Special Education

Free Appropriate Public Education 

Students with disabilities are entitled to receive a free appropriate public education within their least restrictive environment. With both in-person and remote instruction, students with disabilities receive their special education and related services as documented within their Individualized Education Programs. Students receive accommodations, modifications and supplementary aids and services including assistive technology as documented in their IEP for both in-person and remote instruction. 

In-district students with disabilities in grades K-8 whose families elect in-person instruction have special education and related services delivered using a four day model. Students receive all special education services, related services, accommodations and modifications within in-person and remote instruction. 

In-district students with disabilities in grades 9-12 who receive consultant teacher services, resource room and/or related services receive a hybrid model of instruction with two days of in-person instruction and three days of remote instruction. Students receive all special education services, related services, accommodations and modifications within in-person and remote instruction. 

In addition to specially designing instruction as indicated on students’ IEPs, special education teachers provide targeted executive functioning skills and support to students during the in-person and remote days so that students can more effectively access remote instruction, which can require increased autonomy and organizational skills. Additionally, based on individual schedules, students have the opportunity to work with their special education teacher and/or teaching assistant with in-person learning the two days per week that are designated their remote days and remote Wednesdays in order to support students who prefer and thrive with in-person instruction. 

In-district students with disabilities in grades 9-12 who require special class and whose families elected hybrid instruction have all special education and related services delivered using a four day in-person and one day remote model. Providing students in special classes with increased time for in-person learning, for families who select this model, provides students with the increased in-person learning experiences. Students receive all special education services, related services, accommodations and modifications within in-person and virtual instruction. 

Remote learning Wednesdays provide instructional time for students and also provide time for collaboration and co-planning between special education teachers, English as New Language teachers, related service providers and general education teachers in order to maximize learning for all students and to individualize learning for students who are receiving hybrid or remote instruction. This focused time allows teachers to prepare for instruction to both move students forward and to fill any gaps that may have resulted from emergency school closure in March 2020. Additionally, teachers develop individualized instruction to meet students’ academic, social, emotional and physical needs that honors possible increased difficulties after the interrupted instruction from the 2019-2020 school year. Based on schedules and need, selected students receive in-person support on Wednesdays in addition to their remote learning. 

All students are provided with a Chromebook to support remote and hybrid instruction. Additionally, devices are formatted with any needed assistive technology in order to allow all learners to access instruction. Support has been provided and will continue to be provided to families who need support accessing wifi. 

Students in out of district placements continue to receive instruction in the setting that was determined to be the least restrictive setting by the Committee on Special Education/Committee on Preschool Special Education for each child. Regular communication with families, providers, agencies and the school district occurs to ensure a common understanding of each child’s strengths, needs and response to the instructional format the provider is able to provide within the family’s selection. For students who require special transportation, regular communication occurs with the Director of Pupil Personnel Services and East Irondequoit School District’s Transportation Director to ensure that students’ needs are met and that state guidance is followed.

Health and Safety 

Safety of students with disabilities and the staff who work with them is paramount. For in-district students, there are not currently any students with disabilities enrolled who require supports which require a high degree of physical contact (feeding, feeding tubes, etc.). Should a student enroll, an individual plan will be developed to ensure student and staff safety. Additionally, no in-district students have physical restraint as a component of their IEP so social distancing measures and PPE, which is available to all students and staff on a daily basis, will ensure safety. Should a student move into the district with a physical restraint as part of the educational program and deemed that the least restrictive environment is the home school district, the student’s Individual Care Management Plan will be updated to reflect additional safety measures for students and staff based on expected student behavior. 

Committee on Special Education and Committee on Preschool Special Education/Family Communication 

Meaningful family partnership and collaboration is an essential element of developing a child’s Individualized Education Program. Therefore, Committee on Special Education and Committee on Preschool Education meetings will continue to function in the family’s preferred format of phone or video-conferences, or through in-person meetings with social/physical distancing measures intact. 

For students in out of district programs, ongoing communication with providers, programs and families will continue to occur in order to determine the appropriate level of service for each individual student aligned with the family’s preference for in-person, remote, or hybrid instruction. 

For preschoolers with disabilities, ongoing communication with agencies, providers and families will continue to occur in order to determine the appropriate level of service for each individual student aligned with what the provider can safely provide in conjunction with the family’s preference for in-person, remote or hybrid instruction. 

CSE and CPSE continue to convene, as needed, to determine compensatory services based on student need. 

In addition to teacher and related service provider communication with families, measurable annual goals are updated and mailed home at the same regular interval as report cards. If a student is not making expected progress, CSE or CPSE will reconvene to determine appropriate adjustments to special education programming, related services, supplementary aids and services, program modifications, accommodations, assistive technology, supports for school personnel on behalf of the student, test accommodations, etc. needed in order to provide the student with a free appropriate public education. Consideration will be given to adjust plans if unanticipated needs arise due to the student’s disability and format of learning instruction elected by the family.