Students with Disabilities who receive Special Education in the Westhill Central School District are provided services in the least restrictive environment. Our goal is for students to be educated along side their general education peers to the greatest extent possible. Listed below is an overview of the Continuum of Services as outlined by the New York State Education Department. The full text document may be found by clicking here.
Related Services
Related Services are support services that are provided to children in order to help them access their education. Services may include:
* Assistive Technology * Audiology Services * Counseling
* Interpreting Services * Occupational Therapy * Physical Therapy
* School Health Services * School Nursing Services * Speech/Language Therapy
Services may be delivered individually or in small groups and in the classroom or in the therapy room. Groups are never larger than five (5) students. Recommendations are based on an individual's needs, evaluation results, and Committee on Special Education recommendations.
Consultant Teacher Direct (CTD)
CTD services are often informally referred to as "push in support." This model provides Students with Disabilities with specially designed instruction from a certified Special Education Teacher to support the student in accessing the general education curriculum. Services allow teachers to adapt the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to allow Students with Disabilities to participate and make progress in the general education curriculum.
IEPs will identify the content area, frequency, and time frame for the service. Students must receive a minimum of two (2) hours per week of CTD and/or Consultant Teacher Indirect services. Services may be provided individually or in a small group.
Consultant Teacher Indirect (CTI)
CTI services are provided to a Student with a Disability through an indirect consultative model. A certified Special Education Teacher meets with the General Education Teacher to assist the teacher in adjusting the learning environment and/or instructional methods and techniques to meet the needs of identified students.
IEPs will identify the content area, frequency, and time frame for the service. Students must receive a minimum of two (2) hours per week of CTI and/or CTD services.
Resource Room Program
Resource Room services are provided by a certified Special Education Teacher and are offered through a "pull out" model. Students are grouped based on their special education needs (ex. basic reading instruction, reading comprehension, written expression, and mathematics). Groups consist of no more that five (5) students. Resource Room Program is not homework help, a time for test administration, nor is it a study hall. Students receive supplementary instruction in order to enable the student to access the general education program.
Students who receive Resource Room Program must receive a minimum of three (3) hours per week of the service. They may not receive more that 50% of the school day in a Resource Room Program. Resource Rooom Program may be combined with CTD or CTI services given that the total service time for all programming equates to a minimum of three (3) hours per week.
Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT)
Integrated Co-Teaching is an optional service that districts may offer and is not required by NYS Education Department. Currently, Westhill offers ICT programming, as possible, at the primary grade level. ICT may be offered for all or part of a school day and may be offered for some, but not all, content areas. The determination for whether ICT will be offered any given year is based on the needs of the students in that particular cohort. Students with similar needs are grouped together and are taught by both a certified General Education and Special Education teacher. Both teachers are responsible for the development, execution, and assessment of all learning.
IEPs will identify the content area, frequency, and time frame for the service. There is no minimum or maximum amount of time required for ICT. The service may be combined with any other service. An ICT classroom may have no more than 12 Students with Disabilities, regardless of whether or not they have been recommended for ICT programming.
Special Class
Special Class instruction is provided on an as need basis to those students who require specially designed instruction away from their general education peers. Students in a Special Class are grouped based on a similarity of need and are taught their primary instruction by a certified Special Education Teacher. Special Class instruction supplants general education instruction. That is, students typically receive Special Class instruction for core content areas (ex. ELA, math, etc.). Special Class teachers at the middle and high school levels must be highly qualified to teach in their content area.
IEPs will identify the content area, frequency, and time frame for the service. IEPs will identify the ratio for each Special Class. At times, Westhill will collaborate with OCM BOCES to provide Special Class programming. Common Special Class ratios are listed below:
15:1 Specialized (prioritized) instruction
15 students, 1 Special Education Teacher
12:1:1 Management (behavior and/or academic) needs interfere with the instructional process
12 students, 1 Special Education Teacher, 1 Teaching Assistant
12:1:3+1 Severe multiple disabilities; often NYSAA eligible students
12 students, 1 Special Education Teacher, 3 students per every 1 Teaching Assistant
Only the Committee on Special Education can make recommendations regarding a student's particular special education services. Parents are an integral part of the special education process.