Special Ed Programs

Instructional Program:   Special education and related services are to be provided by
appropriately credentialed or “qualified” staff or personal that have been granted temporary permits or waivers. The Director Special Education is responsible for monitoring the waiver process.

Continuum of Program Options: The district operates programs appropriate  to the
instructional needs of students. The following or any combination of the following special
education or related services placement are available to identified students as specified in
the IEP.

Regular Classrooms: Instruction and services may be provided to disabled students within
the regular classroom for any portions of the school day. Program modification, specialized equipment and teachers and students as a specified in the IEP.

Language, Speech, and Hearing Services:  Services include referral and assessment of
individuals suspected of having a disorder of language, speech, or hearing. Additional
services include monitoring of student progress on a regular basis, participating in the
review and revision of student IEP’s, consultative services to students, parents, teachers, and other school personnel, and coordination of speech and language services with a
student’s regular and special education program.  Case loads of full-time equivalent
specialists shall not exceed a SELPA-wide average of 55 students.  Services may be provided by a bilingual aide under the direct supervision of the specialist.

Mobility/Orientation Instruction: Services include specialized instruction for individuals in
orientation and mobility techniques; consultation services to other school personnel and
parents regarding instructional planning relative to the development of orientation and
mobility and independent living skills.

Home and Hospital Instruction:  Service is limited to students who have been identified as
individuals with exceptional needs and recommended for such services by the IEP team.  
Students enrolled in the special class or resource specialist program and are unable to
participate in a classroom setting may be provided home instruction.  Placement is generally considered temporary until the student is able to return to the school setting.  Students enrolled in the home instruction program may be eligible for extended year instruction.  For students with a medical condition such as those related to surgery, accident, short-term illness or medical treatment for a chronic illness, the IEP team shall review and revise, if appropriate, the IEP whenever there is a change in the students’ current medical condition.
 
Assessment information must include a medical report from the attending physician or the
report of the Psychologist, as appropriate, stating the diagnosed condition may include aural rehabilitation with individual or groups of students and support for hearing impaired
students in the regular classroom; monitoring hearing levels; auditory behaviors and
amplification for all students requiring personal or group amplification in the instructional
setting; planning, organizing and implementing an audiology program for students with
auditory dysfunctions, as specified in the IEP; consultative services regarding test findings, amplification needs and equipment; otological referrals; home training programs; acoustic treatment of rooms; and coordination of educational services to hearing impaired students. 


Social Worker Services:  Social work services may include individual/group counseling with students and their immediate family; consultations with students, parents teachers, and other personnel regarding the effects of family and other social factors on learning and developmental requirements of students with disabilities; developing a network of
community resources; initiating referrals and maintaining liaison relationships with the
school, student, family, and the various agencies providing social, income maintenance,
employment development, mental health, or other developmental services.

Recreation Services:  Services may include specialized instructional programs designed to assist students in becoming as independent as possible in leisure activities and facilitate the students’ integration into regular recreation programs.  Recreation programs in schools and the community emphasize the use of leisure activities in the teaching of academic, social and daily living skills.

Instruction and Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing:  Services are to be provided by
appropriately credentialed staff who have competencies to provide services to the hearing
impaired and have training.  Experience, and proficient communication skills for educating
students with hearing impairments.  Such services may include: speech, speech reading, and auditory training; instruction in oral, sign and written language development;  adapting
curricula, methods, media, and the environment to facilitate the learning process;
consultation to students, parents, teachers, and other personnel as necessary to maximize the students’ experience in the regular education program; and a specially trained aide, working with and under the supervision of a credentialed teacher may assist in the implementation of the student’s program.
 
Specially Designed Vocational Educational And Career Development: Services may include:

provision of prevocational programs and assessing work-related skills interests, aptitudes,
and attitudes; coordinating and modifying the regular vocational education program;
assisting students in developing attitudes, self-confidence, and vocational competencies to locate, secure and retain employment in the community or sheltered environment; enable students to become participating members of the community; establishing work training programs within the school and community; assisting in job placement; instructing job trainers and employers as to the unique needs of students; maintaining regularly schedule contact with all work stations and job-site trainers; and coordinating services with the Department of Rehabilitation, Department of Employment Development, and other agencies as designated in students IEP’S.

Specialized Services for Low Incidence Disabilities:  Services may include specially designed instruction related to the unique needs of students with low incidence disabilities provided by credentialed teachers and services such as interpreters, note takers,  readers, transcribers,  and other personnel who provide specialized materials and equipment. 

Specialized services shall be provided in accordance with state guidelines.

Specialized Services  For Other Health Impaired:  Services may include individual
consultation, home or hospital instruction, and other instructional methods using advanced communication  technology.  The IEP team shall specify the frequency for monitoring the students’ educational progress for students whose medical condition is in remission or in a passive state to assure that the illness does not interfere with the students progress.  The school principal or designee shall assure that the IEP team is convened to determine the appropriate educational services when the student experiences an acute health problem resulting in non-attendance at school for more than five consecutive days.  The IEP Team shall be convened if there is a pattern of sporadic illnesses to consider alternative means for the student to demonstrate competencies in the required course of study so that the cumulative number of absences do not prevent educational progress.

EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR:  Extended school year services shall be provided to special
education students who may exhibit regression without services beyond the regular school education students who may exhibit regression without services beyond the regular school year.

Project Workability: The project provides opportunities fro disabled students to receive
wages for supervised on the job training within the district and in the community. The
projects includes vocational assessment, counseling, pre employment skills training,
vocational training, placement in unsubsidized employment, and  other assistance with
transition to a quality adult life. Funds are received from the state based upon an approved annual application and program review.
Program specialist: Positions are funded by the country based upon student enrollment and allocated to the district by the special education local plan area.
 
1. Qualifications: Programs specialists must have a valid credential advanced training
and related experience in the education of individuals with exceptional needs; career
vocational development, or one or more major area of disability conditions.

2. Responsibilities: Program specialist service may include: observation,
consultation, and assistance to resource specialists instructors and special class teachers.

Grading: All students with disabilities should be given grades that reflect the level of work they are capable of completing consistent with the IEP authorized accommodations and
modifications to the core curriculum, and are clearly communicated to all teachers. Modified grades may be given as long as such grades are available to all students, not just students in special education programs. If the modification is so extreme  as to significantly alter the assignment and the assignment should reflected in the IEP and relate directly to the students with more sever disabilities cannot obtain content standards, even with accommodations and modifications, therefore progress toward meeting IEP goals may be an appropriate measurements. 

Severely Handicapped (SH) Program: The district operates various programs and provides support services fro students with severe disabilities. These students as a group exhibit a wide variety of diagnostics classifications that may include various medical conditions. The wide variety of identified disabilities necessitate a range of programs and support services options.