PUPIL SERVICES

LONGMEADOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 535 BLISS ROAD | LONGMEADOW, MA 01106 | P 413-565-4200 | F 413-565-4215

Dear Longmeadow Community,

Hello to all families who may be accessing or who have questions about special education services. For those of you who know me already and folks I have not met, it is a great honor to be able to lead this department as it continues to provide excellent services and supports to students with disabilities. Our special education Parent Advisory Council, would like all parents to take note that a new web-site has been set up for Special Education Alliance of Longmeadow (S.E.A.L) at www.sealma.org. S.E.A.L. has been very active this year bringing great ideas and speakers to Longmeadow.

LLD Language Learning Disabilities Program

ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL

The LLD program is a language-based program that operates as a partial inclusion classroom. It serves students in grades two through eight. The students spend part of their day in the general education classroom and attend all related art and specials such as Art, PE, Music Health and Computers. They also attend recess, lunch and Advisory with their same aged peers. Students can receive direct instruction in the LLD classroom for ELA, math, language, re-teaching and reinforcement as directed by their IEP.

LLC Longmeadow Learning Center

The LLC Longmeadow Learning Center program began at the elementary level in 2008 and moved to the middle school in 2010. The program was established again at the elementary level in 2011. The LLC is a district program for students from all three elementary schools and both middle schools. The elementary program is housed at Center School and the middle school program is housed at Glenbrook Middle School.

Students in the program have primary diagnoses of communication impairment, neurological impairment or intellectual impairment and have difficulty mastering content at the same rate as their non-disabled peers.

PALSS Program Program for Academic, Language and Social Support

This program is an inclusion program. It is designed to support students who experience social, emotional and/or behavioral challenges in the school setting. The program is staff intensive, to include a special education teacher, paraprofessionals, and a BCBA consult. The SLP and SAC also support the program with counseling and social skills coaching and teaching.

LINC Longmeadow Integrated Network for Children

The LINC Program is a comprehensive, integrated program for students whose primary diagnosis is autism. The program is designed to provide best practices and data driven methodology for teaching, language development, social skills and behavior. It is an inclusion model, offering all students opportunities to learn and socialize with typical peers. Students’ programs are individualized to provide the maximum benefit for growth based on each child’s abilities and needs.

Students participating in this program;

• Cannot effectively access the general curriculum

• Cannot socially access peers without adult facilitation

• Tend to have behavioral needs to include lack of flexibility, adaptability

• A BIP in order to effectively navigate the school environment

Home Education

File: IHBG

Home Schooling

The Superintendent must certify that a Home Schooling program meets the minimum standards established for public schools in the Commonwealth prior to approving such a program.

When a parent or guardian of a student below the age of 16 wants to establish a home-based educational program for his/her child, the following procedures shall be followed in accordance with the law:

Prior to removing the child from public school:

The parent/guardian must submit written notification to the Superintendent of the parent’s/guardian’s intent to establish a home-based educational program. The notice must be provided as early as possible, but no fewer than 21 calendar days, before the program is established. The notification must be resubmitted on an annual basis as long as the parent/guardian seeks to continue to educate the child in a home-based environment.

The parent/guardian must certify in writing, on a form provided by the District, the name, age, place of residence, and number of hours of attendance per academic year of each child in the program and must submit a proposed curriculum for each child in the program.

The Superintendent, in deciding whether or not to approve a proposed home education program, may consider the following factors:

1. The proposed curriculum and the number of hours of instruction in each of the proposed subjects.

2. The competency of the individual(s) designated to teach the child/children.

3. The textbooks, workbooks and other instructional aides to be used by the child/children and the lesson plans and teaching manuals to be used by the individual(s) designated to teach the child/children.

4. Periodic standardized testing of the child/children to ensure educational progress and the attainment of minimum standards.

A home-based educational program must be approved by the Superintendent before a parent/guardian may remove the child from the District. To obtain the Superintendent’s approval of a proposed educational program, the parent/guardian must demonstrate that the home-based educational program proposal meets the requirements of G.L. c. 76, § 1 by providing instruction that is equal in thoroughness, efficiency, and progress to the education provided in the District. The Superintendent may designate the Director of Pupil Services to review the proposed plan and make a recommendation as to whether the proposed plan should be approved. Parents/guardians shall have an opportunity to explain their proposed plan to the Superintendent or designee, including presenting witnesses on their behalf.

Any approval or rejection by the Superintendent of an application to establish a home-based educational program is subject to review by the School Committee.

A rejection by the Superintendent shall detail the reasons for such rejection and provide an opportunity for the parents/guardians to revise their proposal to remedy inadequacies.

A student being educated in a home-based program within the District may have access to public school activities of either a curricular or extracurricular nature upon approval of the Superintendent.

A parent/guardian in charge of home instruction should make provision for regular testing or the use of other indicators of student progress such as standardized achievement tests, periodic progress reports, or dated work samples.

Within thirty (30) calendar days of the ending date of the home instruction year, as indicated on the home instruction application form, the parent/guardian shall submit a completed home instruction summary form to the Superintendent. This summary form must be returned to the School District office before annual approval of home instruction can be made for any succeeding year. The home instruction summary form must include either a summary of home testing results for each required subject for each child or a summary of the alternate indicators of student progress for each required subject for each child.

The Superintendent will act in a responsible, cooperative manner to ensure that all students, including children in home education programs, in the School District receive competent, adequate instruction. If the Superintendent determines that a home instruction situation is inadequate, a conference between the parent/guardian and the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee will be scheduled to find mutually acceptable ways to correct any deficiency. If deficiencies in a home education situation are not corrected or the proper annual application or summary is not completed by the parents or legal guardian, an appropriate referral will be made.

LEGAL REFS.: M.G.L. 69:1D; 76:1, Care and Protection of Charles, 399 Mass. 324 (1987)

Approved 5-9-2018

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