Continuum of Alternative Placements for Students with Disabilities
There is great variability in the way that special education looks across our district. We do not subscribe to a “one size fits all” approach, where students with a particular type of disability all receive highly similar services. Instead, we pride ourselves on designing innovative and individualized placement opportunities for our students with disabilities. We are committed to ensuring that students with disabilities are educated in an environment that is as similar as possible to the environment of students who do not have disabilities.
Below you will find some of the placement options that are available in each of our schools. Please note that we offer more placement variations than what is listed below; our list is simply meant to provide an introductory overview of our wide breadth of services.
Types of Placement
General Education Classroom with Collaboration / Consultation Services - Students with disabilities continue to participate in the general education classes. Special educators and general educators work together to best meet the needs of exceptional children.
Individual / Small Group - This program services students who are enrolled in the general education classroom in one or more academic areas to help increase their benefit from general education class placement. This is supplemental instruction (no grade is given) that focuses on helping students become independent in the process of learning through the use of compensatory strategies, intervention support, and study / organizational techniques.
Resource Room or Self-Contained Classroom - A resource room or self-contained classroom serves children whose disability requires a special education program on a part-time or full-time basis. These spaces provide a modified regular education curriculum that is not offered in regular education classrooms. In some cases the students are provided a functional, alternate curriculum to meet their individual needs.
Separate Facility - A separate facility is a school that is designed specifically for students with disabilities. Sometimes these facilities do not include students who are typically developing.
Home Instruction - Home instruction is available to some students with disabilities. Through this program, a certified instructor travels to the home of the student to provide specific instruction on the student’s IEP.
Institutions and Hospitals - Some children with disabilities are so ill that they are confined to hospitals or institutions for long periods of time. In these cases, instruction is provided to those individuals in that setting.