May 24, 2013

Middleburgh Central School District offers a comprehensive program for special education. Below are someof the services provided by the school district.

Continuum of Services

Related Services
Counseling
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
Social Work
Speech Therapy
Transitional Services

Indirect Consultant Teacher - Minimum 2 hours a week
The special education teacher consults with the regular education teacher to assist them in adjusting the learning environment and/or modify instructional methods for special education students in their classroom.


Direct Consultant Teacher - Minimum 2 hours a week
The special education teacher provides specialized learning strategies and instruction directly to the student within the regular education classroom.


Resource Room - Minimum of 3 hours a week
This program is used to supplement regular or special classroom instruction.


Support Study Hall
This is a service offered only to Special Education students in the Middle School. The small class size allows the teacher assistant to work closely with individual students and monitor homework completion and accuracy. Since the teacher assistants also push-in for some core classes, they are familiar with the expectations of those courses.


Integrated Program
This program is a combination of Resource Room and Direct Consultant Teacher Services with pull out as needed to reinforce concepts learned within the regular education classroom.


Special Class Reading/Language Arts or Math
This is instruction within the regular education curriculum with alternative teaching methods.


Basic Skills Class (Primary Level K-2, Intermediate Level 3-5, Middle School Level 6-8)
This is a special class with an altered curriculum with a maximum class size of 12:1:1.


Life skills (9th-12th grade)
This is a special class which includes a vocational component. The curriculum is centered around functional academics.

Back to the top

Out-of-District Placements (BOCES, Special Schools/Programs)

Adaptive Physical Education
This program is available for students from Kindergarten through Fifth grade. The program is taught jointly by the Physical Education teacher and the Physical Therapist. The goals of the Adaptive PE program are to improve motor patterns and basic skills; develop an appropriate level of physical fitness; improve social efficiency; and develop a sense of achievement and accomplishment. Students can be referred for Adaptive PE screening by the PE teacher, the classroom teacher, Child Study Team, PT, OT, parent or Nurse. Parental approval is required and periodic updates monitor the student’s progress.


Brain Gym
Brain Gym is a series of quick, fun and energizing activities. These activities are effective in preparing any learner for specific thinking and coordination skills. Brain Gym is part of a comprehensive program called Educational Kinesiology (Edu-K). Edu-K brings movement and learning together. For more information use the following website: http://www.braingym.org


Fundations
Wilson Fundations is for grades K-3. It is a phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics and spelling program for the general education classroom. This program serves as a prevention program to help reduce reading and spelling failure. Fundations focuses on carefully sequenced skills that include print knowledge, alphabet awareness, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and spelling. http://www.fundations.com/


Lindamood Phonemic Sequencing (LiPS) for Reading, Spelling and Speech
A reading program that ties in the use of phonemic awareness skills and phonics to the formation our mouth makes when producing the sounds. This awareness becomes the means of verifying sounds within words and enables individuals to become self-correcting in reading, spelling, and speech.


Read Naturally
Read Naturally is a program that is offered to our special education students to build fluency. The program focuses on three powerful research-based strategies for improving fluency: teacher modeling, repeated reading, and progress monitoring. http://www.readnaturally.com/


Rebecca Sitton Spelling Program
This program helps students become fluent spellers by teaching spelling across the curriculum. It focuses on the high frequency words students use in their everyday writing.


Step Up to Writing
A multi-sensory approach to the writing process used in developing expository and narrative writing pieces. Students learn the three main steps in the written process by relating each part to colors. Students are taught effective writing strategies. Teachers facilitate, model and provide direct instruction at each grade level. With mastery of skills, students are expected to complete lengthier and more complex assignments. Note-taking, vocabulary development, paragraphing, listening activities, outlining, speeches and the writing process are some of the “how to” strategies specifically taught in the Step Up to Writing program. http://www.stepuptowriting.com


Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking
This technique teaches students how to learn using visual imagery. The components of these teaching techniques stimulate auditory comprehension, reading comprehension, verbal and reasoning skills through the use of imagery. Students who have difficulties with processing language and organizing their messages to others learn how to turn words into richly detailed sensory images.


Wilson Reading System
A multi-sensory teaching approach used to directly teach the English language. Students who have not internalized the sound and syllable system for both reading and spelling will benefit from this program. An emphasis is placed on mastering decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) skills in a very systematic manner. The Wilson Reading System is used in conjunction with a literature-based program to ultimately improve reading comprehension. http://www.wilsonlanguage.com