Additional Info

Financial Aid Available : No

Insurance Accepted : Yes

SEVIS approved and accepts foreign students : Yes

Program Description : The King’s Daughters’ School
Written Program Description


1. Program History
The King’s Daughters and Sons of Maury County established The King’s Daughters’ School in 1955 as a private, non-profit residential school for children ages seven through twenty-two with a primary diagnosis of mild to moderate intellectual disability. The program was the first of its kind in Tennessee, and continues to be in the forefront of special education, with the state’s first early intervention services and the state’s first residential autism.

Today, KDS have grown to serve a capacity of 100 students on our Main Campus and 20 at the Center for Autism. We have four residential programs: 1) the Center for Autism, 2) the Total Life Styles Program, 3) the Young Adult Academy, and 4) the Adult Life Styles Program.

Two of these programs--The Total Lifestyles Program on the Main Campus, and the Center for Autism—serve school-aged students, contacting with schools and states from across the United States. These programs have served students for ISBE and are seeking re-approval.


 
2. Mission/Vision Statement
The mission of The King's Daughters' School is as follows: The King’s Daughters’ School promotes independence through educational, residential, and community services for individuals with developmental disabilities, continuing a 100 year legacy of service.

The vision statement of The King's Daughters' School is as follows: The King’s Daughters’ School will improve lives of individuals with developmental disabilities through caring, goal-oriented service, delivered by a dedicated staff in a safe, warm learning environment.

Our website is www.TKDS.org .

 
3. Purpose and Scope
a. Purpose. KDS exists because its founding and current Board of Directors, staff, and stakeholders believe that students with intellectual disabilities and autism should receive culturally normative educational, social, and adaptive learning opportunities, and that this can be accomplished in a safe, warm campus, in conjunction with the community at large, via programming that can meet the unique needs of students who have not been successful in less restrictive environments.

In order to provide these services to students, The King's Daughters' School Main Campus and Center for Autism offer the following:
• An IEP for every student, including educational, daily living/life skills, social/emotional/behavioral, and job skills goals
• A regular 6.5-hour school day, with instruction in core academic subjects as well as PE, life skills, and job skills training
o This specifically includes initial and annual academic testing, data collection, and reporting; initial and annual adaptive skills testing, data collection, and reporting; initial & annual IEP development and implementation; quarterly report cards; all curriculum & standard (shared) IT access; school-day academic field trips, as appropriate; transportation to school-sponsored events, activities, etc.; test administration; and program-wide programmatic communication and daily living skills goal development and implementation.
• Related services, as required
• Transition skills training (included in IEP)
• Self-help skills training (included in IEP)
• Behavior modification, including basic behavior plans, data collection, etc.
• Access to computers and iPads, and to basic assistive technology
• Opportunities for socialization and social training
• Structured leisure and recreational activities, including participation in local, state, national, and international Special Olympics, as appropriate
• Regular opportunities for inclusion into the community
• 24-hour training and supervision
• Training in generalizing skills
• Small student-to-teacher ratios (4:1 on the Main Campus and 2.5:1 at the Center for Autism)
• Small student-to-staff ratios in the residential program (5:1 on the Main Campus and 3:1 at the Center for Autism)
• Year-round programming (excluding three breaks, each of which are one week long)
• Case management services
• Use of on-campus recreational facilities, including student recreation center, school park, indoor pool, and 8-acre rustic campground
• Case management services
• Medical services, including appointment transportation locally and facilitation of medical, vision, dental, psychiatric, and specialist needs, and care during sickness
• All meals and snacks (regular menu)
• Room & Board
o Tuition specifically includes housing in a double-bed room, all meals & snacks from the regular menu, all utilities, standard toiletries, & standard linens

The campuses use a combination of widely accepted training methods, including but not limited to PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped Children), discrete trial, positive behavior supports, and more.

b. Scope. Because of its intensive, individualized, and consistent approach, KDS programming helps students do the following: achieve educational goals, replace socially inappropriate or problematic behaviors with more positive and appropriate responses, participate in group and community activities, live more independently, begin to generalize skills from one environment to another, and generally become prepared to be successful in a less restrictive environment.

