Octorara Area High School
Special Education Services

1.  Case Manager

Your student will be assigned a case manager.  If transitioning from the OMS, the current OMS case manager will confer with the high school special education department, and OMS and OAHS administrators to make an appropriate assignment.  If you are new to the district, prior special education documents and school records will be reviewed for appropriate assignment.  The high school case manager is responsible for writing the IEP, monitoring the progress of your student's academic and/or emotional goals, and ensuring that regular education teachers understand and implement the IEP.

2.  Regular Education Courses

Federal law requires that students be included in regular education classes whenever possible.  Each IEP team will discuss the ability of each student to participate in the regular education classroom.  Most students can participate in the general education curriculum via instructional differentiation and adaptations.  Those students whose needs are more intense will be identified through the "Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance" in the IEP and will be placed on courses with specially designed instruction in special education courses.

3.  Special Education Courses

3.1.  Students are placed in special education courses depending upon their need and current progress to meeting reading, writing, mathematics, emotional, or organizational goals on their IEPs.  Currently, three courses are taught by special education teachers for which full content area credit is awarded for graduation.  Enrollment in the courses is decided at the IEP meeting after reviewing IEP goals and is driven by identified needs and deficits.

• Communication Arts/Reading (1.0 English credit)

For students who are more than two years below grade level in reading skills

•   Pre-Algebra (1.0 Mathematics credit)

For students who have not shown mastery in pre-algebra skills 

• Physical Education/Wellness (.5 credit for grades 9, 11, 12; 1.0 credit for grade 11)

For students who require more intense social interaction instruction in a small group setting, especially for Autism Spectrum Disorder students

3.2.  Additional curriculum and emotional support services are provided by the special education teachers.  Placement in the following courses is made upon recommendation by the IEP team.  Students receive elective credit for graduation (.5 or 1.0 credit).

•   Writing Enrichment (.5/1.0 elective credit)

Students receive writing instruction and support with writing assignments for other classes.

•   Mathematics Enrichment (1.0 elective credit)

Students receive mathematics support to review, remediate and enrich the regular curriculum in the following courses:

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    • (Fundamentals of) Algebra A Enrichment
    • (Fundamentals of) Algebra B Enrichment
    • (Fundamentals of) Geometry Enrichment
    • Math Enrichment (Alg I, Alg II, Geometry)

  Students receive direct emotional/behavioral instruction to learn replacement behaviors in the following courses:

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    • Interpersonal Communication
    • Conflict Management
    • Group Dynamics
•   Transition Enrichment (1.0 elective credit)

Students receive post-secondary and career instruction and guidance if they are not able to articulate their goals.  Enrollment is open to juniors and seniors.

3.3. Open Enrichment

The Open Enrichment period is assigned in place of a study hall.  It gives the case manager an opportunity to support the student in various ways:  organizational skills, study skills, homework supprot, and monitoring progress toward the IEP goals.  There is no credit awarded.  While it serves the same function as a study hall, more personal attention can be given to the student.

4.  Special Education Requirements

• Approximately four weeks before the current IEP expiration date, your student's case manager will contact you to set up an IEP review meeting.  One or both parents/guardians and the student should attend, in addition to the case manager, a regular education teacher, and administrator, and any other individuals that you feel would contribute to the meeting.  The meeting will review the student's progress in teh area(s) of disability over the past year, will establish new goals, and will encourage open discussion about the student's academic progress and concerns.  The student's transition plan, or post-high school plans, will also be discussed.
• At the end of each three-year cycle (two years for mental retardation), the school district is required to reevaluate your student's continued need for special education services.  Documents and data will be reviewed and prepared to establish continued services.  Usually this re-evaluation meeting can be held simultaneously with the IEP meeting.