Special Education
Specialized services are provided in the least restrictive environment to students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). There are several kinds of services offered to support students with an IEP.
A supplemental learning support classroom is provided for students who require an integration of related services and ongoing modifications and support for everyday success. A modified curriculum is utilized in this setting.
Other students with an IEP benefit for a resource room model. This model provides instruction from a learning support teacher in a small group setting, using a modified pace of instruction or supplementary materials. Students usually receive English language arts and/or math instruction in the resource classroom; however, support is not limited to these subjects.
Support can also be provided through inclusion. Students remain in the regular education classroom and receive special education support. Different models of instruction can occur in this setting. A "parallel teaching" approach is used for teaching the same lesson to two smaller groups of students. The regular education teacher can also teach cooperatively with the learning support teacher in a "co-teaching" model. Finally, a "supportive teaching" approach is used for providing clarification of instruction and on task reminders while one teacher leads the lesson.
It is essential that the needs of the regular and special students be considered in the planning process. No matter what type of support a child receives, coordination of instructional activities is necessary so that all students on a given team are included.