Specifically, students achieve academic success as they are offered differentiated instruction combined with errorless learning, in both the classroom and online curricula. Small class sizes and a work-reward system for all instructional activities maximize student learning. Students make behavioral gains through token economy systems and reinforcement systems. Students who need primary and immediate reinforcers are provided those, and other students benefit from a token economy system that provides positive behavior supports coupled with skill acquisition through in-the-moment prompting by staff members. Daily living skills training is provided in the natural environment, with prompting offered at whatever level necessary until prompting may be faded or replaced with a less intrusive level of prompting. And all of the skills that are taught in the classroom and residential areas at KDS are reinforced and practices during community outings, and shared with parents (along with schedules, positive behavior support strategies, etc) when students visit with families so that the student can generalize what they are learning across all environments, thus facilitating their move toward a less restrictive environment. Because each student is unique, the IEP team works diligently to adapt programming to each student’s interests and needs.

 
4. Program Overview
KDS serves students whose primary disabilities are intellectual disabilities (mild-moderate, and moderate-severe) and/or autism. Additionally, KDS can serve students with multiple diagnoses (ie, traumatic brain injury, speech-language delay, multiple disabilities, other health impaired), provided that the student also has a diagnosis of ID or ASD, is ambulatory, does not require a PRTF or medical model, is not homicidal/suicidal, can be safe in an unlocked, staff secure environment, and functions academically and adaptively in the below-average range.

KDS serves children between 7 and 22 years of age. The school day consists of 6.5 instructional hours, and there are 203 instructional days per school year. Our summer program consists of 6.5 instructional hours per day for 39 days. There are never more than 10 children per class with a student/teacher ratio of 5:1. At this time our program can serve up to 120 students.

 
5. Disability and Instruction Style
KDS serves students under two disability eligibility categories: intellectual disabilities and autism.

The following strategies and interventions are used for students with intellectual disabilities:
• Small class size (4:1 or 2.5:1 student to staff ratio)
• Use of the tenets of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) across environments:
o Discrete trial and chaining for teaching and data collection
o Positive behavior supports individualized for students across environments
 Immediate and tangible rewards when necessary, individualized to student needs and preferences
 Token economy systems for student who are able (“Point and Level System” across all environments, and a “Reward Buck” system in classrooms).
• Instruction designed for both academic success and upon the criterion of ultimate functioning (i.e., an emphasis on academic skills as they relate to the student’s actual current and future life and independence, and the inclusion of Lifeskills in the curriculum, as well as the inclusion through the residential program of foals in the areas of Daily Living/Self Help Skills, Social Adaptive Skills, and Leisure and Recreational Skills).
• Home-School Collaboration (Consistency across environments, i.e., residential and educational staff meeting routinely for treatment team meetings and providing similar goals, structure, language, behavior supports, etc.).
• Evidence-based instructional methods, such as scaffolding, chaining, task analysis, differentiated prompting, etc.
• Increased use of hands-on teaching strategies
• Increased use of one-on-one teaching
• Increased use of multi-sensory teaching strategies
• Use of assistive technology in teaching strategies
• Customization of the environment to each student’s needs and/or to maximize attention and learning (ie, preferred seating, sensory engagement during learning, etc)
• Customization of the learning process to each student’s needs and/or to maximize attention (ie, work-reward system, break offerings, etc)
• Opportunities for inclusion in the greater community
• Peer modeling

