MCCSC Least Restrictive Environment: Continuum of School Services 2014-2015
Program
Who is
served?
Inclusion/General Education/Resource Room
95% of Special Education Students should be
represented in this category.
Community Based Program
Less than 2% of Special Education Students should
meet this criterion.
Bridges to Success Program
Less than 3% of Special Education Students should
meet this criterion.
General education classroom or resource room in
school building with special education and related
services as required across the day.
Separate classroom in general education building
with special education and related services as required
across the day.
Separate classroom in general education building with
special education and related services as required
across the day.
K-12 special education students identified under any
of the Article 7 disability categories (including
academic and cognitive).
Identified K-12 special education students with a
significant cognitive disability and speech/language
delays, and adaptive delays, which could include:
Identified K-12 special education students with
severe emotional/behavioral challenges:
 to a marked degree
 across a variety of settings
 over a long period of time.
 program is designed for students who are
capable of understanding the Boys Town
Model (with modifications as needed).
Secondary self-contained subject area classrooms may
supplement/replace the inclusion supports
experienced at the elementary levels.
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Entrance Criteria
to be admitted to a more restrictive environment
Exit Criteria
to exit less restrictive environment (return to inclusion)
multiple disabilities
significant communication needs ( not understood
by a stranger and not related to ESL issues)
multiple adaptive deficits (unable to use
bathroom, stay in a chair, walk in line, hold a
pencil)
need for self-management of behavior & emotions
social skills deficits
participate in alternative to standardized testing
receiving a Certificate of Completion
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Criteria: see above, and…
Significant lack of school readiness/attending skills
Not gaining from general education curriculum;
Requires alternative functional skills curriculum
Unable to work independently
Requires 1:1 or small group for learning new material
Student spends a majority of time (>75%) in general
education classroom with minimal support from
Community Based staff
Student able to be in general education setting
independently for up to 60 min/visit
Student learning is now primarily from the general
education curriculum, not the functional skills
curriculum
Criteria: see above, and…
Team utilizes Supporting Students with Significant
Behavioral Needs Document documenting four phases
of supports implemented
Behavioral data consistently collected
Behavior plans implemented with fidelity and modified
as needed over time
Regular team consultation with school psychologist
Involvement of district behavior specialist over time
Student spends a majority of time (>75%) in general
education classroom with minimal support from
Bridges staff
0 instances of physical/office intervention over a period
of several months
FBA and Behavior Plan are modified and consistently
implemented to articulate strategies needed for
continued success in inclusion
Student progresses through Boys Town model of
behavior (Merit status)
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Program
Behavior
Location
Additional
Factors
Inclusion/General Education/Resource Room
This could include students who exhibit
disruptive/distracting behaviors to
intermittent/isolated unpredictable verbally or
physically aggressive behaviors.
Community Based Program
This could include students who exhibit
disruptive/distracting behaviors to
intermittent/isolated unpredictable verbally or
physically aggressive behaviors.
Bridges to Success Program
This could include students who exhibit behaviors to a
marked degree in multiple settings over a long period
of time, to include dangerous, unpredictable and
situational behaviors that could be verbally or
physically aggressive. Students who pose imminent
risk or danger to self or others.
Students may require FBA and behavior plan
Students may require FBA and behavior plan
Students entering the program require evidence of
completed FBA and behavior plan.
This could include students on the Autism Spectrum.
This could include students on the Autism Spectrum.
This could include students on the Autism Spectrum.
Student is exposed to targeted interventions across
school environments
Student is exposed to targeted interventions across
school environments.
Student is not responding to sustained systematic
targeted interventions in less restrictive settings for that
behavior. This targeted intervention was across school
environments with documented fidelity to
implementation over time.
Behaviors, if any, can range in intensity and may be
attributed to temporary life events and may or may not
be typical for students of that age/gender or cultural
experience.
Behaviors, if any, can range in intensity and may be
attributed to temporary life events, or the nature of the
child’s disability (lack of communication skills or
characteristics associated with Autism) and may or
may not be typical for students of that age/gender or
cultural experience. Language deficits and limited
communication skills may lead to significant behavior
across settings.
Behaviors can range in intensity and severity. There is
a pattern of times when problem behaviors occur.
Duration of behavior is not due to a temporary life
event and behavior exceeds that of what is typical for
the age/gender/culture of peers.
General education setting with inclusion supports in
the student’s home school. May receive supports in a
resource setting and/or across school settings.
Inclusion Supports is a case conference decision.
School location is in the student’s home school.
Student may lack emotional regulation, executive
functioning, social skills, cognitive flexibility,
impulse control, emotional flexibility, and
frustration/tolerance and display distorted perceptions
of events.
Self-contained classrooms in selected elementary,
middle and high school settings. Student may not be
attending home school. Community Based placement
is a case conference decision. School location is
determined by Special Education Administrators.
Student may lack emotional regulation, social skills,
cognitive flexibility, and impulse control and may
have multiple disabilities with need for trained
medical care to meet daily needs.
Self-contained classrooms in selected elementary,
middle and high school settings. Student may not be
attending home school. Bridges placement is a case
conference decision. School location is determined by
Special Education Administrators.
