• Students with disabilities participate in the general curriculum in the Lake Shore Central School District to the maximum extent possible. Students are classified by the Committee on Special Education (CSE) and a comprehensive Individual Education Plan (IEP) is developed based on the individual needs of each student. The following is a list of the available services as part of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) approach:

    Related Services

    Related services such as Speech/Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, or Counseling services are provided to students with disabilities as identified on their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Related service providers may implement services in individualized, small group, general education, or special education settings.

    Resource Room

    Special Education teachers generally provide a daily period of support to students who have been identified as Students with Disabilities through the district Committee on Special Education. Students who receive resource room services are enrolled in general education academic classes, and are provided pre-teaching and re-teaching of essential information as part of the resource room model. These students meet the same performance standards as their non-disabled peers. Students who receive resource room services at the high school are enrolled in Regents classes. Students work individually or in small groups to develop and strengthen skills in specific areas identified in their Individual Education Plan (IEP). Students participating in this program are working toward a Regents diploma or Regents diploma with distinction.

    Consultant Teacher Programs

    Special Education teachers team teach with general education teachers at each of the school buildings. Special Education teachers are working in selected academic classrooms on a daily basis. The Special Education teacher’s role in the classroom is to support and help students meet their Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals, but they also innately support the class as a whole by adding to the instructional support available to all students. In addition to consultant teacher support in the general education classroom, students may also receive one period of instructional support daily at all levels.

    Special Education teachers are also available to support students either directly or indirectly, through consultation with general education teachers, throughout the school day or when prescribed by their Individual Education Plan (IEP). Some students requiring consultant teacher support do not necessarily need direct academic intervention on a daily basis.

    Academic (1:15) and Functional (1:8+1, 1:12+1) Self-Contained Programs

    Lake Shore has developed self-contained classrooms to address either academic and behavioral, or functional needs of some of our students who have not found success in the inclusion general education setting. These programs were developed to maintain placement of our students in our buildings as opposed to looking to agency settings outside of the district. Once students find success here, many are then appropriately re-integrated into the general education classrooms with support of the staff, often in our integrated or co-taught classrooms.

    Academic Challenge Team (High School)

    This program is specific to the high school for students who may be struggling academically and who may require more support than that available through the consultant teacher model. These students are given Regents level instruction in a self-contained classroom.  Students are working towards a Regents Diploma.  Transition planning is a key component of these students’ program.  Work experience and Career and Technical Education instruction is also provided to these students to allow eligibility for a Career Development and Occupational Studies (C-DOS) credential. 

    Functional Inclusion Program

    The 12:1:1 programs are available at the middle and high school levels. These students are included in general education classes on a daily basis to the extent appropriate given individual needs. Additionally the students may participate in community-based instruction or vocational experiences outside of the school. In each setting, either inclusion or community-based, teachers and assistants work with students individually or in small groups to develop and strengthen skills in specific areas identified in the Individual Education Plan (IEP). The components of this program may focus on academic, physical, social, emotional, and/or management needs. Special Education Teachers also work on transition planning with all inclusion students. Students participating in this program are generally assessed using the New York State Alternate Assessment and are working toward a Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential.