Welcome.............to
the Department of Special Education and Student Services. The
Department is committed to providing Special Education students with
learning opportunities along a continuum of services and/or programs
that offer access to, and participation in, school and community activities
commensurate with their age and educational needs. In addition,
the Department embraces the belief that all students are special -
are bursting with latent capabilities, and require something special
from their schools to fulfill their potential.
Moreover,
the Department upholds the principles of the Individuals with
Disabilities Act (IDEA) as they support the rights of students with
disabilities to have decisions regarding their individual instruction
program made through the collaboration of parents who know their child
best, and professional educators who have knowledge of instructional
practices and experience in guiding special needs students to become
productive citizens.
Furthermore, the Department strives
to insure that programs and/or services provide our special needs
students and their families are consistently of the highest quality
possible. Thus, to quote Aristotle, "Excellence is an art won
by training and habituation. We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then is not an act but a habit." Toward that end,
outstanding customer service, which is based in large part on attitude,
has been a hallmark of the Department, and as such, we take considerable
pride in the strong, collaborative, service-based relationships that
exist with our students their families, and members of the Wappingers
community.
Organizational Overview
The Department of Special
Education and Student Services is divided into four separate but interwoven
offices. The Office of Special Education provides support to
approximately 1,700 students and is administered by a Coordinator,
who in turn oversees six Assistant Coordinators and/or Team Leaders.
Team Leaders are assigned a catchment area of from two to four schools,
and within that area, are responsible for overseeing the CSE/IEP process,
and the supervision and evaluation of Special Education and Related
Services staff. Team Leaders, whose catchment areas often vary
slightly from school year to school year, operate out of area offices.
The information for these offices can be found at this link: Administration
The
Office of Student Services provides students school nursing, guidance
counseling, Enrichment, and several Early Intervention programs including
Developmental Learning Specialists (DLS), Primary Mental Health (PMHP),
K-1 Bridge Program, Sixth Grade Study Skills, and Chapter 504 services.
In addition, the Department oversees several important grants including
Title I (Focus on Reading, Writing and Math), Title IIA (Preparing,
Training and Recruiting Teachers), Title IV (Safe and Drug Free Schools),
Title V (Innovative Education Programs).
The Orchard View Alternative
High School provides services for approximately fifty non-traditional
learners. The school offers learners a full range of courses
required for high school graduation. The school simulates a
professional environment to complement a core, highly structured,
academic and counseling program. In addition, integral components
of the program include community involvement and mentoring.
The
Department's Central Office (298-5000 ext. 131) is located in Hollowbrook
Park, Building 3, is the office of the Assistant Superintendent for
Special Education and Student Services, which is responsible for directing
the offices of Special Education and Student Services including Special
Education grant management, department of technology supports, business
management and legal services. In addition, the office includes
the Parent Resource Center (298-5000 ext. 140) which provides parents
of special needs children and teachers with information (e.g., upcoming
community and/or workshops, speakers, etc) and materials (library
service), pertaining to the parenting and/or education of children
with disabilities. The Parent Resource Center is open from Monday
through Friday, 1 - 3 PM. (see the link listed on the left side
of this page)