The following strategies and interventions are used for students with autism spectrum disorders:
• Increased alternative communication
o Picture Exchange Communicate System (PECS) and Voice Output Devices (VOD)
• The TEACCCH method
• Increased visual scheduling and prompting
• Increased use of social stories
• Small class size (4:1 or 2.5:1 student to staff ratio)
• Use of the tenets of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) across environments:
o Discrete trial and chaining for teaching and data collection
o Positive behavior supports individualized for students across environments
 Immediate and tangible rewards when necessary, individualized to student needs and preferences
 Token economy systems for student who are able (“Point and Level System” across all environments, and a “Reward Buck” system in classrooms).
• Instruction designed for both academic success and upon the criterion of ultimate functioning (i.e., an emphasis on academic skills as they relate to the student’s actual current and future life and independence, and the inclusion of Lifeskills in the curriculum, as well as the inclusion through the residential program of foals in the areas of Daily Living/Self Help Skills, Social Adaptive Skills, and Leisure and Recreational Skills).
• Home-School Collaboration (Consistency across environments, i.e., residential and educational staff meeting routinely for treatment team meetings and providing similar goals, structure, language, behavior supports, etc.).
• Evidence-based instructional methods, such as scaffolding, chaining, task analysis, differentiated prompting, etc.
• Increased use of hands-on teaching strategies
• Increased use of one-on-one teaching
• Increased use of multi-sensory teaching strategies
• Use of assistive technology in teaching strategies
• Customization of the environment to each student’s needs and/or to maximize attention and learning (ie, preferred seating, sensory engagement during learning, etc)
• Customization of the learning process to each student’s needs and/or to maximize attention (ie, work-reward system, break offerings, etc)
• Opportunities for inclusion in the greater community
• Peer modeling



 
6. Related Services
KDS offers the additional related services, included in the cost of tuition for students from IL when required by the student’s IEP
Other Services/Fees
Service Delivery Model Frequency
Counseling Services Direct. Individual or Group.
On campus, via contract service provider. Up to 2x/wk.
Speech Services Direct (individual or group) or consult/indirect.
On campus, via contract service provider or community medical provider. Up to 2x/wk.
Occupational Therapy Services Direct (individual or group) or consult/indirect.
Off campus, via contract service provider or community medical provider. Up to 1x/wk.

Student-specific IT hardware or software Recommended through medical or speech professionals.
Individual.
On campus, or community-based, via contract service provider. TBD, upon recommendation




 
7. Programmatic Outcomes
KDS measures both student outcomes as well as programmatic outputs. However, student outcomes are difficult for KDS to measure because of the developmental delays of the students. There are no benchmarks or standards that are uniformly achievable by all students, and there are no standardized national or state-wide benchmarks for students with intellectual disabilities in the range of KDS’s students. The overall goal for each student is to learn to function as independently as possible; this may mean primarily academic or vocational success, daily living success, behavioral success, or a combination of all of these. Even in this goal, however, success will translate into different outcomes for different students in different programs: for some, it will be meeting goals and making progress on annual evaluations; for others, it will be transitioning into a public school; and still for others, it may mean being able to successfully remain at KDS.

As a result, KDS has developed outcomes and outputs that allow for individual interpretation, with specific benchmarks typically determined by the family, school system, and/or other stakeholders. Below are excerpts from the extensive KDS Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) Plan, which guides KDS data collection, outcome/output expectations, and the process through which all areas of programming are constantly improved.

Programmatic Outputs. KDS has a robust process for data collection, reporting, and communication for programmatic outputs. Programmatic outputs are calculated annually and then published in the KDS PQI Report, which is distributed to all families and posted on the KDS website.

Aggregate outputs related to program effectiveness include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. KDS will ensure that students are progressing adaptively, as evidenced by an increase in adaptive functioning scores through standardized annual testing (Vineland), aggregated annually for students have been in the program through at least one year or two testing cycles.
2. KDS will ensure that student programming is timely and complete through quarterly case record reviews, with a timeliness and completion rate of 90% or better annually.
3. KDS will receive annual stakeholder satisfaction levels equal to or greater than historical benchmarking for the statements that reflect quality of programming, in each individual program.
4. One hundred percent of active KDS staff members will receive annual training in best practices for de-escalation and behavior modification.

Student Outcomes. Student outcomes are at the heart of the work of KDS. Every student is evaluated at least annually on progress toward outcomes, based upon both quantitative and qualitative data collection in various areas of academic, daily living/lifeskills, and social adaptive-behavioral achievement. The IEP team participates in this annual evaluation of student outcomes, and KDS aggregates student outcomes in order to determine program efficacy.

