Special Educaton and Student Services

September 4, 2020

The Columbia School District will use current (and future) guidance from the Connecticut State Department of Education's Adapt, Advance, Achieve Reopening document in determining appropriate programming for our students.  Addendum 3 to the state document discusses how to plan for students with high needs during the upcoming school year.  Per the document, students who may need individualized plans during in-person, hybrid or fully remote, including those students whose program might allow attendance more frequently during hybrid periods, include student who:

• have experienced significant challenges accessing remote educational opportunities as a result of the impact of their learning challenges, behavior, and level of engagement;

• require constant or consistent supervision by adults, often with an adult to student ratio of 1:1 or 2:1;

• require physical assistance to learn and attend to their basic safety, health, and self-care needs (e.g., mealtime supports, toileting, medical interventions);

• often present with skill deficits with functional communication via both verbal and nonverbal means, thus limiting their ability to effectively express feelings and symptoms of illness.  Undetected illness may pose a safety risk to themselves and others;

• exhibit significant behaviors that, at times, require an escort to safe areas or, in the case of emergency and only as a last resort physical restraint; and

• may not be able to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), practice social distancing (in accordance with), or abide by other Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and CSDE reopening guidance