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)/Response to Intervention (RTI)
The purpose of
Academic Intervention Services (AIS)/Response to Intervention (RTI) is to
support students in meeting the New York State Standards in the areas of
English Language Arts and Mathematics.
French Hill has
various programs/interventions at all grade levels in order to support
students. For example, the Kindergarten Early Literacy Program serves
approximately 15 morning students and 15 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 October - the
make-up of the group is reviewed periodically and student participation is
adjusted appropriately.
For grades one
and two, children are identified as needing additional support on the basis of
data obtained from each student's Early Literacy Profile, DIBELS, anecdotal
assessments and teacher recommendations. Grade level assessments and teacher
observations form the basis for extra support in the area of mathematics.
Just as academic
benchmarks are used to help determine which students need services, they are
also used to determine when additional support is no longer needed. Thus,
students once identified are not locked into additional support/interventions.
This is especially true for young children as their development proceeds at
different rates.
Various staff
members work with students in need of additional support. Services can be
provided as a "pull-out" or as "push-in" in the classroom. The time allotment
of this additional support is based on student need - more reluctant learners
receive more intensive interventions. Staff members who provide additional
support work closely with classroom teachers in order to maintain consistency
of instruction. In addition, scheduling
is done collaboratively with the classroom teachers to minimize the impact on
classroom instruction.
Parents are
initially informed by the classroom teacher when children are recommended for
additional support. The school follows up with a formal letter. The same
procedure is followed when students exit the program.
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
October, Kindergarten English Language Learners are invited to participate in
an ESL program which has them expand their K session two times per week.