Individual student outcomes include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. At least 80% of students at KDS in the Total Lifestyles Program on the Main Campus or at the Center for Autism will achieve at least 80% of the academic and adaptive functioning goals outlined in their IEP each academic year.
2. At least 80% of students at KDS in the Total Lifestyles Program on the Main Campus or at the Center for Autism will see annual improvements in academic and adaptive functioning, skills as evidenced by increased standard scores annually on at least three areas total among the Woodcock-Johnson and/or Vineland assessments.
3. At least 80% of students at KDS in the Total Lifestyles Program on the Main Campus or at the Center for Autism will see annual improvements in social adaptive skills/behavioral skills as evidenced by either an overall decrease in serious incident.
4. At least 80% of students who exit KDS will exit to a less restrictive environment.

Finally, continuous improvement in the quality assurance program at KDS is of utmost importance. KDS designates a Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) Team, comprised of Senior Leadership, all Department Heads, and the Staff Development Coordinator, who spend a full day each quarter reviewing data from the previous quarter, to ensure efficacy in programming at all levels, for students, staff, and the organization as a whole. The entire PQI process—including determination of outputs and outcomes—is evaluated at least annually, in light of emerging evidence-based practices and program needs, and adapted as necessary.


 
8. Data Collection:
Data collection processes, uses, and improvements are governed by the KDS Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) Plan and cycle. Following is the portion of the PQI Plan that sets standards for collecting and using data, and for continuous improvement based upon data collection (including, but not limited to, using data to drive instruction and intervention, both on the individual and program-wide levels):

Overview of PQI Collection Process. Data is collected for the PQI process in a myriad of ways, including (but not limited to) the following: reviewing the annual audit, reviewing employment records, conducting surveys, tracking incidents or reports, reviewing referral logs, gathering anecdotal reports, reviewing student records, tracking progress toward long-range and departmental goals, and reviewing and answering external licensing reviews. For information on exactly what data will be collected, how, by whom, and how frequently for individual areas of the KDS PQI process, see PQI Operational Procedures Worksheet.

Reporting Data. Once data is received, it is aggregated either by the Program Director or Executive Director or a member of the PQI committee. It is be the responsibility of that person to ensure that data is being collected and looked at as a body of evidence; in order to view the data as a body of evidence, the responsible party may need to tally, track, or count data; respond to reports; list numbers and types of data; etc. Training on data collection and aggregation is included in the quarterly PQI committee meetings. As the data being collected comes in many forms and reports upon many different areas, the process for aggregating is open to continuous improvement and must be flexible. The process for aggregating data will be reviewed as part of the PQI Process Evaluation during the quarterly PQI committee meetings.

After data is received and aggregated, and has been reviewed by the PQI committee, the PQI committee determines how to share the findings. This may be through online postings, inclusion in stakeholder or staff newsletters, personal communication (emails, letters, phone calls, meetings), or formal reports. Additionally, a formal annual report is made to the Board of Directors each year, as they are ultimately charged with continuous quality improvement.

Data Review and Analysis Process. Once data is received, it is reviewed, analyzed, and acted upon as follows:
1. Review Data/Reports. PQI Committee reviews all data and reports, as well as recommendations that may have been gleaned through the data collection process.

2. Analyze and Interpret Data/Reports. The PQI Committee identifies concerns, analyzes outcomes, and makes recommendations for the organization based on data and reporting. The committee utilizes stakeholders as needed to ensure the appropriate interpretation of results. KDS has also established a review process for outliers, which is utilized for qualitative adaptive testing, as well as quantitative behavioral data to ensure consistency across environments.

3. Need for Change. As the data is aggregated and analyzed, the PQI committee and stakeholders identify weaknesses in the data collection process, as well as data that indicate a need for a change in a process or area. The committee and stakeholders formulate recommendations for changes, which are vetted and researched by the committee. The committee may approve/disapprove/amend/make additional recommendations, and the final recommendation is either accepted, denied, or submitted to the appropriated stakeholders or authority to implement changes or to begin the process of preparing for changes.

4. Re-Establish Benchmarks. The KDS PQI process is designed to be ongoing, so that as a benchmark is reached, another benchmark is created. In this way, improvement is ongoing and KDS is continually challenged to meet higher and higher standards. The PQI committee notes if benchmarks have been reached and uses historical data or developing external benchmarks to reset benchmarks.

