SPECIAL EDUCATION STAFFING POLICY

The Smithfield School Department is committed to providing every child with access to an education, consistent with our district’s mission statement and applicable federal and state requirements.

The Smithfield School Department recognizes the essential elements to a Special Education Staffing Policy that provides each student with a disability a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE) are:

• Recruiting and maintaining adequate personnel in the areas of school administrators, highly qualified teachers, related service personnel, and support staff to implement each child’s individualized education program (IEP); and
• Continuing to provide relevant professional development activities to support school personnel with the implementation of each child’s educational program consistent with the requirements and intent of all regulations and research based practices used to provide an appropriate education for all students.

The Smithfield School Department adopts the preceding essential elements as the fundamental foundation of their Special Education Staffing Policy.

The Smithfield School Department further recognizes that once established, a successful Personnel Policy requires a Staffing Plan that aligns with and complements the underlying Policy. To that end, the Smithfield School Department will maintain a Special Education Staffing Plan that will ensure appropriate personnel are available to deliver the services and instruction required to fully implement each student’s IEP and provide FAPE in the LRE. The plan will be based on meeting the needs of students with disabilities and will follow the guidelines outlined in this policy. The staffing plan will follow these principles:

• The assignment of trained and qualified personnel will be based on student needs.
• Staffing decisions will support the availability of a full continuum of special education and related support services for students as determined by the IEP Team, consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and State Regulations of the Board of Regents Governing the Special Education of children with disabilities.
• Staffing decisions will support the provision of a free appropriate public education for students as determined by their IEP Team.
• Staffing decisions will support placement of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment as determined by their IEP Team.
• Special education staffing will be compliant with federal and state law, regulation, and policies governing special education.

The Smithfield School Department strives to continuously improve the quality of education to all students. To accomplish this the Smithfield School Department will continuously assess and evaluate the delivery of services with disabilities through an ongoing evaluation of programs and services as well as evaluating the Personnel Policy and Plan.

ADOPTED: December 15, 2008