Special Education Services

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STUDENT SERVICES OF THE TEWKSBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PRESENT SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS

Students found eligible for special education participate in a variety of structured educational services as presented in Individualized Education Programs developed by school-based or district-wide multidisciplinary Evaluation Teams comprised of Parent/s, Legal Guardian/s, and/or Educational Surrogate Parents and School Personnel. Each Individualized Education Program includes a Service Delivery Page detailing the types of services each eligible student receives either directly or under the supervision of Tewksbury school personnel certified in specific areas of specialty. Program information and descriptions of many of the Student Services programs provided by the Tewksbury Public Schools to students who meet eligibility criteria for special education follow.

Additional Providers: Reading Specialists, Physical Education Specialists, Guidance Counselors, and Regular Classroom Teachers may also appear as Service Providers on the Service Delivery Page of the Individualized Education Program [IEP] developed for the student who meets eligibility criteria for special education. If services by these personnel are included in an Individualized Education Program, each is usually implemented in the Regular Education setting and will be listed in Part B on the Service Delivery Page.

The Special Education Coordinator for Private School, Preschool and Summer coordinates the Pre-School Lottery, chairs Team Meetings and coordinates Special Education programs and services for Pre-School students who have been found to be eligible for special education. She also assists in transitioning Pre-School children with Individualized Education Programs [IEPs] into the Kindergarten setting.

Settings and Locations: Students found to be eligible for special education receive Special Education services in Regular Education Settings, in Special Education Settings, or in both settings. These services may be presented within a classroom, in a small group, individually, within the district or in other Chapter 766 approved locations. In all settings, students are grouped based on their identified special education needs, academic achievement, academic potential, social and/or behavioral needs, age and chronological grade placement. The staff/pupil ratio in which services are provided does not exceed group size limits stipulated in Massachusetts Department of Education Regulations.

Specially Designed Instruction and Accommodations: Each special education eligible student receives highly individualized specially designed instruction along with accommodations in accordance with the student's specific learning style and identified special education needs. Both address the general curriculum areas affected by the eligible student’s evaluation identified disability and assist him/her to meet Tewksbury’s promotion and graduation requirements, Massachusetts Curriculum Standards, and District-wide and Massachusetts State Mandated Assessment requirements. Special Education Personnel provide specially designed instruction to students who meet eligibility criteria for special education and all Regular and Special Education Personnel implement the accommodations stated in the IEP during all instructional activities in all settings.

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The IEP, the Evaluation Team and Service Delivery: Each student who is eligible to receive Special Education Services has an Individualized Education Program. The Service Plan is recorded on Page 5 of the Individualized Education Program. This page also specifies the amount of time special education services are to be provided in the regular education setting (Part B) and/or in the special education setting (Part C). The time spent by regular education and special education personnel coordinating their services is considered to be consultation time and is also included on Page 5 (Part A).

The service delivery components recorded on Page 5 of each Individualized Education Program [IEP] will vary for each student. Each Type of Service to be provided is dependent upon the degree and complexity of identified special education need and is based on the decisions made by the Evaluation Team developing the I.E.P for the student found eligible for special education. Parents, Legal Guardians, and/or Educational Surrogate Parents are members of the Evaluation Team. The service delivery plan found on Page 5 of each IEP may include one or more of the following types of Special Education Services:

The special education eligible student may receive instruction in required academic disciplines such as Reading, Language Arts, English, Math, Social Studies, and Science in a Special Education setting. Instruction in the curriculum area/s identified is provided in place of Regular Education instruction and the service provider is a regular or special educator. The determination of which specialist provides services to each child is determined by the Team and the Principal.

Specific goal focus, current performance level, measurable annual goal/s, and benchmarks/objectives specific to each special education eligible student are stated on Page 4 of the IEP. The information found on Page 4 of IEP describes the specific focus of the Academic Instruction to be received by each special education eligible student in the manner stated on the Service Delivery Plan found on Page 5 of each IEP. Specially designed instruction identified as Academic Instruction in one or more specific curriculum areas is associated with ensuring that each special education eligible student meets curriculum standards and promotion, assessment, and graduation requirements in each specific academic area noted in the Individualized Education Program.

Special education eligible students whose evaluation results identify special education needs which preclude participation in the Regular Physical Education program without adaptation receive instruction in Adapted Physical Education within the Regular Physical Education program. This Adapted Physical Education Instruction service is included in the Individualized Education Program [IEP] developed for the special education eligible student and consists of Physical Education instruction which is modified or adapted to accommodate the student’s identified special education needs. Adapted Physical Education may be provided in place of Regular Physical Education Instruction, in addition to the Regular Physical Education program, or within the Regular Physical Education classroom.

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Specific goal focus, current performance level, measurable annual goal/s, and benchmarks/objectives specific to each special education eligible student to received Adapted Physical Education Instruction are stated on Page 4 of the IEP. The information found on Page 4 of IEP describes the specific gross motor skills to be addressed through Adapted Physical Education. The specific number of sessions, the provider, and the location in which Adapted Physical Education will be implemented are stated on the Service Delivery Plan, Page 5 of the IEP. Adapted Physical Education services are associated with ensuring that each special education eligible student meets Massachusetts Health Education Curriculum Standards and Tewksbury’s Health Education/Physical Education curriculum requirements.

