BPS Parent's Guide to Special Education
What is the Consultant Teacher model?
At West Buffalo Charter School we use the Consultant Teacher model to provide Special Education services to students identified as having a disability in the area of ELA (Reading and Writing) and/or Mathematics.
Consultant teacher services support students with disabilities who are enrolled in general education classes. The intent of consultant teacher services is to provide direct and/or indirect instructional support to students and their teachers which does not require removing the student from the general education classroom.
A Consultant Teacher:
- Provides academic services to students with disabilities in his/her general education classroom.
- Collaborates and co-teaches with the classroom teacher and teacher assistant/aide.
- Communicates with parents and families.
- Plans and implements the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
- Documents student progress according to their IEP Goals. For example, “Student will identify all 26 letters of the alphabet during three out of five trials over one month using recorded observations every two weeks.”
- Attends all Committee on Special Education (CSE) meetings annually to reflect upon and update the student’s IEP.
- Meets once every three years with CSE for a complete reevaluation to determine the child’s current level of need.
- Maintains and secures all files and records pertaining to Special Education.
- Works in partnership with Buffalo Public Schools, Related Service Providers (Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Physical Therapists, Hearing Teachers, and Social Workers), and Language to Literacy Specialist.
What is the Resource Room model?
In the resource room model, students go to the resource room for specialized instruction for only part of the school day. Individual needs are supported in resource rooms as defined by the student's IEP. The special education resource teacher designs instruction so that the child can learn by developing his or her abilities. The resource teacher discovers how a particular child learns best and individualizes instruction for that student.
What are SLE Classrooms?
For the 2023-2024 school year West Buffalo Charter School will offer two self-contained 8:1:1 classrooms. These classes are identified as Specialized Learning Environment (SLE) classrooms.
Classroom Highlights:
- Multi-age classroom (36 month age range)
- Certified Special Education Teacher(s) and an additional Aide
- Center-based learning
- Sensory experiences integrated into all academics
- Flexible seating
- Practical Life Skills (Pouring, Transferring, Self-Care, Baking/Cooking, Pet Care, Shopping, etc.)
- Modified curriculum based on individual student need and NYSAA standards
- Individualized curriculum based on IEP goals
- NYSAA testing
- Community outings based on thematic units and practical life skills
- Access to gross motor and fine motor equipment/tools
- SABAH
- Integration for school-wide activities/events, and field trips with grade level peers
Related Services:
- Speech Therapy - The goal of speech and language therapy is provide students with as many tools as possible to enable successful communication in all aspects of their life.
- Occupational Therapy - The goal of occupational therapy is to assist children in increasing their productivity and success in the classroom with attending and completing classroom assignments based on individualized needs.
- Physical Therapy - In physical therapy, students work on on performing gross motor skills at the level of their peers. They also work on being able to negotiate the school environment safely and efficiently.
- Psychological Counseling Services
Parent Network of WNY