Special Programs & 504

Special Education Overview

North Santiam School District offers a wide range of special education services designed to meet individual student needs. Services are provided by teachers qualified to teach in the area of disability or by general education teachers in consultation with the specialist.

Each school in the district offers a variety of programs to support students who are on Individual Education Plans. Some programs and services are provided in partnership with Willamette Education Service District Regional Programs and Services.

Special Education Sevice Delivery Options

K-12 Resource Classrooms
The Resource Room provides instruction with core academic and supplemental curriculum. The model is designed to provide as much, or as little, as the students need in the way of special education services. Instruction is focused on Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals, which support progress toward competence in grade level curriculum in the least restrictive environment. Skills are developed in conjunction with the homeroom teacher through:

Pull-out support in small group special education settings
Instruction in general education class settings with support and/or consultation
Push-in support in smal group classroom settings

K-12 Life Skills Program
The K-12 Life Skills class is a specialized program that provides services to students whose Individual Education Plan (IEP) demonstrates a need for cognitive, communication, socialization, motor skills, and life skills development. These programs are housed at Stayton Elementary, Sublimity Elementary and Stayton High School.  Skills are developed with significant adult support through individualized instruction and strategies such as:

• Functional or modified core academic support and curriculum
• Visual systems for classroom support, work completion and communication
• Functional daily routines- assisting in eating, toileting and hygiene
• Reduced instructional pace
• Social skills development
• Motor skill developmentPre-vocational skill development
• Positive Behavior Supports- physically able to implement plans with a need for OIS physical interventions

K-8 Structured Learning Program
The Structure Learner Program classrooms are specialized programs that provides services to students whose Individual Education Plan (IEP) demonstrates a need for significant behavioral support, as well as, communication, social skills development, and academic services. The following instruction, strategies and support are incorporated in a small, structured group setting with moderate adult support:

• Individualized core and modified academic support
• Visual systems for work completion, communication and organization
• Social skills coaching and modeling
• Positive Behavior Supports
• Collaborative problem solving
• Individualized behavior support plans- physically able to implement plans with a need for OIS physical interventions
• Access to school-based counselors

Section 504 Rehabilitation Act

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal civil rights statute which provides that:“No otherwise qualified individual with disabilities in the United States…shall solely by reason of his/her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination
under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance” Although Section 504 protects all individuals with disabilities – students, staff, parents and the public – this publication addresses Section 504 as it affects students in public schools. Since all public school districts receive federal funds, all public school districts (and public charter schools) must comply with Section 504. 

The Oregon Department of Education published previous versions of Student Access in 1990 and 2001. In 2008, Congress amended the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADAA), which resulted in changes to aspects of Section 504, particularly the determination of who is considered “disabled” under Section 504. This version of Student Access incorporates the ADAA as well as recent ADA regulations. The manual below also includes guidance on responding to service animal requests in schools, supporting students with the most intense health care needs, and what to do when parents revoke
consent for special education and request 504 accommodations instead. The manual also includes sections on graduation issues and discipline of students with disabilities under Section 504.