Behavior Modification including ABA and Counseling services are concerned with assisting students, parents, and other school personnel in understanding, addressing, managing, and modifying the behaviors which affect the student relationships with others and performance in school. The student receiving this special education service participates in a Behavior Modification program detailed in a Behavior Plan included in the student’s Individualized Education Program. This service is sometimes also listed as “Counseling,” and/or “ABA Services,” on Page 5 of the IEP. The Behavior Modification program as presented in the Behavior Plan addresses the student’s social, emotional, behavioral challenges as identified by evaluation and through the collection of student behavioral data in school settings. Behavioral and performance data is compiled and evaluations are completed by the School Adjustment Counselor, the School Psychologist, the Guidance Counselor, the ABA Specialist, and/or the Behavior Specialist.

Behavior plans are developed and facilitated by the School Adjustment Counselor, the School Psychologist, the Guidance Counselor, the Applied Behavior Analysis Specialist, and/or the Behavior Specialist in conjunction and in collaboration with all of the special education eligible student’s other Regular Education and Special Education providers. The purpose of this collaboration is to identify targeted behaviors to be addressed and to jointly monitor, and implement the Behavior Plan and to jointly address, accommodate, and modify the social, emotional, and behavioral student practices which impact the student’s behavior and performance in one or more school settings. The Behavior Plan may be implemented in a large group, in a small group and/or individually by the providers identified on the Service Delivery Page and in the Behavior Plan.

The goal of a Behavior Plan and these services is to assist the special education eligible student to learn and practice age appropriate behaviors and to develop strategies to independently and appropriately manage the issues, events, and/or other precipitating factors associated with academic performance and status, peer relationships, relationships with adults, and acceptance of and adherence to school policies and procedures. The Behavior Plan may also address issues that impact school attendance, performance, and achievement, including attention to task, anger, stress, responsibility, group interaction, social skills and the atypical behaviors associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Specific goal focus, current performance level, measurable annual goal/s, and benchmarks/objectives related to Behavior Modification including ABA and School Adjustment Counseling are stated on Page 4 of the Individualized Education Program [IEP]. The Behavior Plan details the strategies to be employed in addressing targeted behaviors and by whom and is inserted between Pages 7 and 8 of the IEP. The specific number of sessions, the provider/s, and the location/s in which these will be implemented are stated on the Service Delivery Plan, Page 5 of the IEP.

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The student receiving this special education service participates in a behavior modification program facilitated by the School Adjustment Counselor or the School Psychologist in a Special Education Classroom setting comprised of students who are participating in curriculum program areas in place of those provided in the Regular Education Classroom. The Moderate Special Needs Specialist facilitating the special needs group and all of the students assigned to the same Special Education Class or Classroom also participate in Classroom Environmental Counseling sessions.

Specific goal focus, current performance level, measurable annual goal/s, and benchmarks/objectives are stated on Page 4 of the Individualized Education Program [IEP] and describe the specific social/behavioral areas associated with receiving instruction in Massachusetts Curriculum areas in a non-integrated special education classroom setting to be addressed. The specific number of sessions, the provider/s, and the location in which Classroom Environmental Counseling Services will be implemented are stated on the Service Delivery Plan, Page 5 of the IEP. Emphasis is placed on assisting students in understanding, addressing, and coping with issues related to the students’ placement in a special needs class or classroom and on group dynamics, interpersonal conflicts, and normal developmental issues within the context of the Special Needs Classroom and all other school settings through Classroom Environmental Counseling.

These special education services include instruction in one or more specific academic disciplines or in one or more Related Services areas and are provided within the Regular Education Classroom, the Special Education Classroom or the Pre-School classroom.

When Inclusion [i.e., In-Classroom Instruction or Collaborative Teaching Classroom] is the service type stated on Page 5 in the Individualized Education Program [IEP], the special education eligible student's Regular Education Teacher and Special Education Teacher collaboratively implement specially designed instruction in Language Arts, Reading, English, Math, Social Studies, Science, and/or Health Education in the Regular Classroom setting. In-Classroom Instruction may be provided in every curriculum area or in as few as one or two areas.

When a Regular Classroom Teacher is teamed with a Special Education Teacher and both students with and without IEPs are assigned for the full school day to both teachers in a combined classroom setting, the service location is often referred to as an “Inclusion Classroom” on Page 5 of the IEP. The Special Education personnel who provide and/or supervise the provision of specially designed In-Classroom Instruction together with the Regular Classroom Teacher, the Special Education Teacher, and/or the Pre-School Teacher include the Moderate Special Needs Specialist and the Early Childhood Specialist.

