Facilities, Personnel & Services
Facilities, Personnel & Services
Ed 1126.01(b)(3)
The Milford School District shall take steps to ensure that children with disabilities have equal
access to the variety of educational programs and services available to nondisabled children.
The District ensures that, to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities,
including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with
students who do not have disabilities. Special classes, separate classes, separate schooling, or
other removal of students with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs
only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with
the uses of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Placement
decisions for children with disabilities shall be made on an individual basis by the IEP team and
in accordance with the procedures described in The Plan in the section entitled Pupil Evaluation
to Placement.
The District shall provide a full range of opportunities, programs and services to meet the
unique needs of children with disabilities in the least restrictive educational setting. The District
shall ensure that every child with a disability shall have full access to the general curriculum
with accommodations and modifications as delineated in the IEP. This includes the provision of
non-academic and extra-curricular services.
The District shall provide access to vocational training and transition services as appropriate.
Vocational and transition services are provided primarily within the District and at the high
school level. Other student specific circumstances may be addressed as determined by the IEP
team.
A list of approved Special Education Programs is maintained at the School District Office.
Equipment, Materials and Assistive Technology
The District shall provide appropriate instructional equipment and materials, including assistive
technology devices and assistive technology services appropriate to implement each student’s
IEP.
Personnel Standards
Personnel providing services to children with disabilities in public elementary and secondary
schools shall be appropriately credentialed as required under 34 CFR 300.18 and 34 CFR
300.156, except as provided in Ed 1113.12 (b) and (c) for paraprofessional personnel.
All formal diagnostic assessments shall be administered by qualified examiners as set forth in
Table 1100.01 of the New Hampshire Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities,
“Required Assessments and Qualified Examiners by Type of Disability.”
Continuum of Alternative Learning Environments--Ages 6-22 (Table 1100.3)
The District provides educational services to students with disabilities along a continuum of
environments including the following:
- Regular Education Setting: A child with a disability attends the regular class with
supports and services as required in the IEP. - Resource Room: A child with a disability attends a regular class and receives assistance
at or through the special education resource room for no more than 60% of the child’s
school day. - Self-contained Special Education Class: A child with a disability attends a self-contained
special education class for more than 60% of the child’s school day.
Separate Approved Special Education Program/School: A child with a disability attends
a public or privately-operated special education program/school. - Residential Placement: A child with a disability attends a publicly or privately-operated
residential program. - Home Instruction: A child with a disability receives all or a portion of her/his special
education program at home. - Hospital or Institution: A child with a disability receives special education while in a
hospital or institution.
Continuum of Alternative Learning Environments -- Ages 3-5 (Table 1100.2)
Children in preschool programs shall be grouped by age levels with a range of not more than
three years. Children with disabilities shall be provided with appropriate special education and
related services through the District’s preschool programs and services. Each program shall
provide personnel who are endorsed in the area of disability consistent with the student
population of the program (Ed 1113.10(c) (7-8)).
- Early Childhood Program: A preschool child with a disability attends an early childhood
program that includes at least 50% nondisabled children. - Home: A preschool child with a disability receives some or all of his/her supports and
services in the child’s home. - Early Childhood Special Education Program: A preschool child with a disability attends
an early childhood special education program which can include any of the classrooms
described in Ed 1113.10(c)(5). - Service Provider Location: A preschool child with a disability receives supports and
services from a service provider. - Separate School: A preschool child with a disability attends a publicly or
privately-operated separate day school facility designed specifically for children with
disabilities. - Residential Facility: A preschool child with a disability attends a publicly or
privately-operated residential school or residential medical facility on an inpatient basis.
A child with a disability receives all or a portion of his/her special education program at home in
accordance with Ed 1111.04.
- Home instruction for children at least six years of age but less than 22 years of age shall
include a minimum of ten hours per week of instruction, including special education
services and related services as specified in the child’s IEP. - Home instruction for children at least six years of age but less than 22 years of age shall
not include parent designed home instruction programs as authorized in Ed 315. - A child’s placement is determined at least annually and is based on the child’s IEP.
- Children who are placed in home instruction shall be allowed to participate with
nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the child. - The length of the school year and school day for a home instruction placement shall be
consistent with RSA 186-C:15 except when the superintendent has excused a student
from fulltime attendance in which case the superintendent and parent shall agree on the
number of hours per week of instruction, including special education and related
services.
- Classrooms and other instructional areas for children with disabilities shall be located in
a building with students of a similar chronological age and shall be comparable to other
classrooms within the school. - The physical space used for classrooms and other instructional programs and school
activities for children with disabilities shall meet the state requirements in Ed 321.10 and
Ed 321.11 for physical space for classrooms and other instructional programs for other
children enrolled at the school. Length of School Day, School Year and Extended School
Year - Preschool level: The IEP team shall determine the length of the school day for preschool
students with disabilities and shall be included in the IEP or IFSP. - Elementary/High School: The District shall provide a standard school year for children
ages 6 – 12 of at least 180 days or the equivalent number of hours approved by the
Commissioner of Education, NHDOE, consistent with the provisions of RSA 186-C:15 I,
RSA 189:1 and 189:24, and Ed 306.18-Ed 306.21. - Extended School Year: Children with disabilities ages 3 to 22 that are eligible and in need
of extended school year services shall receive extended school year services in
accordance with Ed 1110.
placement team recommends a school day of less than the minimum hours listed above,
written consent shall be obtained from the Superintendent of Schools and the parent prior to
implementing a shortened school day. A copy of the written consent shall be sent to the parent
and another placed in the student’s school records. If it would cause a serious adverse effect
excuse a child from the required minimum school day. The District’s obligation to provide a free
and appropriate public education to a child shall still be in effect even if the child attends school
for a shortened school day.
Supervision and Administration
The Superintendent of Schools, the Executive Director of Student Support Services, the
Assistant Director of Student Support Services, the Secondary and Elementary Coordinators for
Student Support Services, as well as building Principals or their designees shall supervise the
services and programs provided to students with disabilities. Paraprofessionals shall work under
the direct supervision of appropriately certified personnel and be supervised by the
professional under whom they work as often as deemed necessary by the District, but no less
than once each week. Paraprofessionals shall implement plans designed by the supervising
professionals and monitor the behavior of student(s) with whom they work. They may not
design or evaluate the effectiveness of programs.
Diplomas
The Milford School District shall provide all children with disabilities an equal opportunity to
complete a course of studies leading to a regular high school diploma. Children with disabilities
shall be entitled to continue in an approved program until such time as the student has acquired
a regular high school diploma or has attained the age of 22, whichever occurs first, or until the
IEP team determines that the child no longer has a disability in accordance with Ed 1107.
The term “regular high school diploma” does not include an alternative degree that is not fully
aligned with the NH School Approval Standards, such as a certificate or a High School
Equivalency Test (HiSET). Any student who receives a diploma/certificate other than the
District’s regular high school diploma remains eligible to receive a free appropriate public
education until he or she reaches age twenty-two or until the IEP Team, through a formal
evaluation process, determines that such student is no longer in need of, and thereby not
eligible for, special education and related services.