• Special Education Services

    All Wake County Public School System middle schools provide additional services for students with disabilities who meet state criteria for Special Education Services. Students who are suspected of having a disability are referred by their parents or by school personnel for screening and evaluation. Following the evaluation, an IEP team, to include the parents, determines whether the student is eligible. Every eligible student has an Individualized Educational Program (IEP), which identifies the student’s strengths and weaknesses and sets annual goals and/or shortterm objectives or benchmarks. The IEP also identifies the appropriate services and least restrictive placement which are required to meet the individual needs of the student. Wake County Public School System provides services for students according to the following continuum of alternative placements:

    1. Regular – 80% or more of the day with non-disabled peers

    2. Resource – 40% - 79% of the day with non-disabled peers

    3. Separate – 39% or less of the day with non-disabled peers

    4. Separate School

    5. Residential Facility

    6. Home/Hospital

     

    Extended Content Standards

    Students served in Extended Content Standards (ECS) classrooms benefit from a highly structured learning environment. Instruction has an emphasis on individual communication and social skills. ECS regional programs respond to the needs of students who require visual and physical support and a consistent, predictable daily routine. Teachers utilize a variety of teaching methods in order for students to demonstrate their knowledge to make progress towards the NC Extended Content Standards and their Individualized Education Program. ECS classrooms are designed to serve students at their secondary base or proximity elementary school. The ECS classrooms provide the opportunity for students to be more engaged with their school community.
     
    Specially designed instruction in the ECS classroom looks like the following:
    ● Instruction based on grade level extensions of the Common Core Standards, a narrower range of content 
    ● Communication and Social Skills instruction integrated throughout the day 
    ● Instruction has academic and functional components 
    ● Classroom includes centers, individual and work group areas 
    ● Instruction is both large and small group 
    ● Vocational training available at the High School level Students receive a certificate upon graduation (not a high school diploma)

     

    Literacy Essentials

    This is a yearlong Core Class.  The Literacy Essentials course is designed to intensively, explicitly, and systematically teach vocabulary, comprehension, and basic writing skills to a small population of students, with reading levels significantly below grade level, and who are unable to access the general education curriculum, even with specialized support. The use of scaffolded instruction as well as supplemental and alternate texts and materials enable students to access standards while addressing the literacy needs documented within the IEP.

     

    Math Essentials

    This yearlong Core Class This course focuses on explicit and systematic instruction in basic number sense and appropriate developmental math learning trajectories. It is designed for a small population of students with emerging numeracy skills who are unable to access abstract concepts presented in general education math, including ICR math. Students in this course typically require explicit and systematic specialized math instruction and concrete support of developmental math skills to access grade level math standards. A focus on assessment, progress monitoring, and targeted instruction encourages the expected student behaviors associated with gaining math skills as identified by the standards of mathematical practice.

     

    Curriculum Assistance

    This yearlong Elective course provides specially designed instruction for students with disabilities who are enrolled in regular education classes. The four main components of CA are collaboration/communication between teacher, parent, and student, literacy and math specialized instruction/remediation, and study skills instruction. The focus for each student’s instruction is based on their individualized needs as outlined within their IEP. Study skills instruction can be utilized to teach students how to prioritize, organize, take notes, take tests, proofread, follow directions, and use reference materials. Literacy and Math skills are taught utilizing specially designed instruction to target the goals identified within the students’ IEP goals.

     

    Social Skills Essentials

    This yearlong Elective course is designed for concrete learners who need more foundational instruction in managing their behavior. Specialized instruction includes a focus on, but is not limited to, personal emotional knowledge, interpersonal relationships, conversational skills, and coping strategies.

     

    Behavior/Autism Support

    The Behavior/Autism Support Program is designed for students with significant behavioral concerns as documented by the IEP, including the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). The Behavior Support Teacher (BST) or Autism Support Teacher (AST) provides specially designed instruction and documented behavioral monitoring for these students throughout the day in order to facilitate access in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). This daily support may include Social Skills Instruction, Replacement Behavior Instruction, Crisis Intervention, Safe Space or Chill Out, Escort, Short-term Stabilization, Re-integration, and general case management. Through collaboration with subject area teachers, administrators, parents as well as other involved persons/agencies, the BST/AST teaches students to self-monitor their academic and behavioral performance; thereby, building capacity for student self-management.