What Is Student Services?

Student Services (Resource) is housed in Room 253 at St. Mary School. It is a separate setting where Response to Intervention (RtI) initiatives or a special education program can be delivered to a student individually or in small groups. It is for the student who qualifies for either a special class or regular class placement but needs some special instruction in an individualized or small group setting for a portion of the day. We call this support Resource (or pull-out). The child getting this type of support will receive some time in the resource room (which refers to the withdrawal portion of the day) and time in the regular classroom (push-in) with modifications and/or accommodations which are the resource support in the regular classroom. This type of support helps ensure that the inclusion model is still in place. It also enables the regular classroom teacher to have co-teaching support for the entire classroom during the push-in period. (Push-in supports will not be being implemented during trimester 1 due to COVID-19 and the integrity of the cohort model.)

The Teacher's Role in the Resource Room

The teacher in the resource room has a challenging role as they need to design all instruction to meet the specific needs of the students they service to maximize their learning potential. The resource room teacher collaborates continuously with the child's regular classroom teacher and the parents to ensure support is indeed helping the student to reach their full potential. The teacher will also work very closely with other professionals and paraprofessionals to support the specific student with a diagnosed disability. Usually, the resource room teacher will work with small groups, helping in one to one situations when possible.

How Resource Rooms Helps Students' Individual Needs

Younger students are typically excited to come to Resource. It's a place where they can receive small group or individualized attention, make academic connections, and feel great about learning. Some older students consider Resource a safe space and appreciate their time there, and some old students feel a stigma when they go to the resource room. However, student's individual needs are usually met better within the resource setting, and the teacher will work closely with the regular classroom teacher to help support the student as much as possible. The resource room tends to be less distracting than the regular classroom setting. Many resource rooms also support the social needs of their students in the small group setting and will provide behavior interventions. It will be very rare for a child to spend more than 50% of their day in the resource room.

Students in the resource room are usually assessed and tested in the resource room as it provides a less distracting environment and a better chance at success. A child will be re-evaluated every 3 years to determine special education eligibility.