School Age Special Education
THE EIGHT PRINCIPLES OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
Services and programs will be made available to students based on their individual needs, without regard to classification.
A continuum of alternative placements will be available to meet the needs of students with disabilities. However, no placement may effectively restrict the full appropriate participation of students with disabilities in the programs and assessments necessary for a high school diploma.
All students with disabilities will have equal access to a high quality program based on their individual needs and abilities and designed to enable them to achieve desired learning results established for all students. Educational placement decisions for students will be determined by a process, which first considers a general education environment in the school the student would attend if he or she did not have a disability.
The removal of a student with a disability from the general educational environment occurs only when the needs of the student are such that, even with the use of supplementary aids and services, his or her needs cannot be met. However, consideration must be given to the impact of a student with a disability on the education of other students in the general or special education class when making placement decisions.
Efforts will be made to access and coordinate with other available services within a local school district, Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), or agency program before a student fails in his or her current educational placement.
The responsibility for all students is shared among all staff of the school. Parents and guardians will have an opportunity for meaningful participation in the development of the Individual Education Program (IEP) as equal partners with school personnel.
Students with disabilities will be full participants in all aspects of the school program, including extracurricular activities and State and local testing programs, to the maximum extent appropriate to their needs.
Students with disabilities in segregated placements will transition to general education programs, when appropriate.