What's Required
The local educational agency (LEA) must ensure that to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are nondisabled (34 CFR
300.114(a)(2)(i) and 20 USC 1412(a)(5)(A).
The LEA must ensure that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily (34 CFR 300.114(a)(2)(ii)and 20 USC 1412(a)(5)(A)
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The LEA must ensure that a continuum of alternative placements is available to meet the needs of children with disabilities for special education and related services (34 CFR 300.115(a)).
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The ARD committee must specify the appropriate instructional arrangement/setting as set forth in 19 TAC 89.63(c).
What We Do
IDEA mandates that students with disabilities are removed from general education only when the student is unable to make satisfactory progress in general education with supplementary aides and services.
Examples of supplementary aides and services are:
- staff development training for general education teachers
- special education staff consultation with general education teachers
- instructional accommodations
- assistive technology assistance
- off-level supplementary instructional materials for use in general education
- teaching assistant provides in-class support in general education
- inclusive instructional models
Specially Designed Pull-out services are provided when special education and/or general education staff provide instructional support services outside of the general education classroom. Students remain in general education classroom during initial instruction and may receive pull-out services for pre-teaching, reteaching, review, strengthening prerequisite skills, literacy instruction, oral test administration, reinforcement, or to work on specific goals outlined in the students IEP. Special Education staff discusses and/or obtains copies of lesson plans, prepares instructional materials and schedules conferences to develop a quality instructional support system for students and their teachers. The ARD/IEP committee determines the amount of specially designed pull-out time a student requires based on the level of support and instructional accommodations needed for the student to access the general curriculum. The specially designed pull-out is documented in the student's IEP on the Schedule of Services (SOS) page.
It is important to monitor the time students spend transitioning to and from the pull-out service location as well as the amount of instructional time students receive during the pull-out sessions. Pull-out services should be evaluated at least annually by all stakeholders (students, teachers, parents) to determine effectiveness and/or required changes to the student's least restrictive environment.
The responsibility for assigning grades belongs to the general education teacher (teacher of record) unless otherwise noted in the student's IEP. Student performance in general education is closely monitored by the general education teacher and special education staff. Class assignments completed with the assistance of special education staff can be identified with an accommodation label or the initials of special education staff. This process provides a mechanism where students and parents can determine if pull-out services are provided as indicated in the student’s IEP. Students should receive the grades they earn, and grades should not be lowered due to implementation of instructional accommodations.
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