Special Services
Special Education/504
About the TUHSD Department of Special Services
The District maintains special support services for students who have a documented need, including English Language Development (ELD) Services and Title I Intervention/Support services.
Services:
Special Education services and program needs are determined through a legally required process called an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan). These decisions are made based on individual student need and are agreed upon by teams of individuals who know the student and are familiar with the continuum of services available in the district. The team always includes the student's parent/guardian, and takes into consideration the recommendations of all team members.
The Continuum of Services available include, but are not limited to:
- 504 Accommodations, (Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act)
- Speech/Language Therapy Services
- Nursing Support Services
- Designated Instructional Support (DIS)
- Psychological Services
- The Learning Center (On-Site Instructional Support Location available to students throughout the school day)
- Learning Center After-School (Support Staff available to assist students each day after school for one hour)
- Collaborative Core Instruction (Classroom Teams, including general education and special education teachers)
- Modified Core Instruction (Diploma-Based Curriculum modified to meet student's individualized needs)
- Social/Academic Independent Living Skills (SAILS) Program (Modified Core in a self-contained classroom)
- Severely Handicapped (SH) Program (Functional Living Skills {Not diploma-based} in a self-contained classroom)
- Several other highly specialized programs may be available, as determined necessary by the IEP teams and by special agreement/arrangement with nearby school districts.
Special Education Goal:
"To ensure that all individuals with exceptional needs, ages birth through 21 years, are appropriately identified, assessed, and provided free and appropriate public education programs and services designed to meet their unique needs." Two services available to help us reach this goal:
1. The Student Assistance Team(SAT):
The SAT regularly meets to address student's needs/concerns and to take action to help or prevent further difficulties within those areas. sometimes, if it is felt the student's difficulties may be due to the existence of a special education handicapping condition, the SAT forwards a referral for multidisciplinary team assessment by the IEP team to make that determination. If you feel a student may possess a special handicap and /or wish to make a referral for special education consideration, please forward the concern to the SAT. For further information, contact the SAT Coordinator Jana Durkan email or Chelle Koerner email.
2. KCSOS Search & Serve Office in Bakersfield:
There are many handicapped children (birth to 21 years) who need free educational and therapeutic services available from Kern County school districts. We need your help to find these children! The Search & Serve Office in Bakersfield can identify handicaps and refer you to the appropriate educational facility. If you know of a child who has one or more handicaps (or you suspect they have) please let them know. For more information, call Elizabeth Pereyra at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office: 661.636.4817 /elpereyra@kern.org or the Taft Union High School District Director of Special Services: 661.763.2355.
Coordinated Compliance Review (CCR)/ Quality Assurance Process (QAP):
The TUHSD, like every other district in Kern County, is periodically reviewed by the California State Department of Education as part of the triannual CCR/QAP review process. We welcome this evaluation because we make all efforts to provide the very best services for our students. Due to State budgetary concerns CCR has been delayed indefinitely and the QAP has been replaced by the SESR (see below).
TUHSD, along with all Kern County Public Schools is currently undergoing a Special Education Self Review process (SESR). Parent input is being collected and data/findings will be available by request in February 2009.