The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEIA) of 2004 continues to focus on having high expectations for students with disabilities, requiring their participation in state and local assessments and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum to the maximum extent possible.  As a result, Finneytown’s special education teachers and related services providers work with students in the regular education classroom, whenever appropriate.  Removal of students with disabilities from the regular education environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.  Regular education staff is very involved in the education of students with disabilities, including participation in the development of IEPs (Individual Education Programs) and involvement in decisions regarding the student’s participation in classes and activities with nondisabled students.

 

    Students become eligible for special education services as a result of a multifactored evaluation (MFE).  The evaluation team includes the parent, school psychologist, classroom teacher(s) and others as needed, including the speech/language pathologist, school counselor, occupational and physical therapists, work-study coordinator, educational audiologist and specialists for students with visual or hearing impairments.  The team conducts individual evaluations and meets as a group to determine eligibility for identification as educationally disabled.

 

    The model of service delivery that has been adopted by Finneytown schools is very inclusive.  At the secondary level, instruction is provided in a cross-categorical manner and classes can be taught solely by special education teachers (i.e., intervention classes) or in a team-teaching model in collaboration with regular education teaching personnel (i.e., assist classes).  Intervention classes are provided for those students who function at a lower grade level than their peers and need significant modifications to the regular curriculum.  Assist classes are provided for those students who are able to benefit from the regular curriculum at their grade level with some accommodations.  All students continue to receive instruction from regular education teachers for the remainder of their classes.  Resource room classes are provided for those students who need assistance with organizational/study skills or who need additional support for their regular education classes.

 

    At the elementary level, students with disabilities are taught by special education teachers in resource room settings, as needed.  The special education teachers are also able to collaborate and/or team teach with regular education teaching personnel.  Some students with disabilities receive supplementary aids and services (e.g., teacher assistants) to support their inclusion in the regular education program.

 

For the past several years, a classroom has been in operation at the secondary level for students with emotional disturbance (ED).  As a result, out-of-district placements for such students have decreased.  The need to offer such a program for students at the elementary level has not been established.  ED students at the elementary level are either served in a cross-categorical special education classroom in the district or in out-of-district placements.

 

    Children with preschool disabilities are served by the Finneytown Early Childhood Center at its Winton Road location and also at the Whitaker Early Childhood Center.  The programs are operated in conjunction with the Hamilton County Educational Service Center.  The Winton Road location serves preschool children with disabilities as well as  typically developing preschool children whose parents pay for their enrollment in the program.  The Whitaker Early Childhood Center serves preschool children with disabilities with more intensive needs who need a smaller teacher to student ratio.  Typically developing preschool children are not enrolled at this location.  The classes at the Whitaker Early Childhood Center include preschool children with disabilities from Finneytown and from several other small school districts within Hamilton County.

 

    A small number of students with disabilities are also served in regional programs located outside of the district (e.g., students served by the Hamilton County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities).  In compliance with the concept of least restrictive environment, those IEP teams determined that education within district programs, even with the use of supplementary aids and services, could not be achieved satisfactorily.

 

    Speech/language pathologists (1 full-time and 3 part-time) serve students with communication difficulties at all schools within the district.  The district also has two full-time school psychologists.  Other related services providers (i.e., occupational and physical therapists, a work-study coordinator, an instructor for orientation and mobility and supplemental services teachers for the visually and hearing impaired) are provided on a contracted basis.

 

 

 

 

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