Special education services will be provided across the continuum of need identified for individual students. The special education teacher is certified in mild to moderate disabilities. The special education setting can be used in multiple ways:

●     Services and instruction provided in the general education setting by the general education teacher/staff with support and supervision by the special education teacher/staff.

●     Services and instruction provided in the general education setting by the special education teacher/staff with support from the general education teacher.

●     Services and instruction provided by the special education teacher/staff in the special education classroom with support from the general education teacher in a small group.

●     Services and instruction provided by the special education teacher/staff in the special education classroom with support from the general education teacher as an individual.

The IEP team is able to make decisions about individual student needs to address the appropriate setting. When determining the Least Restrictive Environment for each student, the IEP team begins with the general education setting. This environment has whole and small group instruction provided by the general education teacher at each student’s instructional level for all students. If the IEP team determines that the Least Restrictive Environment is not appropriate for the special education student, other options are available. The special education teacher will provide support and instruction in the general education classroom with the general education teacher and peers. If a more restrictive environment is needed the special education teacher/staff will provide instruction in the special education classroom with instructional level materials from the general education teacher or materials deemed appropriate for interventional assistance. One-on-one instruction can and will be provided as an intermittent situation i.e. the student is having a difficult class period or as an ongoing part of the IEP decision for Least Restrictive Environment placement. 

●     All Least Restrictive Environment decisions begin with the general education setting. All students begin with the assumption that they will be educated with their peers. A change in Least Restrictive Environment is carefully determined by the IEP team. When the Least Restrictive Environment needs to be changed the focus is how to give the student appropriate support and instruction on how to access the general education setting. If it is not appropriate for the student to be educated with nondisabled students the IEP team determines if that is due to the disability or due to lack of instruction on how to navigate the environment. Whenever possible the student will be welcomed back into the classroom with nondisabled peers.