Special Education
Every child can learn, but not all in the same way. The pathway in pursuit of excellence and educational fulfillment looks different for everyone. Our Special Education Department is here to guide students who travel a unique path and help them and their families navigate the twists, turns, and pauses that happen along the journey.
We Enable Students
Decatur County Community Schools enable each student access to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) with all supports and services necessary in the least restrictive environment (LRE). No matter the disability, children in our special education programs receive the tools they need, which will allow them to succeed in the classroom.
Special Services & Learner Support
We offer services and support for preschoolers through the twelfth grade, and in some cases, up to age 22. We build a customized support plan for each learner grounded by the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Services may range from assistance in the general education classroom to direct instruction in a special education setting.
Special Education Responsibilities
School and Special Education Services staff must work collaboratively to assure consistency and quality of special education and related services within the school and across Decatur County Community Schools.
The role of Special Education Services in the school-based model is to:
- Assure that all students are included in higher standards and mandated assessments
- Provide technical assistance and staff development opportunities for all staff
- Monitor to ensure the implementation of the procedures established by Special Education Services, in accordance with all federal, state, and local mandates
The role of the school staff shall be to:
- Provide appropriate special education services for students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment, through implementation of the student’s IEP, including accommodations/modifications
- Deliver instruction and support services consistent with the procedures established by Special Education Services
- Monitor the quality of ongoing services within the school
- Seek technical assistance for program improvement
- Provide input to program design, including the development of the IEP, and policy development.
Child Find
Child Find is a component of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA ’04) that requires a school district to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities from birth through age 21 who are located within their geographical boundaries and in need of early intervention or special education services.
Accessible Educational Materials
Decatur County Community Schools commits to ensuring that our educational materials and websites are accessible, equitable, and usable to everyone. Accessibility is a core component of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and the UDL guidelines reference this throughout.
We strive to follow best practices based on federal requirements outlined in Section 508, the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards authorized by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, as well as recommendations of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
If you encounter a problem accessing materials, information, or technologies at Decatur County Community Schools or would like to provide feedback, please get in touch with us by calling 812-663-4595 or via email.
