Purpose:  An EST is a group of people who function as a "think tank" to help solve the puzzle of what is going on with a student and determine what he/she might need to be more successful as a learner.

Definition:  The job of the EST is to:  have diverse expertise; develop student plans; meet regularly; support plan implementation; know child development; determine effectiveness of plans; know school and community resources; communicate trends to School Action Planning Team; brainstorm accommodations, instructional strategies, and curriculum adjustments; support students, teachers and parents.

• A team process involving people knowledgeable about the student
• An individualized plan with support for implementation and follow-up
• Connection with the school and community resources of the Educational Support System (ESS)
• A variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of individual students
• Academic and non-academic support

• A forum to identify strategies for helping students
• A broad range of expertise
• A range of in-school and community supports
• Individualized EST plans
• A group that can identify trends and school wide needs and, make recommendations for responding to those needs