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Ready to Learn
Transporting Students with Disabilities & Preschoolers
21st National Conference & Exhibition
March 9-14, 2012

Q’STRAINT/SURE-LOK SECUREMENT TRAINING     
Instructors to be named.

4:30 to 5:45 pm

5:45 to 9 pm

SEPARATE REGISTRATION WORKSHOP C details.
EXECUTIVE BRIEFING
Lesson Plans for Changing Times:
Legal & HR Challenges You Never Thought You’d Confront
Peggy Burns, Attorney and Consultant, Education Compliance Group, Inc., and Mark Hinson, SPHR, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, and Consultant, Education Compliance Group

2 to 6 pm, continuing Saturday, 1 to 5:15 pm       

8 to 9 am
Beware of Curbside Deals
On-the-spot deals can get you in trouble whether they’re tradeoffs being bargained by dispatcher and driver, driver/attendant and parent, or a child passenger.
Michelle E. Drorbough, Assistant Manager Field Operations, Seattle Public Schools

9:15 to 10:15 am
Modeling Student Safety Training Programs
Everyone has a student safety training program, but how good is yours?  How well does it serve students with disabilities and preschoolers?  These presenters will help you tailor a program to meet the specific needs of your operation and populations.  They’re doing it successfully in Georgia.
Kathy Mewborn, Safety & Driver Training, Rockdale County Schools, and Charlene Majors, Training Specialist & Consultations

10:30 to 11:45 am
Partnering for Success: School Districts and Contractors Working Together
A positive partnership between this contractor and school district is what enabled Cook-Illinois Corporation and the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization to achieve their goal of finding a more effective way to train school bus drivers and aides.  The parties worked together to break away from the traditional back-to-school training meetings for drivers in order to provide a more comprehensive and ongoing training model.  Here’s how and why is working.
Sharon Pierluissi, Regional Manager, Cook-Illinois Corporation, and Julie Jilek, Director of Business Services & Facilities, Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization

Noon to 1 pm 
Front-End Tools & Tactics for Transportation’s Input to an IEP
What if transportation options could be presented to parents as a routine part of every IEP meeting – and not as an afterthought?  Here’s how a former district manager, now a state transportation specialist, finds student information, sets out transportation options, and puts “real world solutions” on the table to help ease a parent’s concerns.
Jamie Warrington, Transportation Specialist, ESE & Operations, Florida Department of Education (invited)

1 to 5 pm
Basics of Special Transportation  
This session offers an in-depth overview of legal and operational requirements for those new to special transportation, or attendees who wish a review of IDEA compliance issues and best practices.
Pauline Gervais, Consultant, Education Compliance Group; and Cheryl Wolf, Special Needs Transportation Consultant. 

Note: Workshop A registrants are also welcome to attend this session.
(For those attendees pursuing the NAPT Special Needs Endorsement, this event qualifies as NAPT 101, Basics; contact NAPT fees associated with Endorsement credits.)

SEPARATE REGISTRATION WORKSHOP A   
PRESCHOOL & HEAD START TRANSPORTATION:
SKILL SETS FOR SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS

SEPARATE REGISTRATION WORKSHOP C
EXECUTIVE BRIEFING
Lesson Plans for Changing Times:
Legal & HR Challenges You Never Thought You’d Confront
Peggy Burns, Attorney and Consultant, Education Compliance Group, Inc., and Mark Hinson, SPHR, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, and Consultant, Education Compliance Group

Welcome: Alex Robinson, President, NAPT, and Executive Director, Office of Pupil Transportation, New York City Dept. of Education; and Craig Leonard, Thomas Built Buses
Presentation: Compliance Versus Excellence: When Doing What’s Required May Not be Enough, 9 am to 10 am
As drivers and attendants, you have rules and responsibilities dictated to you from every direction. You do what is required to be in compliance, but is it always enough? Are you traveling through your career feeling like an empty bus, counting the days to retirement? Excellence brings real meaning to the work of school transportation professionals – self satisfaction and focus. This workshop will take a hard look at simply completing what is required and living the goal of safety excellence for the children you transport. Getting them to school ready to learn and putting the pride back into what you do.
Kathy Furneaux, Executive Director, PTSI

