Special Education Services

The Special Services Department includes special education teachers, child study team members, speech/language specialists, related service providers and paraprofessionals. Together we plan and provide educational programs for students with disabilities in conjunction with general education staff, administration and parents.

Special education programs and services are provided for students classified as educationally disabled from seventh grade through senior year of high school (age 21). The district child study team provides diagnostic evaluations of the individual child, interpretation of findings to parents and staff, placement of pupils for whom a specialized program may be necessary, remedial instruction, speech therapy, and other related services. Requests for evaluations can be made if a student is suspected of having a disability.

A referral is a written request for an evaluation that is given to the school district when a child is suspected of having a disability and might need special education and related services. In most instances, the student suspected of having a disability should first be referred to the Intervention and Referral Services Team. If as a result of the interventions recommended by the team, the student continues to experience difficulties in the general education classroom, the I&RS Team will determine the next course of action which could include amending the Action Plan, determining 504 eligibility, or referring the student to the Child Study Team for evaluation.

The New Jersey Administrative Code (NJAC 6A:14) describes in detail all the services required and provided by the district through special services. NJAC 6A:14 can be obtained at the State of New Jersey Department of Education, http://www.state.nj.us/education/