The Purpose of the Special Education Program Profiles

2. The Purpose of the Special Education Program Profiles • Ensure consistency across the district • Help determine appropriate program • 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

3. What Do the Special Education Programs in Your School Look Like? • School Name: • Number of Administrators: • Grade Range: • Special Education Programs: • worksheet

4. Who Makes the Program Decision? • 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

5. How is a Program Chosen for the Student? • The IEP Team considers all aspects of the student’s needs stemming from the student’s disabling condition in eachacademic area taking into account: • strengths • weaknesses • successful strategies • possible accommodations /modifications / services • IDEA mandate for the least restrictive placement

6. All Newark’s Special Education Programs • 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

7. All Newark’s Special Education Programs • 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

8. What Determines the Inclusiveness of a Special Education Program? • The percentage of time that students with disabilities are educated with their same age peers in a general education class

9. Inclusive Special Education Programs • General Education with Supplementary Aids and Services • Resource Center: In-Class Support

10. Program: General Education with Supplementary Aids and Services • 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

11. Who and/or What are the Resources in Your Building ? • Ancillary Personnel such as literacy or math coach, guidance counselor, social worker II, PRC staff etc. • Programs such as Read 180, Wilson Reading, Reading Recovery, specific grant supported programs, etc. • worksheet

12. Program: Resource Center in Class Support • 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

13. What Determines a Self-Contained Special Education Program? • 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

14. Program: Resource Center Pull Out- Support and/or Replacement • 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

15. Program: Learning/Language Disabilities: Mild-Moderate or Severe • Can be addressed together or as separate programs dealing with learning or language • Similar criteria as resource center programs • Program is considered for each subject area • Program is determined by the severity and/or combination of the factors for each student

16. Program: Behavioral Disabilities • 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

17. Program: Cognitive Impaired- Mild/Moderate/Severe • 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

18. Program: Multiple Disabilities • 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

19. Program: Autism • 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

20. Program: Preschool Disabilities • Functioning significantly below age expectations in one or more areas: New criteria is 25% deficit in two areas or 33% deficit in one. • 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

21. Program: Auditory Impairments • 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

22. Program: Visual Impairments • 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 ex

23. 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