Continuum of Placement
Placement options in New York State
- Public School
- Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES)
- Private Approved Day Schools
- Residential Schools
- Home and Hospital Instruction
Continuum of Special Education Services
For school-age students with disabilities, there is an array of services to meet individual student needs:
- Consultant Teacher
- Direct and/or
- Indirect
- Integrated Co Teaching (this is the only service that is optional)
- Resource Room
- Special Class
General Definitions
Definitions are based on continuum of special education service type:
- Consultant Teacher Direct – The special education teacher works only with students who have Consultant Teacher for that subject on their IEP within the classroom setting. They consult with the general education teacher to accommodate the lesson to meet the needs listed on each student’s IEP. The CT does not teach with the general education teacher nor are they expected to support students without IEPs. Students only leave the classroom for testing accommodations (if stated on the IEP) but never for instruction.
- Minimum of 2 hours/week
- Minimum of 3 hours/week if receiving Resource Room (RR) services also.
- Consultant Teacher Indirect – The special education teacher is not in the classroom with their general education teacher or students. All of the work to accommodate the needs of the students with this service listed on their IEP is done beforehand to allow students access to the content. Students only leave the classroom for testing accommodations (if stated on the IEP) but never for instruction.
- Minimum of 2 hours/week
- Minimum of 3 hours/week if receiving RR services also.
- Resource Room – This is a small group setting (maximum of 5 students) grouped by similarity of need to work on supplemental skill instruction and cannot replace instruction in the general education setting. This can be in a separate setting or as a part of a classroom. Resource Room can only be taught by a special education teacher or a reading teacher. This service is not meant to be homework help for students but instead to work on skill deficits.
- Minimum of 3 hours/week
- Maximum of 50% of day in RR
- Integrated Co-Teaching – This is the only optional service offered on the continuum of special education services. The special education teacher and general education teacher plan and teach together to support all students in the classroom. There are many co teaching models but there is never a time when one teacher only works with students with disabilities- rather, the preference is heterogeneous grouping. A maximum of 12 students with disabilities can be in the classroom and the number of non-disabled students should be more than or equal to the number of students with disabilities. You should not be able to differentiate between the general education teacher and the special education teacher.
- Special Class Settings (often referred to as self-contained classrooms but that is not a service listed on the continuum) – The ratios are important in special class settings:
- 12:1:1 – Twelve students with IEPs, one special education teacher, one aide
- 15:1 – 15 students with IEPs, one special education teacher
- 8:1:1 and 6:1:1 – Same premise
- 12:1 + (3+1) – This classroom has the most intensive needs and requires additional aide support for every 3 students.
These students are grouped together by similarity of need (behavior, cognitive, medically fragile, etc.). Students provided this level of service do not need to remain in a special class all day. Rather, students assigned to special class settings could be integrated into general education classrooms based on the needs of the students. In the classroom, all students are working on grade-level curriculum (with accommodations if written in the IEP) unless the students are alternately assessed (NYSAA). Only NYSAA students can work on a modified curriculum.