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Exceptional Education Staffing Model Allocations and Specialized Programs

Opportunities and Access
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Students identified for Exceptional Education services in Hamilton County Schools are served across a continuum of services, considering the individual needs, access to the least restrictive environment, the intensity and restrictiveness of the services needed to ensure they access, participate, and progress in the general education curriculum.

Principals provided extensive feedback that allocation of Exceptional Education staff based on caseload for Exceptional Education teachers was not the preferred staffing model.

Across the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 staffing models, schools have a multitude of ways to serve students using the allocation of teachers and assistants from their base model. The district Exceptional Education staff are ready and willing to support with discussing how to build teacher and student schedules that meet the needs of students. Each teacher should have a caseload of no more than 20 students; however, it is always most successful to serve students when teachers collaborate and work together as a team.

In Hamilton County Schools, specialized programs are centralized and locations are identified within each learning community. The goal is always to serve students in their zone school or the school closest to their home. Transportation and access to the right complement of services through a specialized program may sometimes require a student to attend a school other than their zone school. When the IEP team, including the parent, has determined that a student requires a specialized program, district Exceptional Education staff will participate in the first IEP meeting to work with the IEP team to make the best recommendations for the student.

IDS: Intensive Direct Service

IDS: Intensive Direct Service provides a special class setting for students who require more modifications to instruction; very often these are students who will be eligible for alternate assessment. Although assessment eligibility does not dictate services or placement.

DCC: Developmental Communication Class

DCC: Developmental Communication Class provides a special class setting for students who do not have or are working towards a consistent and reliable means of communication. There is close collaboration between the teachers and the assistive technology team to find or develop a means of communication for students. As a result students receive more modifications to instruction.

CALMM

CALMM: This class supports students with a significant social/emotional needs that may result from Autism. Students are able to access academics in the general education setting but need additional explicit instruction and support with social/emotional skills.

SOAR

SOAR: This class supports students whose disability manifests with behaviors and social/emotional needs that impact the learning of themselves and others. This class is a tiered support building on the work of RTI2B. Also, students have a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) that has been implemented in a less restrictive setting previously.

ME: Multiple Exceptionalities

ME: Multiple Exceptionalities class provides students with multiple disabilities, including physical needs that cannot be met in the general education classroom. Students may require assistance with toileting and eating.

Specialized Program in a Separate Location

These are the most restrictive settings, as students do not have access to non-disabled peers.

  • Dawn supports students whose disability manifests in behaviors that significantly impede their learning and others. Students’ needs have not been met in less restrictive environments with tiered supports, including completion of an FBA and the development and implementation of a BIP. Supports and services are provided to students to address mental health, behavioral, social/emotional, and academic needs.
  • Orange Grove supports students whose needs cannot be met in a traditional school setting because of the impact of their disability. Students require a level of modification to the instruction and environment that can best be provided in a separate program location. Students who require Orange Grove have the most significant medical, behavioral, and academic needs.
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