What You Need To Know About Proximity Learning’s Special Services

It is no secret that Proximity Learning offers virtual special education services tailored to meet the needs of your school district. But perhaps amidst the chaos of the teacher shortage and scramble to fill vacancies, news of our customizable solutions missed your hallways. In February, Proximity Learning’s own Dr. April Willis and Director of Special Services, Dr. Evette Riley-Allison, hosted a webinar to explain the scope of our special education services and answer any questions fellow educators had. 

During the webinar, Dr. Willis and Dr. Riley-Allison discussed topics ranging from positive case management experiences to the impact of our special education services on students. “At Proximity, we strive to fill the gap. We understand that there is a teaching shortage. We all understand the state of education currently,” stated Dr. Riley-Allison. While vast information was shared, we have the top 6 takeaways school district officials need to remember. If you’re looking for more information, watch the full webinar here. 

1. Proximity Learning has 4 key special education services

The four components of special education, as provided by Proximity Learning, are:

• Case Management: We provide Individualized Education Program (IEP) management that ensures compliance and grants your in-person team more time to focus on instruction.
• Livestream Instruction: Our certified teachers will provide real-time, virtual instruction, accommodations, and progress monitoring.
• Evaluations: We provide licensed school psychologists who will conduct initial assessments, reevaluations, and prepare compliant reports.
• Related Services: Our licensed Occupational Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists deliver virtual therapy sessions to promote your students’ success aligned to their IEP goals.

Additionally, Proximity Learning ensures that every teacher and professional who engages with your students has the credentials and certifications to teach in their state and subject. We provide these services for all grade levels K-12, as we know that filling these special education vacancies can be tougher than others. We’re here to help fill the gaps and deliver the best instruction for your students. 

2. Schools report positive experiences with Proximity Learning’s case management

If there is one thing that schools enjoy from our case management services, it’s that they are no longer inundated by paperwork. “At Proximity, we recognize that there was not only a teaching shortage, but a severe shortage with case management services,” Dr. Riley-Allison says. Schools are aware that their teachers cannot give 100% to students when they have ongoing paperwork taking up their time. Fortunately, our virtual case managers monitor the entire IEP process from start to finish and ensure that all team members, from the related service providers to the students, are involved. 

Dr. Riley-Allison highlighted a positive experience with Virginia: “One of the administrators said that their teachers actually thanked them for partnering with Proximity because the teachers there in brick and mortar only needed to focus on instruction, and they were able to not focus on the paperwork of the case management.”

In New Mexico, a similar experience occurred: “They had more paperwork than special educators to provide the services for. We were able to come in and partner to help alleviate that stress and ensure that those IEPs were in compliance and, most importantly, that every single student was receiving the specially designed instruction that their IEP aligns with.”

3. How our special education services impact students

Proximity Learning’s mission has always been centered around student achievement. We know that when students are being listened to, they feel the support of the community they have behind them. More importantly, they don’t feel alone. “When students are in the classroom, if there is not a teacher in front of them, they’re not receiving the services that their IEP says they need to be successful. So when we are able to partner and provide those services virtually, then students know that the school cares,” emphasized Dr. Riley-Allison. 

Often, our services will be confused with asynchronous learning, where students are left on their own to teach themselves. Dr. Willis reminds us: “These are not pre-recorded lessons that your students are going to have to put headphones on, push play, and they’re just watching a video. They are actually having two-way interactions. They are engaging in live time with their teachers. Teachers are calling them by name. They are building a relationship.” By providing visual supports, guided supports, and assistive technology, our instruction is presented in a way that is accessible to all students. 

4. How Proximity Learning avoids the teacher shortage

Schools might find themselves wondering how Proximity Learning remains unaffected by the ongoing teacher shortage while they are being affected. The difference between our hiring processes is that we have a global candidate pool, and most schools are restricted to their geographical boundaries. As Dr. Willis explained, “When you’re able to break those boundaries, and we can bring in people from all across the country, and even outside this country, who are really good at what they do, we get them the reciprocity to be certified in your state, content area, and grade level.”

Our flexible scheduling allows for teachers who are in unique situations to comfortably work with us and share their expertise with your students. We help districts that are having a hard time staffing acquire certified teachers who will keep the ball moving.

5. How to customize our case management service

A distinctive part of our services is that we are fully customizable. We work by your rules. We fit your mold. For our case management services, there are two levels to consider:

• Half of a case load: Up to 15 students can be managed
• Full case load: Up to 25 students can be managed
• We cap services for each case manager at 25 students, so every 25 students would equal a new case manager

Our case manager will use your systems and guidelines to provide customized services designed to meet your specific needs.  Certain schools may only need case managers for initial assessments, while others may need case managers to focus on goal tracking and progress monitoring. No matter what a school is looking for, we are here to support you the best way we can. Dr. Willis says, “We are not a one-size-fits-all type of company. We listen to what your needs are, and we’ll share with you what we have to offer, and we’ll see how we can bring these two things together to create the best teaching and learning environment for your students.”

6. Proximity Learning vs. COVID-19 Virtual Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic was a tragic time for our country as lives were disrupted and displaced by a widespread disease. Lifestyles changed, where usual routines of waking up and heading to school or work turned to waking up and turning your computer on. Today, many educators still fear the state education was under during these strictly virtual times. However, with Proximity Learning, years of experience drive our methods and decisions. 

Dr. Willis emphasized, “Proximity was successful at virtual learning before the pandemic. Proximity has been around for over 15 years, providing highly effective virtual instruction before virtual instruction was even a common language in households.”

When school districts were forced into virtual learning, teachers were being put in situations with no training and by no choice of their own. In contrast, our teachers are additionally certified through the National Virtual Teacher Association, so they are fully equipped to teach online. Our live virtual services are not a result of the pandemic, but rather carefully crafted models that have been increasing student success for years. 

Take your next steps with Proximity Learning

If you or your school district is interested in taking the next steps with Proximity Learning, they can email Dr. Riley-Allison at erileyallison@proxlearn.com and mention your interest in setting up a meeting. Dr. Riley-Allison will connect you with the right people from our team to see how Proximity Learning can be a good fit for your school. We want you to know your funding is used on something that makes a real impact. 

For any general questions, contact us here so we can provide you with all of the information you need. We’re here for your students, teachers, and school, one step at a time.