Student typically lacks socio/ emotional skills,
emotional regulation, executive functioning, social
skills, cognitive flexibility, impulse control, emotional
flexibility, and frustration/tolerance and display
distorted perceptions of events to a significant degree
over a marked period of time.
Students could have other disabilities including need
for mobility assistance, health related needs, vision
and hearing needs.
Students could have other disabilities including need
for mobility assistance, health related needs, vision and
hearing needs.
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Program
Focus
Inclusion/General Education/Resource Room
Community Based Program
Focus is on adapting the general education curriculum
and in providing push in/pull out supports (1:1, small
group) to ensure success and increased independence
across general education environments.
Focus is on
 Developing language (e.g. receptive,
expressive and spontaneous language skills)
 Functional school/life readiness skills (e.g.
toilet training, eating varied diet/textures,
visual and tactile schedules, following
directions, learning to wait, using token
reinforcement systems, socializing with
peers, looking to & attending to teacher,
sitting in chair, lining up with peers, working
independently).
 Preparing for academic success (functional
reading and functional math)
 Building social and functional success with
typical peers in general education settings
(as well as reverse inclusion) with primary
curriculum addressed in alternative selfcontained setting.
Inclusion teacher collaborates with and supports the
General Education teacher as the student is primarily
in the general education setting across the day. Could
include modified and/or alternative curriculum, visual
supports, behavior plans, communication systems,
reinforcement system etc.
Elementary students:
Inclusion teacher focuses on academic, social and
functional skill success across typical settings, while
collaborating with general educators for increased
academic independence and social success with
typical peers across the school day.
Secondary students:
Variety of self-contained and inclusion supports
across school settings, as determined by the school.
This can include receiving support in diploma track
courses of study as well as non-credit classes teaching
life skills and work readiness.
Bridges to Success Program.
Focus is on behavioral strategies and supports so that
students gain skills needed to incrementally earn time
back with typical peers.
During this time students receive general education
curriculum or alternative curriculum supports in the
self-contained classroom setting
Bridges teacher collaborates with and supports the
General Education teacher as the student integrates
successfully back into the general education setting
across the day, earning the ability to participate with
peers by demonstrating appropriate classroom
behaviors. Could include modified and/or alternative
curriculum, visual supports, behavior plans,
communication systems, reinforcement system etc.
Elementary students:
Community Based teacher focuses on pre-academic,
academic, social and functional life skills and then
collaborates with general educators to seek out
meaningful opportunities for increased successful
participation with typical peers throughout the school
day.
Secondary students:
Community Based teacher focuses on functional
academics, life skills and work experiences and
spearheads transition plan with community helpers
and service providers to increase successful student
participation in the Bloomington community.
Students exit Community Based and attend home
school with inclusion supports once exit criteria have
been met.
Students exit Bridges and attend home school with
inclusion supports once exit criteria have been met.
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Program
Curriculum
Inclusion/General Education/Resource Room
Community Based Program
Bridges to Success Program.
APPLIES TO ALL THREE CATEGORIES:
Each elementary student must be assigned to a gen education teacher (classroom activities, specials, field trips, convocations)
Access to same desk and materials available to general education peers in classrooms
Special educator must program for generalization of skills in natural environment
Individualized access to alternative curriculum/ functional academics based on individual student needs.
Accommodations and modifications to general
education curriculum.
All Community Based classrooms: alternative
curriculum may include: Discrete Trial/ABA, Touch
Math, TEACCH, Edmark, DTT, News2You, visual
supports and AAC core vocabulary and LAMP
(Language Acquisition through Motor Planning).
Boys Town behavior curriculum (social skills,
reinforcement system, academics mirror general
education curriculum with accommodations.
Elementary:
STAR (Strategies based on Autism Research);,
Handwriting Without Tears, Early Literacy Skills
Builder, May include adapted specials (art, music, PE,
library, computer),
Assessment
Classroom
Environme
nt
ISTEP, ISTAR
Most on Diploma track
General education classrooms throughout the school
building with support in resource room as needed for
individualized instruction; small group or 1:1
instruction across environments.
Secondary: job training, community access to
shopping, leisure activities, recreational activities, city
bus training, and electives in the school. Modified
general education curriculum.
ISTAR, non-diploma
All on Certificate of Completion
Separate classroom
Room is arranged to reduce distractions
Visual supports created for student success
Student/class schedules are posted
Discrete Trial 1:1 areas
Choice areas (e.g. mini trampoline, tent, yoga ball)
Small group instruction areas
Limited verbal instruction provided
Adult support/student, approximate ratio 1:3
ISTEP, ISTAR
Most on Diploma track
Separate classroom
60% focus on behavior, 40% on academics
Classroom setup includes student desks/chairs per
typical classroom
4:1 praise factor (praise 4x more often than critique)
8:1 praise factor when returning from office referral
Classroom rules posted
Social skills posted
Menu is posted
‘store’ to redeem points during the day
Procedures posted (how to sharpen pencil, how to walk
in hallway)
Move from extrinsic reward to intrinsic reward system
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