Special Education Information

When should we consider special education services?

Everyone in the world has a different combination of skills and interests that affect their learning styles. Understanding those skills and interests can make it easier for all students to develop their skills in the most efficient way possible, through their strengths, and help us to understand the areas of growth we need to address to develop a well-rounded set of skills that can be carried through all pathways in life.

Most of the time, a student's strengths and areas of growth can be nurtured and addressed through a variety of learning activities, guided practice, and supported release of responsibility. However, for some students, certain specialized supports become necessary to help them achieve their very best. A student's classroom teachers, a parent, or a student may notice there is a particular hurdle getting in the way of a student's achievement. At this time, the possibility of an IEP may be explored to remove the barrier and provide greater access to tools we can provide for more accurate representation of a student's abilities. The IEP is simply a plan that strategizes the use of some tools to use student strengths to overcome student challenges.

How do we determine who gets an IEP?

When a concern is raised to student services, we consider information from a variety of sources. We gather information through conversations with teachers, parents, and students, themselves. We review past report cards, and student work. Occasionally, we will perform tests to more thoroughly understand specific strengths and challenges. We may also look to other experts to determine the right supports to use. Throughout this process, we will keep in touch with students and parents to ensure we have their input on next steps, and to ensure they are comfortable and informed through the entire process.

The documents below explain, in more detail, the scope of our Special Education Services, the function of an IEP, and the IPRC process.