Special Education

Reynoldsburg City Schools serves about 1,000 students with disabilities each year and employs about 100 special education personnel. About 15 percent of the Reynoldsburg student population has been identified with a disability.

These exceptional students have unique characteristics and needs, many of which are best met by the classroom teacher who differentiates instruction for them with support from a special education specialist. Our intervention specialists work cooperatively with classroom teachers and other school personnel to ensure a common understanding and response to all of our students with special needs. We use collaborative teaching to support the inclusion of children with special needs in the general education classroom. Collaborative teaching benefits all students in the classroom by adding a second teacher, and it supports differentiated instruction. Some exceptional students require more intensive services in a resource-room setting.

Programs serving children with learning differences, speech/language needs and other related services are available in all buildings. Children with multiple areas of exceptionalities and personal/social behavior needs are served in specialized programs. Some programs are available through cooperative placements with other neighboring districts. Through the Special Education Program, all eligible children receive special instruction specifically designed to meet their unique educational needs, in accordance with state and federal requirements. All special education services are provided at no cost to the parent.

Continuum of Services & Alternative Placements

Research on specially designed instruction clearly supports high quality instruction provided to the greatest extent possible to meet the student's individualized education program (IEP) in the general education classrooms where students with disabilities have the greatest likelihood of receiving curriculum content delivered by highly qualified teachers. Schools may utilize a variety of combinations of special education supports and services to serve students with disabilities in general education settings and promote meaningful access, participation and progress in the general curriculum, including consultant teacher services, paraprofessional support, resource room services and integrated co-teaching.

Access to and participation in the general education curriculum does not occur solely because a student is placed in a general education classroom, but rather when students with disabilities are actively engaged in learning the content and skills that define the general education curriculum. Meaningful access to the general education curriculum means that a student with a disability has the appropriate supports, services and accommodations to address his or her disability in consideration of the content of the curriculum, instructional materials, how the curriculum is taught to the student, the physical environment and how the student's learning is measured. It is the consideration of the individual needs of the student and the support, services and/or modifications needed to the general education curriculum, instructional methods, instructional materials and/or instructional environment that determine which of the service delivery options would be most appropriate to assist the student to meet his/her annual goals and to meet State of Ohio learning standards.

This information should assist school personnel to understand the regulatory requirements under which each service must be provided and to assist in the determination of which of these special education services might be most appropriate for an individual student. Questions regarding the continuum can be directed to the Director of Special Education at (614) 501-1020.

About the Continuum in RCS

Placement decisions are based on team decisions, model in district, student data from their Evaluation Team Report (ETR), Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and/or Functional Behavior Assessment. Additionally, students can move within the continuum based on need or ability. Students can also be served additionally with support of Related Services at any place in the continuum.

Listed from the least restrictive environment to the most restrictive:

Consultative Services

Services Provided by a General Intervention Specialist

Foundations ELA or Math (Grades 6-12 Only)

Cross Categorical Learning Center

Served by a teacher who is an expert in reading and math as well as social skills training, taught using the regular content standards, there is a focus on social aptitude and functional life skills. These students are included in specials/electives, Science and Social Studies, group SEL, and of course lunch and recess as well as school-wide events. This includes morning meeting/home room. In grades 6-12, students who excel here, and are ready for the next step, can potentially be placed in Foundations ELA or Math.

Behavior Intensive Learning Center

Served by a teacher who is an expert in behavior and working with challenging students. This includes collaboration with behavior specialists, BCBA’s, social workers and counselors. These students are included in specials/electives, all Core Classes, group SEL, and of course lunch and recess as well as school wide events. This includes morning meeting/home room. In grades 6-12, students who excel here, and are ready for the next step, can potentially be placed in Foundations ELA or Math. Students served in this type of classroom often struggle with behavioral issues, emotional regulation issues, and mental health. As such, the BILC teacher works to facilitate regulation and then re-entry to the general education classroom from their access to the BILC.

Multiple Disability Learning Center

Served by a teacher who is an expert in teaching the fundamentals of all core content as well as social skills training, taught using the regular content or the extended (students must qualify for Alternate Assessment to be taught using modified standards. There is a focus on social aptitude and functional life skills. These students are included in specials/electives, group SEL, and of course lunch and recess as well as school wide events. This includes morning meeting/home room. In grades 6-12, students who excel here, and are ready for the next step, can potentially be serviced in the CCLC for reading and math.

Separate Facility/Outplacement

This is the most restrictive setting. This can occur in district at a specialized school (we currently do not have) or out of district at a school that is able to service the extensive needs. This too requires a Change of Placement IEP team meeting. Typically, this placement is a culmination of attempts to service at several levels of the continuum without success. These students are monitored by RCS regularly and annually a discussion is held to determine if the student is ready to return to a traditional educational setting. This is also a team decision. The goal of outplacement is to get the intensive skills training needed to be successful in order to return to a RCS campus. These students are still Raiders and are assigned to a district coordinator, school building, intervention specialist, and if needed related services. These students can graduate from both their placement and RCS.

Home Instruction & Home Bound

These students are serviced based on their IEP’s and academic plan. Instruction is provided, but not at physical school. It can be virtual and/or off site at the library, at home, or at a district office. These students can receive various levels of support from related services.

Home Instruction

Not long term, based on medical or other approved need. Documentation is required as well as change of placement IEP meeting. There is a transition meeting held as the child transitions back to traditional school settings.

Home Bound

This is long term, based on medical or other approved need. Documentation is required as well as change of placement IEP meeting. These students require such specialized or extensive services that they cannot be served in a traditional educational setting.

Students Served

If parents suspect their child has a disability, they should contact their school principal for more information. Reynoldsburg provides special education in the following categories:

A. Preschool Age Children (Ages 3-5)

B. School Aged (Ages 6-21) students with identified disability conditions

Autism
Intellectual Disability (formerly known as Cognitive Delay/Mental Retardation)
Developmental Disability
Emotional Disturbance (formerly known as Severe Emotional Disturbance/Severe Behavior Handicap)
Hearing Impairment
Learning Disability (formerly known as Specific Learning Disability)
Multiple Disabilities
Other Health Impairment - Major and Minor
Orthopedic Impairment
Speech Language Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Visual Impairment
Deaf/Blind

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