IB-FCPS-AHS Inclusion Policy

Special Education

FCPS Division Assessment Policy Statement for IB Schools

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to providing special education students with opportunities along a continuum of services that offer access to and participation in the activities of the school and community environments as appropriate to the age and educational needs of the student.

In FCPS services to students with disabilities are planned with long term outcomes in mind. Annual goals and objectives consider development in the areas of cognitive/academic, communication, personal, interpersonal and career skills. Teachers are committed to their role in planning with a student and family, through these annual goals and objectives, for the student's postsecondary education, employment and residential independence.

Fairfax County Public Schools upholds the principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as they support the rights of students with disabilities to have decisions regarding their individual instructional program made through the collaboration of parents who know their child best and professional educators who have knowledge of instructional practices and experience in guiding students with disabilities to become productive citizens.

Fairfax County Public Schools protects the rights of students with disabilities to be educated by teachers trained to instruct through adapted curriculum, to utilize a variety of instructional strategies and to take advantage of supplementary materials appropriate for the student's individual educational program (IEP).

Teachers provide special education across a continuum of service options ranging from least to most restrictive:

  • consultation to general education teacher/employer
  • home based services for preschoolers
  • in the general education classroom
  • co-teaching with a general education colleague
  • pull-out from general education
  • self-contained class in a general education site
  • special education school co-located with a general education site
  • separate special education school

When appropriate, students may also receive services in private day and residential schools, in the home, and in hospital settings.

Across the continuum of special education services, Fairfax County Public Schools serves students with one or more of the following identified disabilities:

Related therapy services are available to allow a student to benefit from the individualized special education program.

Program Overview: The PreK-12 Office of Special Education Instruction strategically supports the implementation of evidence-based practices to increase academic achievement and the social and emotional competence of students based on individual needs.

In collaboration with the Instructional Services Department, the PreK-12 Office of Special Education Instruction for students with high-incidence disabilities provides support to schools through:

  • Training and support for schools implementing Responsive Instruction, a tiered system of support for students
  • Professional development in the areas of behavioral interventions, core instruction (literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies), collaborative teaching, differentiated instruction, use of formal and informal assessments, research-based instructional strategies for teaching content, and the Mandt System of crisis intervention
  • Research-based materials to match curriculum and instructional needs
  • Consultations with school staff to provide school-based professional development in areas related to instruction and behavior intervention
  • School consultations with administrators to address program development and staffing
  • Curriculum development in areas of support for students with disabilities
  • Behavioral support and planning
  • Mentor coaches for new special education teachers
  • ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis)

In addition, special education staff members attend school-based, cluster, division-wide professional development opportunities offered by the Instructional Services Department related to the general education curriculum and resources.

In collaboration with the Parent Resource Center (PRC), support for parents is provided through parent workshops and trainings. More information can be found at the following link: http://www.fcps.edu/cco/prc/

Instructional Program

The PreK-12 curriculum for FCPS is guided by the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) and the FCPS Program of Studies (POS) which includes objectives that have been identified for each grade level and curriculum area. This curriculum is a tool for planning, monitoring, and evaluating students’ work and progress on a continuous basis. Specialized instructional programs for reading, writing, and mathematics, are evidence-based, providing students with targeted, systematic, and explicit instruction on a consistent basis as determined by the IEP team. These programs are used to supplement the general education instructional program and provide students with differentiated approaches to access the curriculum.

Teachers provide special education services across a continuum of delivery options, ranging from the least to most restrictive learning environments in the following areas:

  • Consultation with general education teachers/employers to include co-teaching with the general education teacher
  • Individual and small-group support within general education classroom
  • Individual and small-group pull-out services outside of the general education classroom
  • Small-group self-contained classes within a general education school
  • Special education schools co-located within general education sites
  • Separate special education schools

When appropriate, students may also receive services in private day and residential schools, in the home, and in hospital settings. Related therapy services are available to support students in accessing the academic environment.

