Eligibility | Declassification | Related Services | Resource Room | Integrated Co-Teach | DCT | Skills | Intensive Skills | RISE | College Transition Program | ESY
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Resources
- http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/document/continuum-schoolage-revNov13.pdf
- http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/lawsregs/documents/regulations-part-200-201-oct-2016.pdf
BC Student Services Mission Statement
The mission of the Bethlehem Special Education and Student Services department is to educate all students in the least restrictive environment
so we may prepare them to learn, grow and have a personal connection to their community.
Our goal is to maximize student achievement so each student may reach their fullest potential while fostering an inclusive culture within our school community.
Eligibility
An evaluation will be completed to determine initial eligibility and at least every three years after a student is identified as a student with a disability. Progress monitoring data will be collected and documented in IEP Direct. This communication will be shared with parents through regularly scheduled progress reports.
The following statements are taken directly from the New York State Part 200 Regulations for Students with Disabilities.
Eligibility determinations are reliant on:
“information from a variety of sources, including aptitude and achievement tests, parent input, and teacher recommendations, as well as information about the student’s physical condition, social or cultural background, and adaptive behavior; and ensure that information obtained from all these sources is documented and carefully considered.“
Eligibility can not be determined based on the following:
“lack of appropriate instruction in reading, including explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency (including oral reading skills) and reading comprehension strategies; lack of appropriate instruction in math; or limited English proficiency.”
Declassification
Prior to recommending declassification, the Committee shall re-evaluate the student. Prior to the re-evaluation, the CSE should provide prior notice that a re-evaluation is being sought for the purpose of considering declassification. The team may determine no further evaluations are needed and will communicate this to parents as well as their right to request additional testing.
The CSE may recommend declassification support services, for no longer than one year. This could include classroom accommodations, related services, or consults.
The CSE may consider maintaining testing accommodations, continued eligibility for the diploma safety net, and second language exemption. These can be maintained until a student graduates.
The following statements are taken directly from the New York State Part 200 Regulations for Students with Disabilities:
If the student has been receiving special education services, but it is determined by the committee on special education that the student no longer needs special education services and can be placed in a regular educational program on a full-time basis, the recommendation shall:
identify the declassification support services, if any, to be provided to the student; and/or the student’s teachers; and indicate the projected date of initiation of such services, the frequency of provision of such services, and the duration of such services, provided that such services shall not continue for more than one year after the student enters the full-time regular education program.
Related Services
Level: Elementary, Middle, and High School
Definition
Related services are those that assist a student in benefiting from other special education services or assist the student in accessing the general curriculum. Related services means developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a student with a disability.
BC Related Service Descriptions
Assistive Technology Specialist: Service provides consultation with staff and families on the assistive technology needs of students. Assistive technology specialists also provide training and support to the students and teachers. Assistive technology consists of devices and/or services that help students achieve greater independence and enhance their ability to access the curriculum. Examples of assistive technology include communication devices, modified or alternative keyboards, and/or specialized software that allow students with disabilities to use a computer.
Counseling: Services may be provided to an individual student or a group of students using a variety of therapeutic techniques to assist the student in overcoming behavioral and emotional difficulties.
Music Therapy: Service provided to students in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of students. It also provides an avenue for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words.
Occupational Therapy: Services provided to students demonstrating functional skill acquisitions delays in the areas of fine motor, visual motor, perceptual, sensory processing, muscle strength and coordination, graphomotor, adaptive, and life skills. Through implementation of purposeful and meaningful strategies, occupational therapists assist students in gaining skills to support their active engagement and academic success within the school context.
Orientation and Mobility: Services provided to teach students with visual impairments to travel safely, confidently and independently in their environment.
Physical Therapy: Services provided to students demonstrating functional skill acquisition delays in the areas of gross motor, ambulation, strength and agility, balance and coordination, postural control and proprioception, motor planning, sensory processing, muscle strength and coordination, and life skills. Through implementation of purposeful and meaningful treatment strategies, physical therapists assist students in gaining independence as it relates to navigation and physical performance required within the academic context.
Specialized Reading Instruction: Targeted Instruction addressing one or more of the foundational processes of reading (phonological awareness, phonics, reading fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary and/or oral language). Criteria for this service includes Phonological testing by School Psychologist (results falling in the 10th percentile and below), iReady Reading Data (results falling in the 15th percentile and below), and Tier 3 Reading Intervention Data demonstrating on increasing performance gap between the student and normed peers.
Speech and Language Therapy: Services provided to students demonstrating functional communication delays in the areas of receptive language, expressive language, articulation, swallowing, pragmatics, and fluency. Students receive individual and/or small group therapy to facilitate their ability to access the educational program.
Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired: Service provided to students with significant visual impairment and/or vision loss to assist in acquiring compensatory strategies, use of technology, and Braille and Nemeth Code instruction. Through both direct instruction and consultation with interdisciplinary team members, the TVI effectively assists students in acquiring academic skills and increasing independence within the context.
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Service provided to students who require educational services due to a hearing loss. The Deaf/Hard of Hearing teacher addresses the unique educational, communication, and social/emotional needs of the student with hearing loss and provides guidance to the student’s family and school personnel.
Resource Room
Level: Elementary, Middle, and High School
Definition
Resource room program is a special education program for a student with a disability registered in either a special class or general education class who is in need of specialized supplementary instruction in an individual or small group setting for a portion of the school day. Resource room programs are for the purpose of supplementing the general education or special education classroom instruction of students with disabilities who are in need of such supplemental programs. This means that instruction is not provided in place of the student’s regular academic instruction.
