This is a special education service for children ages 3 to 5 years old which focuses on developmentally appropriate skills that are scaffolded from the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines. Instruction is provided through intensive, hands-on learning and the use of research-based strategies to meet the needs of individual students. Incorporated, along with the academic instruction, is instruction focused on functional and independent living skills (toileting, independence in eating / feeding, and other developmentally appropriate skills). Daily activities are aligned with specific IEP goals and objectives and are designed to generalize to the school and community settings. An individual education plan is developed for every student based upon the student’s academic abilities along with developmental, communication, and behavioral needs. Placement decisions are determined by the student’s IEP (ARD) committee and based on the student’s individual needs.
Special education supports are provided in general and special education settings to support individual student needs based on the IEP goals and objectives. In-Class Support is individually determined with a focus on student independence, fading reliance on adults over time. Resource support is provided in a setting outside the general education classroom. Support may include academic and behavioral support. Placement decisions are determined by the student’s IEP (ARD) committee and based on the student’s individual needs.
Students will access and participate in the grade level Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) through activities scaffolded to individual student needs. This service provides a high degree of structure and systematic use of research-based interventions to enhance instruction, develop communication skills, and manage student behavior. Students are provided with targeted social and behavioral instruction along with meeting their academic needs. An individual education plan is developed for every student based upon the student’s academic abilities along with developmental, communication, and social/emotional needs. Placement decisions are determined by the student’s IEP (ARD) committee and based on the student’s individual needs.
This is a special education service which focuses on academic and developmentally appropriate functional skills. Instruction is provided through intensive, hands-on learning and the use of research-based strategies to meet the needs of individual students. Incorporated, along with the academic instruction, is instruction focused on functional and independent living skills (toileting, independence in eating / feeding, and other developmentally appropriate skills). Daily activities are aligned with specific IEP goals and objectives and are designed to generalize to the school and community settings. An individual education plan is developed for every student based upon the student’s academic abilities along with developmental, communication, and behavioral needs. Placement decisions are determined by the student’s IEP (ARD) committee and based on the student’s individual needs.
Solid ROOTS is a campus behavior management system designed to empower students to take responsibility for their own behavior. Special education students receive instruction in a variety of settings from the general education classroom to the special education setting depending on student needs. Students are provided behavior support by special education teachers and paraprofessionals. The system is designed to address the student’s presenting problems and work with the student to devise a plan of action; therefore providing an opportunity for students to practice appropriate classroom behavior. Solid ROOTS meets the challenge of teaching students with behaviors by providing a process that teaches students to change old habits of misbehavior through direct instruction and opportunities to practice the behavior in the general education environment. Placement decisions are determined by the student’s IEP (ARD) committee and based on the student’s individual needs.
AIMES is a behavior model for special education students who are experiencing significant behavioral challenges requiring direct instruction to overcome issues preventing behavioral progress. The goal of the program is to provide behavior support to improve appropriate behaviors, and to develop self-awareness, self-monitoring, and self-control. The goal is also for students to develop appropriate behavioral and social skills required to participate fully in the educational environment, and to facilitate a successful transition into adulthood. The AIMES program is designed to serve students in all elementary grades. These students have severe, chronic behavioral difficulties that interfere with their ability to access the curriculum in the least restrictive environment. The program is structured to meet the various individual needs of each student and focuses on assisting students with appropriate behavior, academic growth, and social development. This is accomplished through a continuum of services from participation in a highly structured, self-contained classroom setting, to participation in the general education classroom, with direct and intensive instruction by AIMES staff. Additional support may include, but is not limited to, increased, intensive social skills instruction, lower teacher student ratio, and use of restorative practices. Lower teacher student ratio allows for increased time in direct instruction, increased modeling of appropriate responses, and increased positive reinforcement while also creating independence within a smaller group setting.
ACCESS is designed to support students in applying the skills that they learned during their school years into the environments that they will be accessing in their adult lives. The goal of ACCESS is to ensure students have a meaningful and fulfilling life after high school. The program is designed to assist students and their families to build an adult schedule and begin putting it in place while still having support from the school. This includes focusing on Employment, Education/Training, Social Recreation & Leisure, and Independent Living. While slowly fading school supports, the needs of the student are identified and help families connect with agencies to provide support after high school. Our dream is for the student's last day of school to be a day of celebration, not a day of fear and uncertainty for parents and families. Placement decisions are determined by the student’s IEP (ARD) committee and based on the student’s individual needs. Kelly Bailey is the Transition and Employment Designee (TED) for LHISD. She can answer questions regarding the process the district takes to support students in developing the necessary skills needed to transition from school to postsecondary settings. For additional information from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) please visit the linked site.
Program FAQs
Each campus has Inclusion, Resource, BEST, Solid Roots, Speech and other related services.
The ESLE (Early Structured Learning Environment) and Pre-K programs will be located at Liberty Hill Elementary, Louine Noble Elementary, Santa Rita Elementary, and Bar W Elementary.
The RISE (Reaching Independence through a Structured Educational Environment) programs are located at Liberty Hill Elementary, Tierra Rosa Elementary, Liberty Hill Middle School, Santa Rita Middle School, and Liberty Hill High School.
The AIMES (Achieving Independence and Motivation by Empowering with Structure) programs are located at Bill Burden Elementary and Rancho Sienna Elementary.
Decisions regarding services needed to meet a student's needs are determined by the members of the ARD / IEP committee and are made based on information presented at the ARD / IEP meeting. The committee will review the student’s needs and discuss recommended supports offered in a variety of settings. The committee will determine the best setting for the services to be provided. If the ARD / IEP committee recommends a program that is not offered at your home campus, your student will be assigned to a campus that does offer that program.
The student’s ARD/ IEP meeting will discuss transportation for the child and determine services to best meet the student’s needs. If the ARD / IEP committee’s recommendation is that the student will receive services off their home campus, special education transportation will be considered by the committee. Special education transportation is only provided to students who have an identified need in their Individual Education Plan (IEP). Any needed support such as a monitor or safety device (booster seat or safety vest) for the bus will be addressed by the ARD / IEP committee and provided by the transportation department. The parent/guardian does not have to accept transportation.
There are several benefits of clustering programs such as providing access to the general education curriculum and general education peers, having most of the student’s academic career in one school instead of being transferred year after year to multiple schools, and providing the appropriate staff support regardless of staff vacancies or absences. For example, ESLE classrooms will be at the same location as the Pre-K classrooms to allow for access to peers of the same age, as well as the general education curriculum.
The creation of cluster sites is a long term solution to the growing number of students who are in need of special education services. As our district continues to grow, the programs will continue to be grown at the selected sites so as to provide continuity.
The ARD / IEP committee will make the determination if the student’s services can best be provided in a program that is not located at the student’s home campus. This could happen during a school year. The ARD / IEP would also decide the start of services which could take place at a natural break (i.e. winter break, spring break, etc.) or as soon as possible.
The district's goal will be to keep siblings together as much as possible. Any requests for sibling student transfers, based on a special education program placement, will be considered.