The purpose of the Clinton Community School Districts Special Education Department is to provide services for individuals with special needs to achieve high levels of learning through equitable access to quality education for each student in an environment of mutual respect, trust, enthusiasm and cooperation.

• Identify and provide services to all special needs students.

• Develop and implement Individual Education Programs for all special needs students.

• Provide free, appropriate services to students with disabilities.

• Make changes to our educational systems so that learning of all students is enhanced through a continuum of services.

• Consulting Teacher Services: Consulting Teacher services are defined as indirect services provided by a certified special education teacher to a general education teacher in adjusting the learning environment and/or modifying his/her instructional methods using specially designed instruction strategies to meet the individual needs of a student with a disability receiving instruction in the general education classroom.

• Co-Teaching Services: Co-teaching services are defined as the provision of specially designed instruction and academic instruction provided to a group of students with disabilities and non-disabled students. These services are provided by the special education teacher and general education teacher in partnership to meet the content and skills needs of students in the general education classroom. These services take shape in a variety of manners. For example, teachers co-plan, divide the class, and provide the instruction to smaller groups, or teachers co-plan and then co-instruct different components of the content. The effectiveness of services provided through co-teaching have a strong research base.

• Collaborative Services: Collaborative services are defined as direct specially designed instruction provided to an individual student with a disability or to a group of students with disabilities by a certified special education teacher in a general education classroom to aid the student(s) in accessing the general education curriculum. These services are provided simultaneously with the general education content area instruction.

• General education with direct special education support in the general education classroom. The student receives special education support for the general education curriculum in the general education setting. The special education teacher, support service provider, or trained paraprofessional will be in the general education classroom to provide direct instruction, instructional support, or other assistance to the student or a group of students, through models such as collaborative or co-teaching. The special education teacher/service provider is responsible for monitoring the student’s progress on IEP goals.

• Pull-Out Services: Pull-Out services are defined as direct specially designed instruction provided to an individual student with a disability or a group of students with disabilities by a certified special education teacher to provide supplementary instruction that cannot otherwise be provided during the student’s regular instruction time. These services are provided in an individual or small group setting for a portion of the day. Pull-out services supplement the instruction provided in the general education classroom through Consulting Teacher services or Collaborative/Co-teaching services. The specially designed instruction provided in Pull-out settings does not supplant the instruction provided in the general education classroom. 

• Special Class: Special Class services are defined as direct specially designed instruction provided to an individual student with a disability or a group of students with disabilities by a certified special education teacher to provide instruction which is tied to the general education curriculum, but has been modified to meet the unique needs of the student(s) in a self contained setting (including, but not limited to special classes, special schools, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals and institutions). This means the student is receiving his or her primary instruction separate from non-disabled peers. 

Students may receive different services at multiple points along the continuum based on the IEP.

The district will provide access to this continuum for all eligible individuals based on their IEP. Services may be provided within the district, or through contractual agreement with other districts and/or agencies.

The continuum includes services for eligible individuals ages 3-21

• Early Childhood Special Education

The Clinton Community School District will provide services to its early childhood population in the regular early childhood classroom with a teacher who holds a valid practitioner’s license issued by the Board of Educational Examiners that includes pre-kindergarten and early childhood special education. The teacher is responsible for direct instruction, preparation of materials, adaptations and accommodations as specified in the IEP. The teacher with dual endorsement is responsible for implementing and monitoring the child’s progress according to the IEP.