INSTRUCTIONAL ARRANGEMENT AN RELATED SERVICES

CONSIDERING PLACEMENT IN A MORE RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT

What's Required

The IDEA guarantees that a student with a disability will be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). This means that to the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities must be educated with students who do not have disabilities. Therefore, removal of a student from the regular educational environment may only occur if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Federal law requires that a school district must ensure a continuum of placements is available to meet the needs of students with disabilities (34 CFR 300.115I(b)).

What We Do

When developing the IEP, the ARD/IEP Committee must determine the placement of a student served though special education. The committee must ensure that:

• The placement is in the least restrictive environment (LRE)
• To the maximum extent appropriate, the student will be educated with students that do not have disabilities

Special education services are provided on a continuum as follows:

• General education with consultation services from special education
• General education with instructional modifications and/or accommodations with supplementary aids and services from special education
• Special education instructional services less than 21 percent of the school day
• Special education instructional services at least 21 percent of the school day and less than 50 percent of the school day
• Special education instructional services at least 50 percent and no more than 60 percent of the school day