaps with the most significant improvements on the race gap in math and the reading gap between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers.

Overall on CATS, Picadome Elementary had a score of 94.6, with a reading score of roughly 91 and a math score of nearly 108. The school dramatically reduced achievement disparities among groups of students, and completely eliminated both its gender gap in math and its race gap in reading.

Rosa Parks Elementary beat 100 for the first time, with an overall CATS index of 103.8, a reading score of 107.7 and a math score of 116.5. Progress on achievement disparities included closure on all existing gaps.

In 2005 and 2006, two schools achieved the required benchmarks each year. In 2007, the number of schools receiving awards doubled.

“The foundation believes that a strong education system is fundamental to a successful community,” Chairman Stephen R. Byars said. “We must continually work to provide innovative and enhanced learning opportunities for all children.

“It’s not just an issue for the school system. It’s the responsibility of the entire community. And I’m pleased to report that the community is stepping up to the challenge.”

The Fayette Education Foundation achieved its initial goal of raising $1 million ahead of schedule, and it continues to raise money for innovative, successful programs that can be replicated throughout the school district.

Previous schools that have received the award are Cassidy Elementary School and Jessie Clark Middle School in 2006; and James Lane Allen and Veterans Park Elementary Schools in 2005.

The Fayette Education Foundation was formed in 2003 with the goal of closing the achievement gap while raising overall achievement for every student in the Fayette County Public Schools.

By raising money for programs not funded through tax dollars, the foundation is mobilizing and enhancing support for innovative and effective student learning practices. The “It’s About Kids,” “Ride for Kids” and “Back to School” campaigns resulted in more than $300,000 in donations and pledges. More than $190,000 in grants has been distributed to schools.

FCPS press release.