Session: Ready to Learn, A Game of Jeopardy with Prizes
                                                                            10 am to Noon
Game Show Hosts: Alex “Robinson-Trebek,” “Vanna-Tee” Anderson, and Launi “Sajak-Schmutz”

SEPARATE REGISTRATION WORKSHOP B   details
CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEMS -- NHTSA'S NATIONAL TRAINING
This 8-hour National Training Curriculum involves both a hands-on and instructional clinic in which you learn from the best CPST instructors in the nation – the professionals who developed the curriculum for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Registrants earn a Certificate of Attendance.
Workshop Co-Chairs: Charley Kennington, Director, Innovative Transportation Solutions, Region 4 ESC, Houston TX; Additional Team Leaders: Sue Shutrump, OTR/L, Supervisor, Occupational & Physical Therapy Services, Trumbull County ESC; Cheryl Wolf, Special Needs Transportation Consultant
(For those attendees pursuing the NAPT Special Needs Endorsement, this workshop qualifies as NAPT 102; contact NAPT for fees associated with Endorsement credits.)

8 am to 5 pm

Opening remarks:Roseann Schwaderer, Edupro Group, Conference Chair; Charlie Hood, Director, Student Transportation, Florida Dept of Education

Introduction of Keynote Speaker:, 8:15 to 9:15 am
Keynote Address: Topic and Presenter to be announced

9:30 to 11 am   
Couples Therapy:
Resolving Relationship Issues in Special Needs Transportation
Relationships!  What would we do without the angst they cause us?  What does it take to sculpt a compatible relationship?  Will Harry continue to love Sally?  Will transportation and special education EVER tie the knot?  We’ll explore what makes the "marriage of services" work during this lively and revealing couples session.
Moderator: Peggy Burns, Education Compliance Group
Panelists:
Alexandra Robinson, President, NAPT, and Executive Director, Office of Pupil Transportation, New York City Dept. of Education; John Benish, CEO, Cook-Illinois Corp; Sue Shutrump, Supervisor of OT and PT Services, Trumbull County ESC; Michele Drorbaugh, Assistant Manager Field Operations, Seattle Public Schools; Greg Akin, President, FAPT, and Transportation Director, Volusia County Schools; Barbara L. Bush, Director, Exceptional Student Education & Student Services, Volusia County Schools; and Nancy Kessler, Special Needs Coordinator, Katy ISD

CONFERENCE BREAKOUT SESSIONS (3 concurrent)

11:15 am  to
12:15 pm

BREAKOUT A
Communicating Bus Ridership Safety to Children
Communication differences among children can create a blizzard effect on school bus safety.  This session focuses on how to instruct safety effectively to children who may struggle with communications, and what you can do from your management position.
Kathy Furneaux, Executive Director, PTSI

BREAKOUT B
IEP Power: Bringing Transportation to the Table
This presentation gives a step-by-step description of the transporters’ role in the IEP process.  Suggestions for getting invited will be given along with how to prepare for attending this important meeting. The roles, rights and responsibilities of the team members in planning for safe, legally compliant transportation of students with special needs will be discussed while highlighting the vital contributions that only transporters can bring to the table. What to do with the information gleamed from the meeting along with how to continue the necessary networking and communication with team members will complete this interactive session.
Sue Shutrump, OTR/L, Supervisor Occupational & Physical Therapy, Trumbull County ESC,and Cheryl Wolf, Special Needs Transportation Consultant

