Special Education

The Special Education Department at Salmon River Central School District is committed to providing high quality special education and support services for our students and their families. The department includes teaching staff and paraprofessionals, including teaching assistants and classroom aides.

Program Principles

The Salmon River Central School District is committed to the following principles for special education services and programs. As a special education provider, you can help support these principles in your work with our students and staff:

1. We provide special education services that meet the individual needs of the child. Instruction is developmentally appropriate and support the student’s development of critical skills to support access to the school programs. These services are planned in collaboration with all the child-serving systems involved in the child’s life and are provided in a supportive learning environment.
2. We recognize the child’s family is the primary support system for the child and welcome their participation in all stages of the decision-making and planning process. Our focus is to promote collaboration with the family in developing and recommending supports and services for students with disabilities.
3. We recognize and respect the behavior, ideas, attitudes, values, beliefs, customs, language, rituals, ceremonies and practices characteristic of the child’s and family’s ethnic group.
4. We will bring special education expertise, supports and services to the student in the general education learning environment to the greatest extent possible, to support learning opportunities in the least restrictive environment appropriate to meet the student’s unique learning needs.
5. All special education instruction will be aligned to the New York State learning standards.
6. Student performance data will be used to inform and improve instruction and will be considered in developing recommendations for services, supports and programming.
7. Related services provided to special education students will be educationally relevant, evidence­ based and will support the student’s learning. These services will be provided to the student in a manner that is least disruptive to the child’s learning and takes into consideration their unique learning and support needs and principles of least restrictive environment. Special education is a service not a placement.

Special Education Services Notice

Chapter 434 of the Laws of 2014 amended Education Law § 4402 effective July 1, 2015 to require public schools to notify every parent of their rights regarding referral and evaluation of their child for purposes of special education services or programs upon their child’s enrollment or attendance in a public school. This notification must be provided to parents of all students in the district—not just parents of students with disabilities.

The District provides special education services and programs to students with disabilities pursuant to applicable federal and state laws. Any parent or person in parental relation who suspects that his/her child has a disability may refer the child for an evaluation by the District’s Committee on Special Education (CSE) for eligibility for special education services and programs. Parents or persons in parental relation should contact the District’s CSE Chairperson.

More detailed information on this process is available on the New York State Education Department website.