Policy 4112.23 - Special Education Staff

Rule 4112.23

Rule Approved 09/05/2006
Last Revised 08/15/2017

Teachers assigned to serve students with disabilities shall possess the credential that authorizes them to teach the primary disability of the students within the program placement recommended in the student’s individualized education program (IEP).

Resource Specialists

The Board of Education shall employ certificated resource specialists to provide services which shall include, but not be limited to:

1. Instruction and services for students whose needs have been identified in an individualized education program (IEP) and who are assigned to regular classroom teachers for a majority of the school day
2. Information and assistance to students with disabilities and their parents/guardians
3. Consultation with and provision of resource information and material regarding students with disabilities to their parents/guardians and other staff members
4. Coordination of special education services with the regular school programs for each student enrolled in the resource specialist program
5. Monitoring of student progress on a regular basis, participation in the review and revision of IEP’s as appropriate, and referral of students who do not demonstrate sufficient progress to the IEP team
6. Emphasis at the secondary school level on academic achievement, career and vocational development, and preparation for adult life

The resource specialist program shall be directed by a resource specialist who is a credentialed special education teacher, including but not limited to, an education specialist credential, which includes specializations in mild/moderate disabilities and previously issued special education credential, and who has three or more years of teaching experience, including both regular and special education teaching experience.

No resource specialist shall have a caseload which exceeds 28 students. As necessary and with the agreement of the resource specialist, the Board may request a waiver for the State Board of Education to increase the caseload to no more than 32 students, provided that an individual resource specialist does not have a caseload exceeding 28 students for more than two school years and has the assistance of an instructional aide at least five hours daily during the period of the waiver. Resource specialists shall not simultaneously be assigned to serve as resource specialists and to teach regular classes.