Special Education Programs
- Consultant Teacher
- Integrated Co-Teaching
- Resource Room/Learning Center
- Transition Support Program (9-12)
- Pathways (HS)
- Out of District Placement
Consultant Teacher
Consultant Teacher Services allow students with disabilities to participate in a full time general education program and receive services from a special education teacher for a designated period on identified days. Consultant Teacher Service may be direct, indirect, or a combination of both. Direct Consultant Teacher Services are specially designed individualized, or group instruction provided by a special education teacher to students with disabilities in general education classes.
The instruction is designed to enable the student to better access and benefit from the general education program. Indirect Consultant Teacher Services provides consulting services to general education teachers to help them adjust the learning environment or modify instruction to meet the needs of students with disabilities in their classes. Students with disabilities recommended for Consultant Teacher Services receive direct and/or indirect services for a minimum of 2 hours per week. This may also be combined with special education instruction outside the classroom such as Resource Room or Learning Center.
Integrated Co-Teaching
Integrated Co-teaching means the provision of specially designed instruction and academic instruction in a general education class to a group of students with disabilities and non-disabled students by a special education teacher and a general education teacher. The vision for integrated co-teaching services is a general education teacher and a special education teacher jointly providing instruction to a class to meet the diverse learning needs of all students in the class. The maximum number of students with disabilities receiving integrated co-teaching services shall not exceed 12 students.
Resource Room/Learning Center
Resource Room or Learning Center are special education programs for a student with a disability registered in either a special class or general education class who needs specially designed supplementary instruction (SDI) in an individual or small group setting for a portion of the school day. They are for the purpose of supplementing the general education or special education classroom instruction of students with disabilities who need such supplemental programs. This means that instruction is not provided in place of the student’s regular academic instruction.
Resource Room or Learning Center might be recommended for students who need specially designed supplementary instruction (SDI) in organizational skills, reading, math, or the use of an assistive technology device, Braille, or compensatory strategies.
A Resource Room is a group of no more than five students, for a portion on the school day. Our Learning Centers have 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and are considered a subset of special class program. They are recommended on the IEP for a minimum of three hours per week, and not more than 50% of the school day. If the student is also recommended to receive consultant teacher services, the minimum number of hours of the combined resource room and consultant teacher services is three hours per week.
Transition Support Program (9-12)
The Transitional Support Program is a flexible program providing students with and without disabilities who are experiencing different levels of emotional distress regularly scheduled academic and therapeutic support. Educational supports include direct instruction of coursework, study skills, organizational help, and assistance related to learning difficulties.
TSP may be an appropriate consideration when students: return from hospitalization, residential treatment or other outside placements and need additional support; have experienced a decline in academic and/or behavior functioning; or have experienced significant social, family, or academic stress.
The TSP program is intended to help students transition to healthy, independent, and successful participation in general education classes as quickly as possible. It is not a special education placement program, nor it is intended to be a long term placement.
Pathways (HS)
The Pathways Program is a dynamic 12:1:2 classroom for students participating in New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) and working toward Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential and are eligible to stay in school up to the year they turn 22.
The pathways program is designed to be a highly individualized learning space focused on the development of academic, social and functional life skills in order to maximize the student’s full potential for self-fulfillment and meaningful participation in society.
While in the Pathways program, students are engaged in a language-rich, collaborative work environment with a focus on academics. Over the course of high school they work toward developing functional and vocational skills that are individualized and designed to further the student’s post secondary goals.
Embedded within the pathways program is consultation for speech/language, social emotional, occupational and physical therapy support to ensure the student’s needs are being met, not just in the pathways classroom but across the student’s courses of study.
Student’s will take classes for their core content areas (math, ELA, science, social studies and life skills) in the dedicated pathways classroom which is a rigorous environment dedicated not only to academic development but also includes a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom so students can practice and develop activities of daily living and independent life skills as they prepare for their post secondary transition.
Generally about half a student’s time is dedicated to taking general education classes and electives of their choosing alongside their high school peers where they learn to follow their schedule and navigate the building and bell schedule as part of a highly inclusive high school experience. Student’s and families work in coordination with the school counselor to choose a course load of electives and specials which meet the student’s interests as well as further develop their social and academic skills.
In addition to their electives and academics student’s take a variety of trips throughout the year to actively engage in their community and further develop life skills. Examples include grocery shopping, going to the post office, accessing transportation as well as learning about and navigating their community safely.
Students participate in clubs and sports at Greeley and may choose to participate in after school activities with appropriate levels of support provided as needed which will be determined during a student’s CSE meeting. Student’s recommended to the pathways program have participated in musical recitals, plays, sports and various clubs and activities available within the school
Out of District Placement
The Chappaqua Central School is committed to placing students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment consistent with their needs. Generally, continued placement in a general education setting is the first consideration of theCSE when planning for the educational needs of a student with a disability. The CSE considers removal from a general education setting in theDistrict only when, because of the nature and severity of a student's disability, the education of the student cannot be satisfactorily achieved, even with the provision of supplementary aids and service. In a small number of cases, the CSE will recommend placement in another public school district, a BOCES program, or an approved private school program. The following is a description of programs in which the Chappaqua Central School District CSE has recommended placement of a student with a disability in an out-of-district program.