Communicating Results. PQI results are presented to stakeholders through scheduled annual staff in-service days, family meetings, internal and external newsletters, online and social media, personal communication, and other outlets as available and necessary. It is important to note, though, that the sensitive nature

Using Data for Implementing Improvement. KDS utilizes the results of reports to build upon strengths, eliminate or reduce identified problems, determine possible causes when issues of concern are revealed, promulgate solutions and ensure good practice standards, and implement and monitor the effectiveness of corrective actions. KDS also integrates findings of external reviews as part of this process, and revises policies and procedures, staff training, operations, programming, and even PQI processes as part of its PQI process.

Assessing the Effectiveness of the PQI Process. The PQI process is and should be a comprehensive process for The King's Daughters’ School. As such, all of the processes and products explained above are part of the PQI process. Each process and product is be evaluated, and those evaluations are the foundation of an effective, comprehensive PQI process.

Additionally, the PQI process is evaluated annually, and on an as-needed basis, to ensure that stakeholders’ voices being heard, stakeholders have opportunities for involvement in the improvement process, areas of need are improved upon, etc. The PQI committee recommends any changes in the PQI process to the appropriate party, and any changes approved immediately become part of the updated KDS PQI process and are then subject to this ongoing annual review.


 
9. Philosophy and Methodology for Reintegration
The Philosophy of The King's Daughters' School is that the goal for every student is the least restrictive environment possible, and student goals are designed to promote integration into that least restrictive environment.

The Philosophy of The King's Daughters' School, as explained in the Policy & Procedure Manual, states the following:
KDS subscribes to the following implicit values underlying fundamental goals for individuals with developmental disabilities: […]
• They should be served and taught so that they are able to live and learn in the least restrictive environment.

In order to help facilitate reintegration into the home (and home school) and movement into a less restrictive environment, KDS provides the following:
• Classes in Lifeskills
• Goals in the areas of daily living, self-help, social-adaptive, and leisure and recreational skills
• Job skills training
• Training for parents on utilizing schedules, positive language, and positive behavior supports in the home (in person and via the “Parents’ Guide to Home Visits”)
• A proposed schedule, and feedback and assistance as needed, for parents to practice gradual reintegration of the student into their home environment

The IEP team meets annually to ensure that the student is on track for exit to a less restrictive environment, and to determine if KDS is still the least restrictive environment wherein the student can receive FAPE. If the IEP team determines that a change of placement is in order, then the process of preparing for the transition begins, with KDS working on goals and supports to enable the student to successfully transition.

When appropriate, and if the student is returning to a public school or entering another program, and if a release of information is obtained, KDS works with staff at the next program to ensure they understand the student’s needs, and to provide social stories and transition supports to the student prior to the transition. Because KDS offers students consistency through scheduling, language, and reward systems, these items are offered to the family and/or next program as well, to help the student build upon success rather than experience learning loss.

Exiting to a less restrictive environment is a primary goal of KDS, and KDS sets and reports on this goal each year, with an expectation that 80% of all exits will be to a less restrictive environment. KDS measures this based upon staffing and security levels at KDS as compared to an exiting student’s next program. Over the past two years, KDS has fallen just short of this goal, but is proud that 37 of the 48 students who have exited—or 77%--have exited to a less restrictive environment.

Average Length of Stay : 2-3 years or until graduation at 22 years

College Prep Available : No

For Profit or Nonprofit : Nonprofit

Gender Type : Coed (male and female as assigned at birth)

Age Range Served : 7-40 years

Chief Executive Officer : Shauna Pounders

Student Profile : ADD/ADHD, Adoption/Attachment Issues, Anxiety, ASD, Depression, Divorce Issues, Grief, Learning Disability, Low Self-Esteem, OCD, Self-Harm/Cutting, Social/Emotional/Psychiatric Issues, Trauma, Eating Disorder

Accredited Academic Grade Levels : K-12

National Accreditation Body : Council on Accreditation (CoA)

State Licensing Agency : TN Department of Education, TN Department of Children's Services, Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Department of Disability & Aging,