BC Program Description
Resource Room (5:1): These programs are designed for students who have needs that impact their performance in the general education setting. Supplementary instruction is aligned to student needs. Students in a Resource Room will receive direct instruction to address their individual goals in the areas of reading, writing, math, executive functioning, and/or social-emotional skills. Students will receive instruction in a resource room setting alongside peers with common learner characteristics including similar needs and goal areas. Resource room programs are scheduled daily for a minimum of 180 minutes per week.
Integrated Co-Teach
Level: Elementary
Definition
Integrated co-teaching services, as defined in regulation, means the provision of specially designed instruction and academic instruction provided to a group of students with disabilities and nondisabled students.
BC Program Description
Integrated Co-Teach: This program is designed for students who are performing below grade level in reading, writing, and/or mathematics. These students require significant modification of the general education curriculum and targeted instruction by a special education teacher, while they participate in the general education setting.
Direct Consultant Teacher (DCT)
Level: Middle and High School
Definition
Direct Consultant Teacher services mean specially designed instruction provided to an individual student with a disability or to a group of students with disabilities by a certified special education teacher to aid the student(s) to benefit from the general education class instruction.
BC Program Description
DCT: This program is designed for students who require significant modification of the general education curriculum to address deficits within the areas of academics. Within the special class/resource room, students will receive pre-teaching and re-teaching of curriculum content. Students will participate in state and districtwide assessments of student achievement.
Special Class (formerly Primary, Intermediate, and Secondary Skills)
Level: Elementary and Middle School
Definition
Special class means a class consisting of students with disabilities who have been grouped together because of similarity of individual needs for the purpose of receiving specially designed instruction in a self-contained setting, meaning that such students are receiving their primary instruction separate from their nondisabled peers.
BC Program Description
Foundations – Elementary (15:1+1): This program is designed for students who have developmental delays and require a structured learning environment. Students are presented a modified grade-level curriculum in a separate setting with a higher staff to student ratio. Ongoing assessment is done to determine readiness for inclusion into general education classrooms. Students may spend a portion of their day in a general education classroom for instruction with non-disabled peers.
Applications – Middle School (15:1+1): These programs are designed for students who have mild to moderate developmental delays and require a structured learning environment. Students are presented a significantly modified curriculum in a separate setting with a higher staff to student ratio. Ongoing assessment is done to determine readiness for inclusion into general education classrooms. Students may spend a portion of their day in a general education classroom with the support of a Direct Consultant Teacher for Instruction with non-disabled peers.
Special Class – (formerly Intensive Skills)
Level: Elementary and Middle School
Definition
Special class means a class consisting of students with disabilities who have been grouped together because of similarity of individual needs for the purpose of receiving specially designed instruction in a self-contained setting, meaning that such students are receiving their primary instruction separate from their nondisabled peers.
BC Program Description
Connections (8:1+1): This program is designed for students with significant developmental delays who are most often designated New York State Alternative Assessment (NYSAA). Students require a supportive learning environment that includes a high level of adult direction and support for skill acquisition, functional communication, activities of daily living, and to meet the identified IEP goals in a smaller setting with higher staff to student ratio.
Special Class – Ready for Independence, Success, and Employment (RISE)
Level: High School
Definition
Special class means a class consisting of students with disabilities who have been grouped together because of similarity of individual needs for the purpose of receiving specially designed instruction in a self-contained setting, meaning that such students are receiving their primary instruction separate from their nondisabled peers.
BC Program Description
RISE (15:1+1): This program is designed for students who are working toward a Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential (SACC) and are designated New York State Alternative Assessment (NYSAA) and/or a Career Development and Occupational Studies Credential whereby students participate in approved Regents courses. The program offers a curriculum with a focus on key concepts and skills students will need for maximum independence in work, home, and community after high school. .
College Transition Program (College of St. Rose) (pending approval)
Level: Post Graduate (ages 18 – 21)
BC Program Description
College Transition Program (15:1+1): The College-Based Transition Program (CTP) offers an alternative special education opportunity for students who have graduated from high school with their Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential (SACC) or Career Development Occupational Standards Credential (CDOS). Students learn functional academics, audit college courses, and volunteer at a variety of employment sites on and near the college campus. Students work on increasing independence by improving social, communication, employability and self-advocacy skills.
Extended School Year (ESY)
ESY services are recommended through CSE per federal and state guidelines. The purpose of ESY is to provide a Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE) to a student with a disability based on individual student needs in order to prevent substantial regression. The CSE will review documented progress monitoring data from before and after student breaks to determine eligibility.
Related Services
Related services (OT, PT, Speech, and Counseling) are provided for students who require these services due to documented substantial regression. The ratio and frequency will be determined by the student’s IEP. The frequency will most likely not be the same as during the school year since ESY is meant to maintain skills only.
Specialized Instruction
Specialized instruction means instruction in English Language Arts or Mathematics for students with demonstrated substantial regression in one or both areas. Specialized instruction will be 60 minutes for each subject area and ratio is 15:1. Specialized instruction will be scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Special Class
Special classes will be recommended for students with demonstrated substantial regression. All programs will be 3 hours long and all ratios are the same as school year special class programs. Skills class rosters will be developed in consideration of student goals for ESY programming.
Based on student recommendations and needs we will implement a combination of the following:
- Special Class – Foundations and Applications
- Special Class – by grade level for K-6
Connections and RISE – Special Class: Special classes will be recommended for students with demonstrated substantial regression. All programs will be 4 hours long and all ratios are the same as school year special class programs.
Students who may require a different level of programming in order to prevent substantial regression can be referred to the Capital Regions BOCES, or other out of district program, to meet their specific needs and ESY goals.