Special Education Overview
The Special Education Department of Greenville High School provides a free appropriate public education to all children with disabilities in accordance with theIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
A student comes into the program once meeting the state of South Carolina and Greenville County criteria for a disability.
All students in special education have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which is developed yearly. Many areas are addressed including student achievement levels, strengths and weaknesses, participation in statewide testing, justification for removal from regular class, documentation for interventions to achieve the least restrictive environment, yearly goals, short term objectives, and others. Special education teachers are required to administer alternate testing for those who do not take part in state testing. The IEP is put into effect after a committee comprised of teachers, student, parent/guardian, counselor, school administrator, and any other interested party reach consensus that the document is appropriate. The IEP is a federal requirement that insures the due process rights of the individual with a disability.
The main purpose of the department is to provide these students with the learning experiences they require to become informed and productive citizens.
Philosophy, goals and expectations of the total GHS Special Education program
Definitions of Specific Special Education Classifications:
Specific Learning Disability:
The term "specific learning disability" means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or perform mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not apply to students who have learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
Mental Disability:
The term "mental disability" means mental retardation, which is significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning and levels of achievement, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period.
Emotional Disability:
The term "emotional disability" means an emotional disturbance exhibited by one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to such a marked degree that it adversely affects the student's educational performance:
Other Health Impairment:
The term "other health impairment" means a limitation in strength and vitality that can include a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, and that adversely affects a student's educational performance. This limitation is generally due to such chronic or acute health problems as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, and sickle cell anemia.
Self - Contained Programs and Models at GHS
In self-contained classes, the following disability areas divide students. Students in a functional program are not eligible for state diplomas at graduation. /the District has adopted an Occupational Credential Program which will afford top achieving students to earn more than a certificate if they complete a more rigorous academic program along with work experience in competitive employment. The Supported Employment and Training program gives students the opportunity to train in job settings with a job coach. Students may also be employed and allowed to work during school hours while receiving credit. The Special Education teachers teach all core academic courses, as well as functional daily living classes. All special education students are included in elective classes with non-disabled peers with individual accommodations as needed.
Itinerant (Regular class with Support Services)
Individual accommodations are at the heart of the inclusion resource model. One or two special education teachers work in the regular classroom with students of various disabilities in a variety of subject areas. They work in conjunction with the regular education teacher so students with disabilities can receive a combined effort that will maximize their learning. Many students also receive one on one instruction before and after school, at lunch, and during teacher plan periods. The resource program serves as a lifeline to students whose disabilities preclude them from succeeding in the mainstream on their own. The resource teacher works with mostly 9th graders on study skills, exit exam skills, areas of deficit, organizing class work and homework and teaching self-advocacy. These students will earn one elective unit of credit if they meet the class goals and objectives.