Special Education

Special Education at John Hay

The Special Education department at John Hay Elementary has long been considered one of the very best in the district. Our experienced staff works collaboratively with school and district leaders, teachers, students, and families to provide the tools, guidance, supports, and services needed to ensure access and success for students with disabilities.

At John Hay, we have a Continuum program of services. We are able to offer a range of supports and environments for students to learn. This flexible approach allows our team of teachers to share skills and resources, and create opportunities that only a team-based delivery can provide. Rarely are a student’s needs a perfect fit in one instructional specialty, and these needs flex and change over time. The Continuum approach allows us to serve students throughout the program that best fits their academic or behavioral needs.

Descriptions of Service Models

Resource: 1 Teacher – 22 Students
Provides specially designed instruction to students with mild to moderate intensity in their special education instructional needs.

Access: 1 Teacher & 3 IA’s – 10 Students
Provides instruction to students with academic functional needs who spend most of their instructional time in the general education setting, able to access grade-level curriculum with targeted supports.

Focus: 1 Teacher & 2 IA’s – 10 Students
Provides instruction to students with more intensive academic needs. The student needs are such that instruction will be delivered in a small group setting and at a different pace or level than the general education setting.

Service Location

Together, the IEP team will select the primary placement that best aligns with the student’s IEP needs for the upcoming year. While placement defines the case manager for each student, it does not limit the supports to one specific program. The student will receive services throughout the continuum that best support the IEP goals.

Communication Only

Our Speech-Language Pathologist provides services to students who require communication only services, such as articulation, fluency, or language. (SLP also provides specially designed instruction and related services for students in other programs.)