Student Support - Special Education and General Education Programs

NEW - Coordinated Care teams Help SFUSD Better Serve Students

Our new site-based Coordinated Care Teams integrate pre-existing teams that may have previously worked independently of one another, including Culture and Climate, Student Assistance Program (SAP), Family Partnership Team (FP-PIP) and Attendance Review Team (SART) into one team.

This will look different at various school sites. Generally speaking, there will be a site leader and process facilitator (like a wellness coordinator, a school nurse or a social worker) who will lead a team of members from the school community — including the student’s family whenever possible — that focus on improving the student’s outcomes.

The Student Success Team (SST) assists students, families and teachers to seek positive solutions for student potential and provides a structure to review a students academic, behavioral and health needs.

Accommodations and related services provided through Section 504 ensure that a student with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity has equal access to education.

Wondering if an IEP or a 504 is better for your child? This chart from Understood.org does a good job explaining the differences between an IEP and a 504 plan as well as this article: Parents’ guide to 504 plans and IEPs: What they are and how they're different. Read more about 504 programs in SFUSD here. 

Related Services provide specific and specialized instructional supports that increase access to core curriculum and grade-level peers. Students requiring only Related Services are assigned to the general education classroom for most of the day. However, Related Services may be delivered in a separate education setting per the student’s IEP. Related Services are:

• Speech and language services
• Audiological services
• Augmentative and alternative communication
• Orientation and mobility
• Vision services
• Adaptive physical education
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Assistive technology
• Counseling and mental health services
• Vocational education and career development

These services are available at every TK-12 school for students with disabilities and assigned to the general education classroom for most of the school day. The services focus on accessing grade-level content with grade-level peers, as well as individualized instructional supports. Each student is assigned a special education teacher (also called an Education Specialist), who is the student’s case manager. Resource Specialist services may be provided in the general education classroom and/or a separate setting as indicated in the student’s IEP. Students with low incidence disabilities may receive all, or a portion of their instruction, in a regular class and/or may also be enrolled in a separate class to receive specialized academic instruction as indicated in IEP.

Special Day Classes are for students who require separate class instruction and a smaller class size for the majority of the day. These classes are offered at select SFUSD schools. Students in separate classes for the majority of the day are assigned to a multi-grade classroom with a special education teacher. Instruction focuses on students accessing common core standards through accommodations, modifications and specialized academic instruction. SDC classrooms are assigned additional adult support.

Students eligible for Access, the Adult Transition Program, are on track for a Certificate of Completion at the end of 12th grade. Access programming includes post-secondary education, employment, and independent living skills. Individual student needs, strengths, preferences and interests inform IEP services for instruction, related services, community experiences, employment development, and other post-school adult living objectives. SFUSD students on IEPs are eligible for special education services through Access until they are 22 years of age or complete a high school diploma.