The RCS Special Education Department offers a range of quality instructional support and services designed to meet the individual needs of students while providing meaningful access, participation and progress in the general curriculum. Our continuum of programs and services afford students with disabilities enriched opportunities to thrive in an educational environment that actively promotes continuous academic, social, and personal growth.

Related Services
Related services currently provided within the district include speech and language therapy, psychological services, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Additional related services could include Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing or Teacher of the Visually Impaired.  These services are provided to students with disabilities in conjunction with their special education and/or general education programs.  The related service professionals address knowledge and skills, which are not typically included in the subject area curriculum.  The goal of the district is to provide these services through district personnel, whenever practical.

Resource Room Services
A resource room program provides specialized supplementary instruction in a small group setting of up to five students who have similar academic, social, physical, and management needs.  The resource room teacher addresses specific academic and organizational difficulties experienced by the students and offers support for students in their general education classes as well as supplemental instruction.

Consultant Teacher Services
Consultant teachers provide direct and indirect services to students with disabilities who participate in full-time general education programs.  Direct consultant teacher services are provided to students in a general education classroom.  A special education teacher provides indirect consultant teacher services to general education teachers to assist them in making environmental and/or instructional modifications for students with disabilities in order for these students to be successful learners.  They serve as a specialized, highly skilled resource to the general education teacher.

Integrated Co-Teaching
Integrated co-taught classes are programs in which the special education teacher co-teaches with the general education or content area teacher in the general education classroom.  The special education teacher offers more intensive support than in the consultant teacher model, including developing modified materials, instructional techniques, and behavioral strategies. In grades K-11, co-taught classes are available in various subject areas and have been particularly effective for students who in the past may have been taught in a separate special class setting.  

Special Class Services
A special class provides primary instruction in one or more academic areas. The maximum class size for a special class program ranges from six to fifteen students.  In the RCSCSD, the majority of special classes have an enrollment of up to twelve students.  Special classes are typically staffed by one teacher and at least one teaching assistant. Students are grouped together for special class instruction based on the similarity of their needs.  Grouping by needs is based on present levels of academic achievement and learning rate, levels of physical and social development, and the management needs of students in the classroom.  Students are mainstreamed in specials and, when appropriate, specific academic classes at the elementary level.  At the middle school level, special classes are offered in several of the core academic areas based on student needs. Students are mainstreamed for specials/electives and various academic courses.  Special class offerings have expanded in the middle and high school in recent years, to allow increased numbers of students to be educated within the district.

Out-of-District Placement
Students with disabilities whose needs are too intensive to be addressed appropriately in an in-district special education program may be placed in one of the following, listed from least restrictive to more restrictive:

• special class operated by another school district

• a BOCES program

• an approved Private School (day)

• 4201 or State-Operated school

• an approved Residential Placement

Home and Hospital Instruction

Students with disabilities who are recommended for home and/or hospital instruction by the CSE shall receive instruction as follows:

• Instruction for elementary school students will be provided a minimum of 5 hours per week;

• Secondary school students will receive a minimum of 10 hours of instruction per week, preferably 2 hours daily.

• Students who are awaiting placement may be assigned, on an interim basis and with their parent’s consent, to alternate-site instruction. This instruction is identical to home teaching except that the actual instruction takes place outside the home.