• The Special Education Department of Jonesboro Public School District offers a full continuum of services Kindergarten through High School.  Services outlined in the IEP may occur in several different environments for students.  However, students with disabilities are to be educated in the least restrictive environment, meaning that students with disabilities should be educated with students without disabilities to the maximum extent that they are allowed by their disability. 

    Highly qualified staff: The Special Education Department works diligently to ensure our staff meets the highly qualified criteria according to state guidelines.

    Classroom Modifications:  Special education teachers work collaboratively with the general education instructor in determining appropriate modifications to assist students in being more successful in the general curriculum.

    Co-teaching:  Special education teachers and general education teachers collaborate in development and implementation of content area lessons.  Special educators provide support to students with disabilities in general education classrooms.

    Resource Classrooms: Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High, High School:  Students with disabilities being served in resource classes typically have a learning disability in one or more of the following areas due to a disability category:  reading, written language, or math.  Special education teachers in these programs may also address behavioral issues.  Models of service delivery vary across school buildings.  Some may take students out of their general education classrooms to teach the small groups, while others may work with students in class.  Many special education resource rooms work with students in both settings.

    Self-contained Classrooms: Elementary, Junior High, High School:

    Some children require an alternate placement from the general education setting in order to engage in specially designed instruction individually formulated to meet their specific needs for a large portion of the day.  Special education teachers facilitate opportunities for students in their program to participate with typically developing peers whenever appropriate.

    Due Process Clerks: The district employs due process clerks to assist special education teachers in completing the necessary due process forms for meetings, maintain current due process folders, etc.  This allows the special educators to remain focused on teaching our students.

    On-site evaluations: School Psychology Specialists work to find the best solution for each student and situation; they use different strategies to address student needs and to improve school and district-wide support systems. School psychology professionals use a variety of techniques, including group and individual tests to evaluate. In addition to assessments, school psychology specialists provide consultation and collaboration with teachers, parents and administrators to find effective solutions to learning and behavior problems.

    Referral for services:  A referral of a student suspected of having a disability may be initiated in writing by any source, including but not limited to parents, medical personnel, school district personnel, community agencies, civil authorities, through district screening procedures, and by other interested persons.  When a student suspected of having a disability is brought to the attention of school personnel, the school district will document the referral, provide written notice to the student’s parent(s), and determine, with parental input, whether the student is a candidate for evaluation.  Upon reviewing the referral, school personnel collect and examine existing school, medical, and other records in the possession of the parent, school district or other public agency, and then decide if the student is a candidate for evaluation.

    Speech Therapy Services:  Jonesboro Public Schools employ five full-time Speech Pathologists and Contact Speech Pathologists  to evaluate and provide therapy to students in the areas of: Articulation, Language, Fluency and Voice.

    Related Services: Services include: Occupational and Physical Therapy, School-based Mental Health, Vision Services, Hearing Services, and Technology, when appropriate.  Many students with disabilities are eligible for services to access their Special Education.  Jonesboro Public Schools contracts with service providers to ensure students who are in need have access to services.

    Child Find: Refers to the process of locating, identifying, and evaluating children with disabilities to ensure that they receive services to which they are entitled.  Children and youth, ages 5 to 21 living in the Jonesboro School District, who are suspected of having a disability may be referred for a possible evaluation to determine if they are eligible for special education services.

    Transfer Student Information:  If you are moving into the Jonesboro School District from another district within-the-state or from out-of state, it would greatly assist in determining appropriate program and placement for your child if the following were provided before or at the time of enrollment:

    1. Individual Education Plan
    2. Evaluations (Psychological, Educational, Emotional, Medical etc)
    3. Due Process Paperwork:  Annual Review, Evaluation/Programming Conference, Social History
    4. Other Data related to Special Education