BREAKOUT C
Managing Multiple Generations in Today's Transportation
Workplace: New Chapters for the Team Playbook
Five generations will participate in the workforce next year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Each generation brings unique values and experiences to work each day.  Often, an age diverse staff is not harmonious or conducive to high engagement.  Your ability to understand generational differences and varying communication and work styles is necessary for a productive transportation team.  You will learn these differences and strategies to address them. Managing a diverse staff effectively is key to your success. Mark Hinson, SPHR, Chief Human Resource Officer, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, and Consultant, Education Compliance Group

2:30 to 3:30 pm
Dealing with Difficult People
Whether its employees or parents the right situation can send you over the top!   Learn techniques to assist with your most challenging situations. 
Pauline Gervais, Consultant, Education Compliance Group

3:45 to 4:45 pm
Peer Mentoring
The way in which your staff performs is critical, whether you are transporting Head Start children, preschoolers, or children with disabilities.  In this time of tight budgets, learning from each other becomes even more important.  Here are ways that you can encourage your staff to perform effectively.
Susan Hunt,Transportation Services Coordinator, Oregon Child Development Coalition

2:30 to 3:30 pm
Solving Your Most Perplexing Cases                                                           
Bring your issues to the forefront and resolve your concerns about your real-world securement and positioning issues.
Sue Shutrump, Charley Kennington, Miriam Manary

3:45 to 4:45 pm
Trigger Points & Challenging Behaviors:
Unlocking the Sensory Puzzle Together
All of us struggle with passengers who, despite use of everything in our “bag of tricks,” just can’t  be comfortable on the school bus. The resultant challenging behavior can impact safety of drivers and passengers. What conditions might be triggering unacceptable behaviors? Transporters and therapists, work together, can often determine if a sensitivity or deficit in processing sensory information may be at the root of the problem. This session discusses some of these triggers and how we can adjust the individualized transportation plan to accommodate passengers with these non-obvious disabilities.
Sue Shutrump, OTR/L

1:15 to 2:15 pm
Special Ed Student Information: Why You
Need It; How to Get it: What to Do With It
Transportation’s need for, and ability to receive, information on special ed students is commonly misunderstood by parents, and special ed officials and even transportation directors.  This session provides clarity by looking at relevant laws and best practices.  In addition, the presenter will discuss your obligations related to the information; and explore the numerous means to obtain and transmit the data (including video, behavior logs, databases and alternative data resources)
Pete Meslin, Transportation Director, Newport-Mesa USD

2:30 to 3:30
Thin Legal Line Between Bullying & Harassment:
Special Riders Need Special Protections
Peggy Burns, ESQ, Education Compliance Group

3:45 to 4:45 pm 
Partnering for Success: School Districts and Contractors Working Together
Sharon Pierluissi, Regional Manager, Cook-Illinois Corporation, and Julie Jilek, Director of Business Services & Facilities, Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization

GENERAL SESSION
DIASTAT/MEDICATIONS ON THE SCHOOL BUS
Panel: Peggy Burns, Sue Shutrump, Cheryl Wolf, Nancy Kessler, Special Needs Coordinator, Katy ISD; Marilyn J. Bull, MD, Morris Green Professor of Pediatrics, Riley Hospital for Children; and Mary D. (Deborah) Simmons,School Nurse Coordinator, Orange County Public Schools (invited)
(For those attendees pursuing the NAPT Special Needs Endorsement, this workshop qualifies as NAPT 106; contact NAPT for fees associated with Endorsement credits.)

BREAKOUT A

1:30 to 3 pm
The ABC’s of Proper Use of Child Safety Restraints
Charley Kennington, Director, Innovative Transportation Solutions, and Cheryl Wolf, Special Needs Transportation Consultant

BREAKOUT B
1:30 to 3 pm
MOBILITY SYSTEM INTEGRITY:                                       
HOW GOOD ARE YOUR OBSERVATION SKILLS? 
Through visible examinations of various mobility systems, attendees will determine if there would be concerns about the devices being put on the school bus.  You will become more knowledgeable about the details of a mobility system, improve your observational skills and recognize the needs for preventative maintenance of a mobility system.
Jean Zimmerman, PT, Supervisor Occupational & Physical Therapy, Palm Beach County School District

3:15 to 4:15 pm
Please select a session in Breakout A or C.

