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Debby Sharpe-Defries, Director of Special
Education
75 Watervliet Ave.
Albany, NY 12206
Phone: 475-6150
Fax: 475-6136
State reviewing special education services
The New York State Education Department's Office of Special Education
has initiated a Special Education Quality Assurance (SEQA) Programs and
Services Focused Review in the City School District of Albany. The
purpose of this review is to assess the district's compliance with
selected federal and state laws and regulations governing the education
of students with disabilities.
The review will be conducted by the SEQA Eastern Regional Office and
will include district representatives. The review process will involve a
review of school records of selected students with disabilities,
classroom visitations and interviews. In addition, meetings of the
Committee on Special Education will be observed. Further information may
be obtained by contacting the SEQA Eastern Regional Office at (518)
486-6366 and by contacting the district's Special Education Department
at (518) 475-6135.
Special education services
The City
School District of Albany is committed to making sure all students
receive a quality education that fits within the framework of their
individual needs. The Special Education Department provides specially
designed instruction, services and programs to help meet the unique
needs of students with disabilities.
The district
provides a full range of special education services including:
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Speech
and audiology
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Psychological therapy
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Physical
therapy
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Occupational therapy and counseling
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Consultant teacher services
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Resource
room services to provide supplemental instruction
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Transitional support services
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Integrated class services, full-time in-class support
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Day
treatment
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Residential program
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Home or
hospital instruction
Determining Special
Education placement
All special
education placements are determined by the Committee on Special
Education, the Subcommittee on Special Education and the Committee on
Preschool Special Education.
These
committees, in conjunction with parents and teachers, help develop
Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for each school-age or preschool-age
pupil with a disability on an annual basis.
The IEPs
include information about the unique learning needs of each student,
such as learning rate, levels of social and physical development and
the students' management needs. The document also includes annual goals
and short-term objectives in academic, social and other areas for the
student's school year. The IEP will serve as a curriculum plan of action
and a source of evaluation for the student's progress during an entire
school year.
Equal rights
All students
with disabilities are given access to school activities, which include,
but are not limited to:
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Art
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Music
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Library
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Adaptive
and regular physical education
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Career
skills
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Technology
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Conversational French and Spanish
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All
extracurricular activities
In addition,
the district conducts an annual district-wide speech screening system to
insure appropriate detection of speech impairments. Programming for
pupils with speech impairments is made available through in-district
speech programs provided by 19 speech therapists.
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