Special Education Continuum of Services
At Kingsway, we believe all students are capable of academic success with the appropriate support and interventions and that students with disabilities shall be educated in the least restrictive environment. Furthermore, special classes, separate schooling, or other removals of a student with a disability from the student's general education class shall occur only when the nature or severity of the educational disability is such that education in the student's general education class with the use of appropriate supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
As a result, we foster a learning environment that prioritizes inclusion in the general education setting and the delivery of tailored accommodations and modifications to support learning needs. Kingsway Regional School District offers a range of programs for students who have been determined "Eligible for Special Education and Related Services." Related services include, but are not limited to, consultative services from a special education teacher, school nursing services, speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, counseling, behavioral support, and special transportation. These are provided for students who are deemed in need of such services by the student’s team.
- General Education Program (without SE teacher) This program option occurs within the general education classroom with instruction being provided by the general education teacher who serves as the subject-area specialist. In this single-teacher model, the general education teacher is responsible for implementing the Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
- General Education Program - In-Class Support Resource (ICR): This service delivery model occurs within the general education classroom. In this model, the general education teacher has primary instructional responsibility for the student. ICR is provided in the student's general education class at the same time as the rest of the class. This setting also includes related consultative services by the special education teacher to secure progress on classified students’ goals and objectives. These services may include the development and demonstration of techniques and strategies; Data collection on the effectiveness of the techniques and strategies; and/or the development of positive behavioral supports. There will be no more than 10 special education students in an ICR setting.
- Special Education Program - Small Group Instruction (SGI) or Pull-Out Resource Center (RC): This service delivery model refers to a small group learning environment where either a subject-certified teacher or a special education-certified teacher instructs classified students using a modified version of the general education curriculum. Class size is limited to 12 (with a paraprofessional) for RC and 16 for SGI.
- Special Education Program - Self-contained (S.T.E.P.): Our self-contained program, S.T.E.P. (Structured Transitional Education Program), is a service delivery model dedicated to enhancing the lives of students with unique & multiple learning needs through structured, transitional supports and educational opportunities that provide real-life application of functional, academic, and 21st-century life and career skills in the school, community and workplace. The major objective of S.T.E.P. is to support students with learning differences to transition to independent living. One component of S.T.E.P. is Community-based Instruction (CBI) that occurs within community environments. The goal is to offer a variety of “hands-on” learning opportunities to help students acquire the skills necessary to live independently. CBI outings include grocery shopping trips, accessing and using public transportation, recognizing signs in the community, and participating in recreation and leisure. The program also offers several courses that provide real-life applications of functional, academic, and 21st-century life and career skills in the school, community, and workplace.
