Special education is a service students can qualify for if they are significantly discrepant from their peers. Services can be provided in many different categories including academics, behavioral, speech, and/or occupational therapy. The evaluation process is conducted through Grant Wood AEA and the team (Grant Wood staff, parents, classroom teacher, special education teacher and administrator) uses student data to determine eligibility for services.
When a student qualifies for special education in any one of the categories, the instruction they receive is tailored to the unique needs of each student. This is called an Individual Education Plan or IEP.
At Starry, our Special Education teachers are Mrs. Simmons and Mrs. Rowell. Both Special Education teachers provide academic support to students depending on their IEP. Mrs. Simmons has a specialized license to provide behavioral support to students who qualify.
Mrs. Rowell
Mrs. Simmons
When receiving special education services, there is a range of curriculum used to help meet students’ needs and help close the achievement gap for each student.
For academic support, the two main curriculums used at Starry are Reading Mastery Transformations for reading, and Number Worlds for math. We Thinkers, Zones of Regulation and Superflex are used when working with students on behavior and social/emotional regulation.
Students who receive special education services are general education students first, and receive all core instruction in their classroom. During independent work times, these students get additional support through the special education program.