Staffing

The following staff members may provide instruction and support for students with disabilities in high-incidence programs:

Special education teachers

  • plan and implement the instructional program, often in collaboration with general education teachers
  • monitor student progress and direct the activities of instructional assistants

Instructional assistants

  • perform teaching-related activities and non-teaching assignments at the direction of the special education teacher

Social workers and psychologists

  • provide counseling services
  • assist in gathering outside resources
  • provide crisis intervention

Special education elective teachers

  • teach elective courses with a smaller student-teacher ratio

Related service providers

  • provide services to students as determined by the IEP team

Central office specialists and curriculum resource teachers

  • provide support for school staff to improve student achievement
  • coordinate curriculum development
  • plan and conduct professional development on topics across the curriculum
  • prepare and monitor budget spending
  • ensure that the philosophy and design of services reflect the current and relevant research in the field

Additional Support personnel

  • behavior intervention teachers
  • procedural support liaisons
  • assistive technology teachers

Annandale High School Statement

Annandale High School (AHS) adheres to the principles and practices of the policy for Special Education of students set forth by the State of Virginia and the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Board of Education.  Expectations for schools are that learning opportunities be made available to all students and that accommodations be provided so that all students can access rigorous curriculums such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP).

Annandale High School believes that this special education and inclusion policy strongly supports the International Baccalaureate (IB) mission statement to “encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.”  AHS works diligently every day to create a school system where academic success is not predictable by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, language proficiency or disability.  AHS faculty understands the need to be skillful in determining and addressing the learning needs and styles of all students.

AHS teachers accommodate students with identified learning disabilities and tailor curriculum and instruction to meet the individual needs of students.  Annandale High School specializes instruction in heterogeneously mixed classes.  Special education teachers co-teach with content certified teachers to differentiate process, content, and product for students.  Teachers receive ongoing, school wide professional development for instructional strategies and work with the staff development teacher who designs the professional development to distinguish among innovation strategies and differentiation strategies which meet the needs of our diverse learners with equitable practices.  The special education resource teacher must work with staff to assist with instructional needs during instructional periods and at times of school wide high-stakes assessments to meet the testing accommodations for students with individualized educational plans. A few examples of supports provided include:

  • Extended testing time
  • Use of laptop to type responses
  • Adapted instructional materials (graphic organizers, use of calculator, large print)
  • Outlines or notes provide by the teacher
  • Large assignments broken down into segments
  • Due date extensions

Special education teachers work in collaboration with the general educator and counselor through the planning of instructional delivery and the individualized education program (IEP) process.  FCPS commits support to schools for aids and resources, where appropriate, that may be necessary to provide the students with a least restrictive school environment.  Monitoring of student progress and the provisioning of feedback to parents regarding their child’s development occurs on an annual basis through IEP and 504 meetings. In FCPS, the shared belief is that a high-quality education is the fundamental right of every child. All children will receive the respect, encouragement, and opportunities they need to build the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be successful, contributing members of a global society.

AHS staff have access to all IEP and 504 plans through the Get IEP-504 website provided by FCPS.  Staff ensure that all accommodations are met during assessments.  Each student with an IEP has a designated case manager who ensures that the student’s IEP is understood and followed by all teachers.  This case manager is also responsible for following all the necessary steps in creating, implementing, and revising a student’s IEP.  During IBDP exam registration in first quarter, counselors, students, parents, or special education staff can contact the IBDP coordinator if a student needs accommodations for IB assessments.  Common requests are extended time or use of a laptop/computer.  The IBDP coordinator through the ibis portal will request for an inclusive access arrangement.  Then, accompanying medical and education documentation is uploaded to justify requested accommodations.  Once approved, the IBDP coordinator along with the classroom teacher ensures that accommodations are provided during all assessments.  Students can receive these accommodations in large testing venues or can be provided smaller testing room provisions.  The IBDP coordinator, staff and student collaborate to determine the best testing arrangement.

With regard to the IB Programs, students who are identified as Special Education students and who are enrolling in Honors and IB courses become monitored also by the IB Program Coordinators and the counselors to ensure that inclusive assessment arrangements are established in due course for IB Assessments. 

As an IB World School, our goal is always to reflect the IB philosophy of access and equity, therefore having an open enrollment to pursue rigorous courses is standard practice for us.  Accordingly, our faculty is encouraged to promote challenging Honors and IB coursework to all students. All students have the opportunity to engage in IB programs.   

This policy will be posted to the Annandale High School Website and reviewed by the Instructional Leadership Team on a yearly basis.  This policy will be addressed by staff in their classes as well as the IBDP coordinator through the IB designated learning seminars (advisory period).

Portions reprinted with permission from FCPS schools and IBO.