"If you are in eighth grade and you're jumping to the high school for your first year in high school and you're in a separate setting class, you are automatically not set up, you're already down a year."
-Libby Zaine
One-third of special education students were trapped in separate classrooms. They couldn't access electives, weren't prepared for high school A-G requirements, and felt like outsiders in their own school.
Sound familiar? If you're watching your special ed kids stuck in self-contained settings while their peers get the full middle school experience, you're not alone. Most administrators know this setup fails students long-term but feel powerless to change it.
Russell Campisi and his team at Harvest Park Middle School figured out how to flip this script. Fast.
The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
The data was alarming: Students with IEPs spent only 66% of their time in general education settings. That meant a third of their most vulnerable kids were missing out on the full school experience.
The team realized they weren't just failing test scores—they were failing futures
The "Stake in the Ground" Moment
Here's where most schools would form a committee and spend two years planning. Harvest Park said "nope" and made a decision that might horrify some school boards.
They eliminated most self-contained special education classes. In one year.
The secret sauce? They didn't just move kids into gen ed classes and hope for the best. They completely reimagined how special education support works
Master Schedule Magic: The Technical Breakdown
Vice Principal Tessie Gonsalves led the Herculean task of rebuilding their master schedule. The challenge? Ensuring every special ed student got their required service minutes while maintaining balanced classrooms.
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Their approach breaks the traditional co-teaching model:
- Traditional model: Pack 30-50% special ed students into one classroom with two teachers
- Harvest Park model: Distribute 2-3 special ed students across multiple classrooms (10-15% per class)
The Resource Teacher Revolution
Resource specialist Libby Zaine's day transformed completely.
Before: Teaching four separate special ed classes from her own classroom.
After: Mobile support across six different gen ed classrooms with various teachers.
The mindset shift was crucial: from "I teach these kids" to "How can I support them in general education?"
Not everyone made the transition. Some teachers chose retirement or different paths. But those who stayed? They became advocates.
Building the Wellness Revolution
Coming out of COVID, Harvest Park noticed something alarming: behavior referrals were skyrocketing, and students felt more isolated than ever.
Their solution? A comprehensive wellness center that became the "third place" between classroom and office, designed by head counselor Madeleine Le and wellness coordinator Jenn Simpson.
Physical Design Elements:- Non-gender restroom for safety and inclusion
- Private office for outside therapists
- Diverse seating options (beanbags, group tables, individual spaces)
- Sensory items with different textures, lighting, and sounds
- Intentional LGBTQ+ and cultural representation
The Data That Drives Decisions
Harvest Park doesn't just feel good about inclusion—they measure it. Their COST (Coordination of Services Team) process brings together counselors, administrators, special education case managers, and school psychologists to review student needs systematically.
Results that matter:- Student connectedness rates jumped from 71% to 80% (California Healthy Kids Survey)
- Special ed students' gen ed participation increased to approximately 80%
- PBIS recognition upgraded from Silver to Platinum
- Won the prestigious CSBA Golden Bell Award in 2024
The Three Non-Negotiables for Replication
When asked to distill their success into three essentials, the team was clear:
1. Time and Money
"The two most important things are time and money to support what you want to
do," Libby states. This meant professional development sessions, collaborative planning time, and resources for staff training.
2. Flat Ideas and Respect
"Ideas have to be flat," Russell explains. "It doesn't matter where they come
from, you're just trying to make sure that they work." This requires genuine respect and appreciation among team members.
3. Student-First Mindset
"Always bringing it back to what's best for kids," Tessie emphasizes. "Always
asking that question of if this was your kiddo, what would you want for them?"
The Collaboration Secret Weapon
The magic ingredient? Regular, structured collaboration time. Russell actually got kicked out of special education department meetings so teachers could brainstorm freely.
"You can't replace time together and talk," he notes. The team also elevated paraprofessionals' voices, recognizing they spend the most time with students and understand their needs best.
Harvest Park's transformation challenges the conventional wisdom about special education programming. Their model proves that with intentional scheduling, collaborative mindset, and adequate support, inclusion isn't just possible—it's more effective.
The key insight? Don't just change where students sit. Change how your entire system supports them.
As Tessie puts it:
"It's not an us and a them. It's not, those are your students. These are our students. It's, they're all our students."
