Special Education Programs

Program Overview

The Special Education Department provides Inclusion Services to students with current Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These students participate in the selective admissions process with accommodations consistent with their IEPs. If admitted to Northside, they attend classes at the Honors or Advanced Placement (AP) levels with the general education population while receiving support from a Special Education teacher. Students are expected to access the same curriculum as their peers through their identified accommodations, modifications, and/or support services on their IEP. The same curricular outcomes are expected for students with disabilities. Therefore, the role of the Special Education staff is to provide individualized supports that enable students to meet course standards.

Related Service Providers

The team members below provide direct and indirect services to students with IEPs and 504s. They apply their expertise in learning, communication, social-emotional skills, behavioral challenges, as well as physical, vision, and hearing disabilities to help students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. Our team follows the CPS, Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) Procedural Guidelines. Eligibility for services is determined by procedures established by federal and State of Illinois Special Education rules and regulations.

Special Education Teachers
School Social Workers
School Psychologist
School Nurses
Speech and Language Pathologist
Hearing Specialist
Vision Specialist
Occupational Therapist
Physical Therapist

Service Models

Collaborative Team Teaching (Co-Taught) Inclusion Courses

These courses are co-taught by a general education teacher and special education teacher. Students with IEPs are placed in an inclusive co-taught course if their IEP indicates they require direct service minutes in the general education setting for that content area. Students are engaged in grade-level, standards-aligned curriculum. The general education teacher and co-teacher implement students’ accommodations and modifications to ensure access to the curriculum. A co-teaching environment allows for differentiated, specifically designed instruction within the general education setting.

Instructional Courses

These classes are designed to meet the needs of students with disabilities who require specially designed instruction with a smaller student/teacher ratio. Instructional classes take place outside of general education classes and are solely comprised of students with IEPs. Students with IEPs are placed in an instructional course if their IEP indicates they require direct service minutes in a separate class for that content area. While the instructional courses parallel the general education curriculum and are taught by a Special Education teacher, the curriculum is significantly modified.

Cluster Program

The Cluster Program at Northside currently services students who require a significantly modified curriculum due to severe and moderate disabilities. Our program is equipped with the necessary staff and resources needed to service the highest needs population of students in Chicago. Northside is considered 100% accessible for all students, allowing cluster students to navigate to inclusive push-out classes designed with their needs in mind. These classes include Physical Education, Computer Science and Fine Arts.

Within the classroom, students have access to AAC devices, 1:1 iPads, and eye gaze tracking. There are also areas of the room designated for sensory and mobility skills. The program provides students with needed positioning and ambulatory equipment.

Community based instruction is interwoven into the curriculum with in-class virtual training and community safety skills development. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to explore our local communities in order to generalize the academic and functional skills taught in the classroom to real world experiences.

Students in the cluster program participate in Best Buddies on Wednesdays. Best Buddies fosters friendships between people with and without Intellectual Disabilities, offering social mentoring while improving the quality of life and level of inclusion.

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