Office of Pupil Personnel Services

Continuum of Programs and Services

The following programs and services represent the continuum ranging from the least restrictive to the most restrictive programs provided to students who attend the Westbury School District, offered in-district and also outside of the district.
 

Consultant Teacher Services

The Consultant Teacher provides academic support for students with disabilities who are in general education classes. The Consultant Teacher is a special educator who may provide direct services to the student or indirect services to the general education classroom teacher. The Consultant Teacher may work with an individual student or in a small group. Also, the Consultant Teacher can work with the general education teacher to modify the curriculum to better meet the needs of the identified student(s). Students receive Consultant Teacher Services for at least two hours per week.
 

Resource Room

The Resource Room teacher is a special educator who provides specialized supplementary instruction to assist students with disabilities to benefit from a general education program. Instruction through the Resource Room must be provided for a minimum of three hours per week. Instructional groups in the Resource Room cannot be larger than five students and are composed of students with similar academic, social, physical and management needs.
 

Integrated Classes

During the 1998-99 School Year, the District initiated an Integrated Program to reduce the number of students with special needs who heretofore would have been in a self-contained class. The Integrated Class is composed of approximately 20 students (14 general education students and 6 special education students.) The special education students are totally integrated into the general education class. The general education teacher is supported by a full-time teacher aide or teacher assistant and a part-time special education teacher who spends approximately 50% of his/her instructional day in two general education classes. The special education teacher has a caseload of twelve students. The role of the integrated special education teacher is to help the student to be successful within the general classroom environment both academically and socially. The special education teacher is an integral part of the classroom environment. Team teaching/co-teaching, as well as cooperative group instruction, is strongly encouraged. Both general education students and special education students benefit from the Integrated Classroom environment.
 

Special Class Program (Self-contained)

A Special Class Program (Self-Contained) provides specialized primary instruction on a daily basis. Students are grouped together for special class instruction based on the similarity of their needs. They may have the same educational disability or differing disabilities but their individual instructional needs should be similar. Grouping by needs is based on levels of academic or educational achievement, learning rate, physical development, social development and the management needs of the students in the classroom.
 

BOCES Special Class or School

Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) provide a variety of occupational, academic and special educational programs and services. Local public schools may contract with BOCES to provide programs or services not offered in the local school district. BOCES Special Class Programs may be located in a local public school district. Also, BOCES offers Special School Programs in separate sites.
 

Approved Day School

Some students with disabilities cannot be adequately served in a regular public school and, therefore, must be provided a program within an Approved Special Day School. School districts may place these students in Special Day Schools approved by the State Education Department that meet the student's specific needs.
 

Approved Residential School

If a student's disabilities are such that he/she cannot be adequately served in regular public schools or special day schools, a residential facility may be considered. School districts may place these students in Special Residential Schools, Special Act Schools, or Children's Residential Project Programs approved by the State Education Department that meet the student's specific needs. These schools may be located instate or out-of-state and have a residential component to supplement the education program.
 

Home or Hospital Instruction

Some students with disabilities need temporary instruction at home or in a hospital setting due to severe illness or extreme special circumstances. Instruction must be for a minimum of five hours per week at the elementary level and ten hours per week at the secondary level. The instructional program provided, as with any student with a disability, should be appropriate for the student's needs and reviewed as necessary. Because Home and Hospital Instruction is highly restrictive, the continuing need for such services should be assessed frequently.
 

Transitional Support Services

Transitional Support Services are temporary services, specified in a student's Individualized Education Program, provided to a regular or special education teacher to aid in the provision of appropriate services to a student with a disability transferring to a regular program or to a program or service in a less restrictive environment. Transitional Services could be consultation and/or training provided to staff who work with students with disabilities as they move from one special education program into a less restrictive program. Although Transitional Support Services are provided to the student's teacher, the benefit extends to the student.
 

Declassification Support Services

Declassification Support Services are services provided to students and their teachers to assist the student when they are ready to move from special education programs and services to full-time regular education. The services that may be offered to the student include psychological services, social work services, non-career counseling, and other appropriate support services. In addition, services may be provided to the student's teachers in regular education in order to assist the student. These services may be offered up to a year after the student is declassified.
 

Related Services

Related Services are provided in conjunction with academic classes to assist students with disabilities in their total education program. Related Services include Speech Therapy, Audiology, Psychological Services, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Counseling Services, Social Work Services, Rehabilitation Counseling Services and other support services. Related Services may be offered individually or in small groups to assist the students to benefit from their general education program.
 

Section 504 Services

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is a Civil Rights Stature protecting individuals with disabilities from discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal funds.

Any person with a physical/mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities (self care, manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, learning/working) who has a record of such an impairment or is regarded as having such an impairment, may be eligible for reasonable accommodations under the stature.

Each school in the District has a 504 Committee who has the responsibility of identifying students for eligibility. Following the appropriate evaluation of the students, appropriate accommodations are made to assist the student to be successful within the general education environment.

For further information regarding 504 Services, please contact the Office of Pupil Personnel Services at (516) 876-5119.
 

Other Pupil Personnel Services

Registration

  • All Foreign Born Students
  • Special Education Students (CPSE and CSE)
  • Foster Care Students
  • Homeless Students
  • GED Students
  • ESL Students
  • Private Transportation Students

Screening

The Westbury School District is engaged in a three-step screening program. Screening is an evaluation process to determine a child's educational needs.

  1. New Entrant Screening
    Each building has a screening team and a coordinator. A new entrant student is evaluated for possible referral for:
    - High Academic Achievement
    - Special Education
    - Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
    - Remedial Services
     
  2. Kindergarten Screening
    Includes a health examination, a record of immunizations and the following: - Receptive Language Ability
    - Expressive Language Ability
    - Motor Development (Fine and Gross)
    - Articulation Skills
    - Cognitive Development
     
  3. Post Screening Evaluations
    - Health Services: Available in each building
    - Guidance Services: Available at elementary, Middle School and High School level
    - Social Work Services: Available at Pre-K, Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2, Middle School and High School levels
    - Occupational Therapy: Available in each building
    - Physical Therapy: Available in each building
    - Speech Therapy: Available in each building
    - Psychological Services: Available in each building
    - Drug and Alcohol Prevention: Middle School and High School levels
    - Psychiatric Consultations/Evaluations
    - Bilingual Psychological Services
    - Teenage Pregnancy Program
    - Home Instruction
    - Districtwide Testing
    - Districtwide Attendance
    - Hepatitis B Immunization Program: For staff and faculty
    - Staff Development
    - SEPTA (Special Education PTA): Provides programs, resources and training for families with children with special needs
    - Medicaid in Education Program

 

Supporting students' academic, social and moral growth