School Committee Updated on Special Ed Programs

The Dedham this week received an update on how things currently stand with the school system’s special education programs. 

In a presentation at the School Committee’s meeting on Wednesday night, Special Education Director Kathy Gaudreau gave a rundown of the process involved in the programs, and clarified that, currently, the town has 620 students who receive some form of special educational services.

“I think the needs of students are definitely increasing,” said Gaudreau.

One item Gaudreau discussed was the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which ensures services to children with disabilities throughout the country. Under IDEA, infants and toddlers receive early intervention, which may also continue on from age 3 and older.

She explained that the process involved in placing a student into a special education program begins with the Student Assistance Team, which holds three meetings to discuss the needs of the student before making recommendations on how to address them. Evaluations are then made, and parents are usually involved in the process.

Once it is determined that a child has a disability and requires specialized instruction, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed. Gaudreau explained that this serves as a vehicle for communication between parents and professionals, as well as committing to necessary resources for the child and serving as an evaluation device.

“It serves as an evaluation device for use in determining the extent to which the child is progressing towards meeting the stated goals and objectives,” said Gaudreau.

The IEP focuses on the concerns of parents and the team, but also provides an overview on the student’s strengths, learning style, test scores and areas of interest. It also includes the student’s current educational performance, goals, the extent to which the child will participate in general education, as well as a start and transition date.

Dedham has several district-wide programs relating to special education, including full and half-day programs at the preschool and kindergarten level.

Co-taught programs are in place for first- and second-grade students at ; class size ranges from 14 to 16 students and have one general education teacher, a special education teacher and one to two teacher aids.

At the , students are fully integrated in age/grade-appropriate classrooms. Individual and/or small group instruction is given for students grades one through five. A Language-Based Learning Center is also available for grades three through five.

Meanwhile, Primary and Adaptive Learning Centers are available at . The Primary Learning Center is for grades one through three and is non-integrated, while the Adaptive Learning Center is for students in grades three through five.

Gaudreau also spoke about team-based learning centers at and .  These programs are meant for four to eight students with one special education teacher, a school adjustment counselor and up to four teacher aides. The center has ongoing behavioral support, interventions and behavior plans. It also has a social skills group.

Also at , there is a Language-Based Learning Center for grades six through eight, which involves four to eight students with a special education teacher and up to four teacher aides.

At the high school level, Gaudreau discussed the Vocational Team at , which is a non-integrated program for six to 20 students that includes a special education teacher, a part-time special education teacher, a part-time vocational specialist and up to four teacher aids. Instruction is based on Mass State Frameworks, but is modified to meet student needs. It covers daily living, self-help skills and vocational education.

While no action was meant to be taken, the School Committee expressed content for the town’s programs, and commended Gaudreau for her work. Superintendent June Doe, for one, said that she believes that the programs are very effective.

“I think we do an excellent job,” said Gaudreau in agreement. “We have an extremely talented special education staff.”