Special Education

The special education departm ent at Baxter Academ y is m ade up of a sm all group of talented staff m em bers whose prim ary goal is to educate and support students who have an identified special education disability and an active Individual Education Plan. This occurs m ostly through an inclusive m odel of teaching. Special Education staff team -teach academ ic courses with regular education staff. They also are in regular education classroom s to provide direct support and specially designed instruction to students who require it without stigm atizing the student by ?pulling?them out of their class for this instruction. By providing support this way, m any non-identified students have the opportunity to receive sim ilar support when they need it. For those students, with special needs, who struggle severely with executive function skills, they m ay participate in a Functional Learning Lab where the special education teacher offers strategies and practice in developing these needed skills.

W hen students join Baxter Academ y with an active IEP (Individual Education Plan), the IEP is im m ediately im plem ented to the best of the staff?s ability. Then an IEP Team m eeting occurs to am end the IEP, if necessary, to reflect the student?s needs that are specific to Baxter Academ y. A student?s IEP is developed through collaboration of all those involved (staff, parents, students, specialists) to attem pt to m eet the needs of the student. Each IEP is individually developed because each student is an individual and what works for one student m ay not for another. Parents, guardians, school staff, and or DH H S m ay refer a student to the special education departm ent due to academ ic, social, m ental, and or em otional issues. Anyone interested in referring a student for a special education evaluation should reach out to the special education director to com plete the official referral form . The director will then sign it and schedule an IEP Team m eeting, within 15 calendar days, to review the referral and all concerns. At this m eeting, it will be determ ined if testing will be com pleted and written perm ission will be asked for.

Once written perm ission is given, Baxter Academ y has 45 school days to com plete the evaluations and reconvene another IEP Team m eeting. At the follow-up m eeting, all testing is reviewed and a determ ination as to whether the student qualifies for and requires special education services will occur. If a student does qualify, a case m anager will be assigned to the student and an IEP will be developed. If the student doesn? t qualify, recom m endations will be m ade to support the teachers and student with any area of concern.

Focused Learning Lab:

Students have the opportunity to focus on executive functioning skills and practice them with support as they com plete academ ic work. Prerequisite: A student m ust be identified with a special education disability, have an active IEP, and be determ ined necessary through an IEP team m eeting.