SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

In accordance with the Individuals for Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Rhode Island Regulation Governing the Education of Students with Disabilities, Smithfield Public Schools offers a continuum of special education services in the least restrictive setting.

The requirements of law and regulation will be followed in the identification of children with special needs, in referrals for their evaluation, in prescribing for them suitable programs and in assessing their educational progress. In keeping with state requirements, all children with special needs between the ages of three to twenty-two who have not attained a high school diploma or its equivalent will be eligible for special education.

Smithfield Public Schools will secure properly trained personnel to work with the children with unique and individual needs.

Should programs and services not exist within the public school or are unable to be secured through specialized vendors, the district will consider placement in a program that can meet the needs identified by the child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team.

Parents/guardians are integral participants in Evaluation and IEP team decisions. In event of any disagreement concerning diagnosis, program plan, special placement, or evaluation, the parents/guardians will be accorded the right of due process.

ADOPTED: October 19, 2020