Transcript The Newark Public Schools Office of Special Education’s

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The Purpose of the Special
Education Program Profiles
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Ensure consistency across the district
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Help determine appropriate program
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Align district with IDEA mandate to
increase students in the least
restrictive environment (LRE)
Ensure that students with disabilities
will remain in their neighborhood
schools with their same age peers
whenever possible
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What Do the Special
Education Programs in Your
School Look Like?
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School Name:
Number of Administrators:
Grade Range:
Special Education Programs:
worksheet
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Who Makes the Program
Decision?
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Once a child is classified the program
decision is made by the IEP Team
IEP Team: case manager, teacher(s),
parent
Other participants such as:
• student (when appropriate)
• discipline members who evaluated the student
• administrators and/or other school staff
involved with the student’s education
• advocates
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How is a Program Chosen
for the Student?
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The IEP Team considers all aspects of the
student’s needs stemming from the student’s
disabling condition in each academic area taking
into account:
• strengths
• weaknesses
• successful strategies
• possible accommodations /modifications /
services
• IDEA mandate for the least restrictive
placement
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All Newark’s Special
Education Programs
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Require that assigned students have been
classified with one of the 14 disabling
conditions delineated in the code
Are dictated by each student’s IEP
Promote student access to the general
education curriculum
Utilize demonstrably effective teaching and
learning strategies
Focus on achieving IEP goals and objectives
Fully integrate assigned teacher aides into
program
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All Newark’s Special Education
Programs
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Utilize effective classroom
management
Include parental involvement
Require an IEP team review at least
once a year and explore movement to
a less restrictive environment
partially based on the student’s
ability to achieve educational benefit
in a general education classroom with
supplementary aids and services
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What Determines the Inclusiveness
of a Special Education Program?
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The percentage of time that
students with disabilities are
educated with their same age
peers in a general education
class
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Inclusive Special Education
Programs
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General Education with
Supplementary Aids and Services
Resource Center: In-Class
Support
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Program: General Education with
Supplementary Aids and Services
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Be able to benefit educationally not only as it exists
but as it can be modified
Educational benefits can derive from social
interactions and high expectations with same age
peers
Students do not have to learn everything or at the
same rate as the typical grade student
Modifications/accommodations/strategies/services/
therapies/consultation/and assistive technology are
designed and specified by each student’s IEP
Support and/or tutoring can be supplied by general
education teachers/staff
All schools have the ability to supply general
education with supplementary supports and services
to each student
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Who and/or What are the
Resources in Your Building ?
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Ancillary Personnel such as literacy or
math coach, guidance counselor,
social worker II, I&RS staff etc.
Programs such as Read 180, Wilson
Reading, Reading Recovery, specific
grant supported programs, etc.
worksheet
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Program: Resource Center
in Class Support
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Determined to be unable to benefit and progress in a
general education class with supports and services for a
particular subject area
Student has demonstrated significant learning problems in
designated academic areas which may be manifested by:
• progress significantly below grade level
• poor motivation / organizational and/or study skills
• difficulty recalling, remembering, integrating and or
applying learned skills
• short attention span, limited time on task,
distractibility and/or hyperactivity
• challenging behavior
In class support services must be supplied by a special
education teacher
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What Determines a SelfContained Special Education
Program?
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State code only defines program
types as number of students in a
class and teacher certification
Self-contained programs are
defined by a student with
disabilities not being educated
with same age peers
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Program: Resource Center Pull
Out- Support and/or Replacement
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Determined to be unable to benefit and progress in a
general education class with supports and services for a
particular subject area
Beginning of removal from the general education
classroom and is considered restrictive by Federal and
State guidelines
Student has demonstrated significant learning problems in
designated academic areas which may be manifested by:
progress significantly below grade level, poor motivation,
organizational and/or study skills, difficulty recalling,
remembering, integrating and /or applying learned skills,
short attention span, limited time on task, distractibility
and/or hyperactivity, challenging behavior
Support and/or replacement services must be supplied by
a special education teacher
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Program: Learning/Language
Disabilities: Mild-Moderate or
Severe
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Can be addressed together or as separate
programs dealing with learning or language
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Similar criteria as resource center programs
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Program is considered for each subject area
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Program is determined by the severity
and/or combination of the factors for each
student
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Program: Behavioral
Disabilities
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Demonstrate physically and/or verbally
aggressive and/or defiant behaviors over a
significant period of time with increased
intensity and frequency
Behavior that violates NPS discipline policy
and/or school/classroom rules that
interferes with learning
Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)
must be conducted leading to a Behavioral
Intervention Plan (BIP) in the IEP
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Program: Cognitive ImpairedMild/Moderate/Severe
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Demonstrated problems in the quality and
rate of learning, adaptive functioning
and/or communication skills
Difficulty using symbols for the
interpretation of information and solution of
problems
Significant academic problems
Placement would be determined by the
severity and/or combination of factors for
each student
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Program: Multiple Disabilities
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Demonstrate significant problems in two or
more areas which have a negative impact on
learning
Delayed cognitive development
Physical problems with mobility, vision, or
hearing
Significant ongoing medical issues
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Program: Autism
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Demonstrate one or more characteristics:
• severe communication deficits
• significant problems with social interaction
and/or adaptive skills, severe repetitive
activities and/or stereotypical movements
• extreme resistance to environmental
changes and/or changes in daily routine
• unusual and/or lack of response to
sensory experiences
Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) must be
conducted leading to a Behavioral Intervention Plan
(BIP) in the IEP
Program requires a teacher and a program aide
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Program: Preschool Disabilities
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Functioning significantly below age expectations in
one or more areas: New criteria is 25% deficit in
two areas or 33% deficit in one.
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academic skills
speech
language
cognitive performance
gross motor skills
fine motor skills
socialization
emotional development
self help skills
Program requires a teacher and a program aide
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Program: Auditory Impairments
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Experiencing significant problems
understanding and using verbal information
and/or cues manifesting in one or more
areas:
• academic difficulties
• significant communication problem that
requires learning a visual language for
direct communication with teachers and
peers
• insufficient skills in sign language to
successfully utilize interpreting services
• limited incidental knowledge
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Program: Visual Impairments
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Demonstrates significant problems understanding
and using visual information and/or cues manifesting
in one or more areas:
• significant academic skills
• adaptive skills in school, home and
community
• ability to access printed material
Requires alternative methods such as:
• Braille services
• mobility training
• various Assistive Technology services and
devices
NPS collaborates with the services of the NJ
Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired
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Contact Information
For more information on NPS’s Program
Profiles consult with your Child Study
Team, Ose Supervisors, RTCS or contact
OSE’s Professional Development Center
(PDC)
Mitchel Gerry 973-733-6959
Mary Hart
973-792-6506
Sakinah Springs 973-792-6059
Alexandra (Sandy) Bruno 973-792-6006
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