Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) The I&RS Team meets monthly. Members include the principal, classroom teacher, special education teacher, basic skills teacher and counselor with other related service providers invited as needed. Students can access many general education interventions. Strategies with measurable goals are developed to help students with academic, behavioral or social difficulties. Parents are invited to participate in the process and the classroom teacher keeps them updated on progress. Students are either exited from the I&RS Process if goals are met or, if they are not making progress with general education interventions, a referral can be made to the Child Study Team for an evaluation.

General Education Interventions Consultation services are always available to general education teachers from CST or related service providers. Academic interventions include Basic Skills support for language arts and/or math; ESL support; specialized intervention programs such as RAZ kids or Number Worlds; Academic After School. Social/Behavioral interventions can include counseling, classwide contingency plans, development of individual behavior contracts, high school mentors, Big Brother/Big Sister.

Child Study Team (CST) Members of the Child Study Team include a school psychologist, a learning consultant and a social worker. Each building has a case manager from the CST who is responsible for evaluating students, determining eligibility and making sure that Individual Education Plans are implemented. This process is all established by specific legal guidelines. After a referral from the I&RS Team or from a parent, the CST will meet with parents and teachers at an Evaluation Plan meeting to discuss what if any assessments are needed. After assessments are completed, there will be an Eligibility meeting including CST, teachers and parents to determine if a student meets criteria to be eligible for special education. The state has 14 categories of eligibility. The categories that we tend to see most often are Autism, Communication Impaired, Emotionally Disturbed, Other Health Impaired, and Specific Learning Disability.

If Eligibility is agreed upon, the next step is to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP). An IEP outlines specific goals for special education and related services as needed. It also provides accommodations and modifications that a student might need to be successful in a general education setting. A wide range of special education services are considered with the goal of having the student in the least restrictive setting where they can be successful. The IEP establishes goals specific to the student’s needs. Accommodations and modifications that the student needs to access the general education curriculum are included. Each student’s IEP is reviewed at least once a year at an Annual Review meeting. Every three years there is a reevaluation planning meeting where the IEP team meets to discuss if further assessments are needed to determine continued eligibility or to help to provide an appropriate program.

I&RS Team Members Josephine Noone, Principal, Co-Chair Pam Marmora, Special Ed. Teacher, Co-Chair Liz Ferraiolo, Basic Skills Maria Galvin, Basic Skills Mercy Ferrer, Grade 3 Jennifer Weber, Grade 4 Stephanie Little, Grade 5

CST Members Donna Sjovall, School Psychologist Deborah Weston, Learning Disabilities Teacher/Consultant

Related Service Providers Mary Ellen DiCataldo, School Counselor Jean Beeck, Speech/Language Specialist Melinda Laureano, Occupational Therapist Elizabeth Biondo, Physical Therapist Christine Ruberto, Teacher of the Deaf Meghan Casperson, Behavioral Consultant Jeff Crane, Assistive Technology