4:30 to 5:30 pm 
Leadership in Special Needs Transportation
There is a fine line between offering excellent service and knowing when to say “No.” This session demonstrates the role good leadership plays in special needs transportation coordination and the importance of building those all important relationships between transportation and administration. Giving the right answers is so important, and if not having the right answer, having the sources to find it. Leadership and knowledge are two key roles in transporting the ever growing population of children with disabilities.
Nancy Kessler, Special Needs Coordinator, Katy ISD

1:30 to 3 pm
How Training Focused on Disability Categories Can Result in Safer Rides
Each child we transport with an IEP has unique strengths and challenges.  But a studied look into IDEA disability categories reveals characteristics that are commonly shared. This presentation will review typical concerns, as well as strategies found to be successful for students within each disability category. Proper selection and use of child safety restraint systems will be reviewed as well as medical and behavioral issues to consider when designing an individual transportation plan. 
Sue Shutrump, OTR/L, Supervisor, Occupational & Physical Therapy Services, Trumbull County ESC

3:15 to 4:15 pm
Wrong Bus, Wrong Stop, Gone Missing:
Understanding & Establishing Custody & Control
The potential for students to be put on the wrong bus, get off at the wrong stop, or go missing for some period of time relating to the home-school-home trip may be greatest at the start of the school year.  But districts face the same issue at any time of year with substitute drivers who don’t know the youngsters and routes as well as regular drivers.  The daily practice of ensuring that every child gets handed off from parent or guardian to driver to school and back reliably is very challenging.  This panel offers help.
Panelists: Peggy Burns, John Benish, CEO, Cook Illinois Corp., Pauline Gervais, and Cheryl Wolf
For those attendees pursuing the NAPT Special Needs Endorsement, this workshop qualifies as NAPT 106; contact NAPT for fees associated with Endorsement credits.)

4:30 to 5:30 pm
Banking on Efficiency: Some Not-So-Obvious Ideas
Contrary to popular belief, student transportation in support of special education does not always have to break the bank.  There are numerous methods to help reduce the “encroachment.”  Opportunities to be more efficient are abundant, but not always obvious.  This session will offer a compendium of cost savings ideas – some of which you’ve probably never considered.
Pete Meslin, Transportation Director, Newport-Mesa USD

BREAKOUT A
8:15 to 9:15 am
Service Animals
Panelists: Peggy Burns, Cheryl Wolf, Jean Zimmerman, and Greg Akin, Transportation Director, Volusia County Schools and President, Florida Assn. for Pupil Transportation

9:30 to 10:30 am
Routing & Scheduling Equipment
If you are scheduling vehicles that run both regular and spec ed routes, does that vehicle always have the appropriate equipment for the servises needed? Here's help for creating efficienties and appropriate services
Panelists: Cheryl Wolf, Sharon Perlussi, Regional Manager, Cook-Illinois Corporation, and Jamie Warrington, Transportation Specialist, ESE & Operations, Florida Department of Education

Transporting Challenges: Managing Behaviors of Students with Special Needs
This session takes an in-depth look at behavior management strategies that work with students of all ages.  The emphasis is on best practices for supporting a safe school bus environment by utilizing effective behavior management strategies for a variety of different disability populations.  Through hands-on and in-depth discussion, participants will develop a new skill set for re-thinking daily behavior modification techniques for both the routine and unique set of circumstances. Alexandra Robinson,President, NAPT, and Executive Director, Office of Pupil Transportation, New York City Dept. of Education
(For those attendees pursuing the NAPT Special Needs Endorsement, this Behavior Management session qualifies for NAPT 105; contact NAPT for fees associated with Endorsement credits.)       

ADJOURN UNTIL MARCH 2013