Rondout Valley Special Education Program Descriptions

Resource Room

This 5:1 model provides support for students in general education programs with specific skills (i.e. organization, planning, review, prioritization help, monitoring, etc.). Students visit the special education teacher at a scheduled time during the day. Resource room is available at grades 4-12.

Co-Taught Classroom

This model is designed to support special education students within the general education curriculum. The regular education teacher and the special education teacher collaborate with each other and share responsibilities for meeting the needs of a heterogeneous group of students. This model is offered for grades K-12.

15:1 Classroom

This 15:1 classroom is geared toward students with severe learning disabilities who struggle with processing and need high levels of modification and support. All modifications and accommodations are provided in the special class setting. This class includes students predominantly with learning needs. These classes are available for grades K-12.

Therapeutic Intervention Program (TIP)

This 12:1:1 classroom is designed to support students with significant social/emotional needs that impact their ability to be successful in a general education setting. This class provides high structure, predictability, clear rules, and contingencies for behavior. Modifications and accommodations are provided within the self-contained setting. The students have access to the general curriculum. The students may require an FBA/BIP that considers the reasons for student behavior and strategies for modifying behavior. There is a full time special education teacher and a teaching assistant assigned to each classroom. A behavior specialist supports the program with availability and access when students are in crisis. A school psychologist provides counseling services. There is one behavior management class available at each of the following levels: K-12.

CASA

This 12:1:1 class is geared toward students with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), high functioning autism, Asperger’s and related disabilities. This class provides a safe, sensorial-appropriate environment for neuro-atypical students. The students have full access to the general curriculum. This class gives students opportunities for integration in general education. There is a special education teacher as well as a teaching assistant to support student needs in the program. Behavior specialists and related service providers are available to support the social emotional and other needs of students. This class is available at the junior high and high school.

Life Skills Classroom

This 12:1:1 classroom is designed to support students with severe cognitive and/or adaptive behavior deficits. These students may also have physical and/or language delays. Students have high needs for modifications, accommodations, time for processing, repetition, etc. Pacing may be slower. These classes provide academic instruction and general curriculum exposure. Instruction in social skills and activities of daily living skills (ADLS) are included. Students generally require services throughout their lives and teachers coordinate referrals and supports to community agencies. Most students remain beyond age 18, often to age 21, and may attend day programs that include vocational training. This classroom has a full time special education teacher along with a full time teaching assistant. Some students may also have a 1:1 or shared teaching assistant. This class is available at all grade levels.

*In all settings above, students may also receive integrated and/or non-integrated support services according to their IEP (speech/language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, teacher of the visually impaired, teacher of the hearing impaired, assistive technology, counseling, etc.)

1:1 Aide

A specially trained paraprofessional which assists in “meeting the pupil's needs, that result from the pupil's disability, to enable the pupil to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum.”

Guidelines for Determining a Student with a Disability’s Need for a One-to-One Aide