When Integrated Therapeutic Instruction is included in the Individualized Education Program, Special Education Related Service Providers implement specially designed therapeutic instruction in collaboration with the Regular Education Teacher, the Special Education Teacher, and/or the Pre-School Teacher. These services may take place in the Regular Education Classroom, in the Special Education Classroom, and/or in the Pre-School Classroom. Counseling Programs, Behavior Modification Programs, Communication Skills, Fine Motor skills, Vision Skills, Sign Language Skills, and/or Gross Motor Skills are Related Services areas.

The Special Education Personnel who provide specially designed Integrated Therapeutic instruction together with the Regular Classroom Teacher, the Special Education Teacher, and/or the Pre-School Teacher include: the Occupational Therapist, the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, the Physical Therapist, the Speech and Language Pathologist, the Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, the Teacher of the Visually Impaired, the Behavior Specialist, the ABA Specialist, the School Adjustment Counselor, and/or the School Psychologist. The Guidance Counselor may also be a provider of this service.

Specific goal focus, current performance level, measurable annual goal/s, and benchmarks/objectives that describe the specific related service areas and skills to be addressed are stated on Page 4 of the Individualized Education Program [IEP]. The specific types of inclusion and integrated therapy services through which the goals and objectives will be achieved are noted on the Service Delivery Plan, Page 5 of the IEP.

Emphasis is placed on assisting the special education eligible students to meet curriculum standards, promotion, graduation, and assessment requirements in the specific academic and/or related service skill area/s that are stated in each student’s Individualized Education Program [IEP]. Service providers also focus on assisting each student to achieve academic and behavioral success in Regular Education Classrooms through In-Classroom Instruction, Collaborative Teaching [Inclusion Classroom] , and/or Integrated Therapeutic Instruction.

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Instructional Support services include specially designed instruction in skills related to specific academic disciplines such as Reading, Language Arts, English, Math, Social Studies, and Science and/or to specific skill areas such as Communication, Fine Motor, Gross Motor and Study Skills. Although Instructional Support services are implemented in Special Education settings, such services address the Regular Education curriculum framework areas in which the skills are needed. Instructional Support in a Specific Curriculum or Skill Area supports but does not replace the Regular Education program and is designed to improve student achievement in and access to the Regular Education curriculum.

The personnel who provide Instructional Support include: the Moderate Special Needs Specialist, the Speech and Language Pathologist, the Occupational Therapist, the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, the Physical Therapist, the Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, and/or the Teacher of the Visually Impaired and the Reading Specialist. When this Instructional Support is provided by the Reading Specialist as a component of the Individualized Education Program [IEP] developed for the special education eligible student, instruction generally takes place in the Regular Education setting.

Specific goal focus, current performance level, measurable annual goal/s, and benchmarks/objectives describing the specific academic or other specific skill area/s to be addressed are stated on Page 4 of the Individualized Education Program [IEP]. The information found on Page 4 of IEP describes the specific focus of the Instructional Support to be received by each special education eligible student in the manner stated on the Service Delivery Plan found on Page 5 of each IEP. The Specially designed instruction provided as Instructional Support is associated with assisting each special education eligible student to acquire the skills needed to meet state and district mandated curriculum standards and promotion, assessment, and graduation requirements through Instructional Support in Specific Curriculum or Skill Areas.

Teacher Consultation/Collaboration is a service designed to ensure collaboration among all service providers and coordination of all services within the total school program as included in the Individualized Education Program [IEP] of the special education eligible student. Each Special Education staff member providing a special education service to a special education eligible student through an Individualized Education Program [IEP] consults and collaborates with that student's other Regular and Special Education providers to ensure:

(1) the student has access to the general curriculum in both Regular and Special Education settings,

(2) all service providers are informed of the manner in which the student's disability impacts that student’s progress in the curriculum areas and in other education related service areas identified on Page 2 and Page 3 of the IEP,

(3) the accommodations listed on Page 2 and Page 3 of the Individualized Education Program are implemented by all school providers, and

(4) the specially designed instruction and modifications, the curriculum content, and the performance criteria detailed on Page 2 and Page 3 of the Individualized Education Program are implemented in accordance with the IEP.

Teacher Consultation/Collaboration may be implemented in the Regular Education setting, the Special Education setting, or both and may include appropriate data collection related to student academic performance and behavior in the classroom and other school settings while the student participates in instructional and other activities. Data collection is always followed by discussion between the Special Educator and the Teacher of the student about whom data was collected to exchange information on student performance and progress and to further coordinate instruction and behavior modification strategies.

Teacher Consultation/Collaboration is usually comprised of one or more of the following:

(1) direct interaction with the student and/or with the student and his classmates in the data collection setting,

(2) the design and preparation of materials and learning experiences and/or behavior modification activities with the Classroom Teacher and/or other service providers, and

(3) demonstration in the classroom by the Special Educator of the recommended learning experiences and/or behavior modification activities followed by implementation of those activities by the Classroom Teacher.

The specific goal focus, current performance level, measurable annual goal/s, and benchmarks/objectives are stated on Page 4 of the Individualized Education Program [IEP] and describe the type of Teacher Consultation/Collaboration to be provided. The frequency, session time allocations, and the provider/s are noted on the Service Delivery Plan found on Page 5 of the IEP.

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