Student Services
Student Services
The goal of the classes and programs that are offered for students at Galvin Middle School is to enhance and provide students with language, literacy, academic, and social skills. Students develop strategies to become a more independent learner within the student’s least restrictive environment. Students may also be involved in classes that provide social skills and emotional support on an individual and/or group basis. This can be done through a push in and/or pull out model. This allows for opportunities for success academically, socially, and emotionally. The ultimate goal for all students is to meet curriculum standards and have a greater ability to compensate for their learning challenges, develop learning and self advocacy/independent skills in order to explore a variety of post secondary options.
District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP):
The DCAP is designed to assist classroom teachers in analyzing and accommodating diverse learning styles of all children in the general education classroom and in providing appropriate services and support within the general education setting.
Response to Intervention:
Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs. These services may be provided by a variety of personnel, including general education teachers, special educators, and specialists. (www.rtinetwork.org).
504 Plan
A plan written which provides accommodations in the classroom setting for students who have an identified disability so that these students may have the opportunity to perform at the same level as their peers.
IEP
Individualized Education Program is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). An IEP is designed to meet the unique educational needs of the child, who has a disability. The IEP must be tailored to the individual student’s needs as identified by the evaluation process with specified goal areas. An IEP helps teachers and related services understand the student’s disability and how the disability affects the learning process.
Approaches:
Least Restrictive Environment(LRE)
LRE is part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA says that children who receive special education should learn in the least restrictive environment. This means they should spend as much time as possible with peers who do not receive special education. IDEA says two things about LRE that are important to understand when working with the IEP team:
Your child should be with students in general education to the “maximum extent that is appropriate.”
Special classes, separate schools or removal from the general education class should only happen when your child’s learning or attention issue—his “disability” under IDEA—is so severe that supplementary aids and services can’t provide him with an appropriate education. (www.understood.org)
Full Inclusion: Students with disabilities receive their education within the regular education classroom in their local/home school. The IEP team identified that IEP services are provided outside the general education classroom less than 21% of the time (80% inclusion). - www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/forms
Partial Inclusion: Students with disabilities receive their education within the regular education and special education classroom in their local/home school. The IEP team identified that IEP services are provided outside the general education classroom at least 21% of the time, but no more than 60% of the time. www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/forms
Substantially Separate:Students with disabilities receive their education within the special education classroom in their local/home school. The team identified that IEP services are provided outside the general education classroom for more than 60% of the time. www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/forms
Instructional Support:
Classroom and special education teachers, along curriculum teachers are developing targeted interventions and monitoring student progress to achieve maximum impact on student learning. Student data is analyzed in reading, writing, and math and students receive support in the least restrictive setting while working on meeting the grade level standards
Social Emotional Learning:
The school psychologist, social workers, school counselors, and speech pathologists are partnering with teachers to support social skills in the classroom. Students are receiving instruction and modeling throughout the day for self awareness, self management, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social awareness.
Other areas of support provided:
Some students may benefit from one or a combination of the following supports: Student Response Team (SRT), Crisis Response Team (CRT), Academic Support Classes, Language based learning, vocational/life skills classes, Therapeutic Support classes, Counseling Support, Speech and Language, Pragmatic Supports, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, ABA Support and methodology, Assistive Technology, and/or Homebase.