leadership in high schools

This is the case of a female 13 year old student in 7th grade.  She is volatile, emotionally unstable, self-injurious, depressed, manic and classified as a special needs student because of her disability - ED. 
She has been in a BOCES 1:6:1 program for about 6 months.  At the CSE meeting held in May 08, the community resource mental health advocate is able to sway the family into demanding that the the girl return to her home school because -”all the other students at that school behave in this same way.”  Unfortunately, no other members of the Committee on Special Education can dissuade the momentum that the meeting takes on and despite all teacher and counselor views to the contrary, a decision is reached to return the student to her own school district.  I could not attend this CSE meeting and I am shattered by the recommendation brought back to me by the classroom teacher and school counselor.

After the CSE meeting, the student continues to deteriorate in her behavior.  It has not been enough time for her to internalize the self controls being taught her in a 1:6:1 program at the BOCES.  In the month of June alone the student receives 6 disciplinary referrals with 3 time outs and 1 restraint.  Between April and May O8, she is deemed a danger to herself and others and hospitalization is sought in a mental health facility.  Another CSE meeting is called within 2 months, July 08, to review the recommentdation of the first CSE meeting.  This time the school district and the BOCES representatives are able to make stronger points to make the case for a reversal of the initial decision and based on frequency of visits to the time out room and number of discipline referrals that the student has received since Jan. 08 which shows a pattern of escalating behavior in the month of June, 08. 

Result:  No definitive action/result.  Parent/guardian are now not sure as to what is the best course of action - return to BOCES or seek another out of district placement.  At least we won on the first issue - there is universal  agreement on the part of BOCES, the parent and school district that the student is unable to return to her home school at the present time.  At this time there is no knowing whether the student will be returning to BOCES or not.   I would personally like to see the female student return to our BOCES program for another year and then transiton to her local high school.  I know that our BOCES teachers at the Hewes Center have the experience and training to understand negative, self-destructive behavior and its impact on education, more importantly they have the professional tools to attend to the issues presented by the student.  By this time she leaves a behavior based, will have internalized some self-control and self-discipline and learnt how to manage her behaviors with  counselling and medication.