What rules apply for grouping students with disabilities together for purposes of instruction?
Part 200.6 defines the Continuum of Services and what to consider when grouping students with disabilities together by similarity of need to meet the individual needs of each student in order to receive educational benefit.
Students with disabilities placed together for purposes of special education (including resource room, special class, consultant teacher services, integrated co-teaching and related services groups) must be grouped by similarity of individual needs in accordance with the four need areas of:
- Academic achievement, functional performance and learning characteristics
- Social Development
- Physical Development
- Management Needs
200.6 Continuum of Services
(3) Students with disabilities placed together for purposes of special education shall be grouped by similarity of individual needs as defined in section 200.1(ww) of this Part, in accordance with the following:
(i) The range of academic or educational achievement of such students shall be limited to assure that instruction provides each student appropriate opportunities to achieve his or her annual goals. The learning characteristics of students in the group shall be sufficiently similar to assure that this range of academic or educational achievement is at least maintained.
Things to consider: Activities of daily living, level of intellectual functioning, adaptive behavior, expected rate of progress in acquiring skills and information, and learning style.
- The range of academic or educational achievement of such students must be limited to assure that instruction provides each student appropriate opportunities to achieve his or her annual goals.
- For students placed in a special class, except for a 12:1+ (3:1) special class, where the range of achievement levels in reading and mathematics exceeds three years, special notification to the CSE and parents must be provided.
- The learning characteristics of students in the group must be sufficiently similar to assure that this range of academic or educational achievement is at least maintained (i.e., no students fall behind in academic achievement because their instructional needs are not being addressed due to the range of learning characteristics of students in the class).
(ii) The social development of each student shall be considered prior to placement in any instructional group to assure that the social interaction within the group is beneficial to each student, contributes to each student’s social growth and maturity, and does not consistently interfere with the instruction being provided. The social needs of a student shall not be the sole determinant of such placement.
Things to consider: The degree and quality of the student’s relationships with peers and adults, feelings about self, and social adjustment to school and community environments.
- The social development of each student must be considered prior to placement in any instructional group to assure that the social interaction within the group is beneficial to each student, contributes to each student’s social growth and maturity, and does not consistently interfere with the instruction being provided.
- The social needs of a student cannot be the sole determinant of such placement.
(iii) The levels of physical development of such students may vary, provided that each student is provided appropriate opportunities to benefit from such instruction. Physical needs shall be considered prior to determining placement to assure access to appropriate programs. The physical needs of the student shall not be the sole basis for determining placement.
Things to consider: The degree or quality of the student’s motor and sensory development, health, vitality, and physical skills or limitations which pertain to the learning process.
- The levels of physical development of such students may vary, provided that each student is given appropriate opportunities to benefit from such instruction.
- Physical needs must be considered prior to determining placement to assure access to appropriate programs.
- The physical needs of the student cannot be the sole basis for determining placement.
(iv) The management needs of such students may vary, provided that environmental modifications, adaptations, or, human or material resources required to meet the needs of any one student in the group are provided and do not consistently detract from the opportunities of other students in the group to benefit from instruction.
Things to consider: The nature of and degree to which environmental modifications and human or material resources are required to enable the student to benefit from instruction.
- Management needs must be determined in accordance with the factors identified for a student in relation to the areas of academic achievement, functional performance and learning characteristics, social development and physical development.
- The environmental modifications or adaptations and the human or material resources provided may not consistently detract from the opportunities of other students in the group to benefit from instruction.
Resource: Part 200 Regulations for Students with Disabilities