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Special
Education
A range of
services is offered to students classified by the Committee on Special
Education. For example, some special education students get support in all
academic areas while some special education students may only need related
services, such as speech and language support. Annual Reviews are held to
develop students. Individual Education Plans (IEPs). The school psychologist
is the case manager for all classified students.
Some special
education students, if appropriate, receive their instruction in the
collaborative mode. Each grade has one or two classes which participate in the Yorktown
collaborative model. Each collaborative class is made up of both regular
education and special education students who are taught, for the better part
of the day, in the same classroom setting. The regular education portion of
the collaborative class is a heterogeneous group, which is interchangeable
with any other class on the grade level. The larger portion of the class is
made up of regular education students. A small number of special education
students make up the balance of the class.
The profile of
each collaborative class is similar to all other classes on the grade level,
both in terms of academics and behavior. The total number of students in each
collaborative class is also similar to other classes on the grade level.
In the
collaborative model, the regular education teacher, the special education
teacher, and the special education instructional Teaching Assistant work
closely to provide instruction to the students. One of the benefits for
children in the collaborative class is the low adult/student ratio. Curriculum
and pacing in each of the collaborative classes are the same as in any class
on that grade level. All students receive instruction at their developmental
level.
Speech and
Language Services
Speech/language
services at French Hill are delivered through several different models. The
PSIS program (Programmed Speech Improvement System) provides speech services
for children who have mild to moderate functional articulation disorders
including sound substitutions, distortions, or omissions. It is not intended
for children who have severe communication disorders.
The
speech/language pathologist on staff at French Hill provides direct therapy to
students who are classified and non-classified for disorders including
articulation, language voice and stuttering. Classified children have priority
placement on the therapy caseload. Frequency of service varies depending on
the severity of the disorder. Students are identified through screenings
and/or evaluations and are typically seen in small groups.
Academic
Intervention Services (AIS)
The purpose of
the Academic Intervention Services (AIS) Program is to support students in
meeting the New York State Standards in the areas of English Language Arts and
Mathematics. The Academic Intervention Services Program is funded through a
combination of Title I and local funds.
French Hill has
various programs at all grade levels that comprise the Academic Intervention
Services Program. The Kindergarten Early Literacy Program is an Academic
Intervention Services Program which serves approximately 10 morning students
and 10 afternoon students. Two days a week, these a.m. students stay an hour
later, and p.m. students come in an hour earlier. Students in the program have
been identified as students who could benefit from additional literacy
experiences. Activities in the Kindergarten Early Literacy Program include
work in early reading skills, phonemic awareness and concepts about print. The
program begins in November - the make-up of the group is reviewed periodically
and student participation is adjusted appropriately.
For grades one
and two, children are identified for participation in the Academic
Intervention Services ELA Program on the basis of data obtained from each
student's Early Literacy Profile, anecdotal assessments and teacher
recommendations. Grade level assessments and teacher observations form the
basis for placement in the mathematics program.
Just as academic
benchmarks are used to help determine which students need services, they are
also used to determine termination of services. Thus, students once identified
are not locked into AIS. This is especially true for young children as their
development proceeds at varying rates.
The AIS staff
works with students in small groups and in some cases, one-to-one. Services
can be provided as a "pull-out" or in the classroom. The time allotment is a
minimum of 90 minutes per week, per subject, with students receiving three
30-minute sessions. The Academic Intervention Services Program teacher works
closely with the classroom teacher in order to maintain consistency of
instruction.
Scheduling is
done collaboratively with the classroom teachers so that the impact on
classroom instruction is minimized. When it is necessary for children to miss
in-class time, services are scheduled so that children do not always miss the
same instructional portion of the school day.
Parents are
informed by the classroom teacher when children are recommended for the
program. The school follows up with a formal letter. The same procedure is
followed when students exit the program.
The success of
the Academic Intervention Services Program is best reflected by classroom
performance. Parents of students in the grade one and grade two program
receive a progress report from their Academic Intervention Services Teacher.
ESL Program
The ESL program
gives support to English Language Learners for the purpose of increasing
proficiency with speaking and understanding English. Frequency of services can
vary from two to five times weekly and can be in a small group or on a
one-to-one basis.
Starting in
November, Kindergarten English Language Learners are invited to participate in
an extended ESL program which has them, two times per week, either stay after
their Kindergarten session or come in before their Kindergarten session.
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