Inclusion Policy

 South Ridge Elementary
Primary Years Programme
Inclusion Policy
Revised: Apr 10, 2024 May 1, 2024 Jun 25, 2024

South Ridge Elementary Inclusion Policy

Beliefs:
At South Ridge Elementary School, we believe that every student is able to be a
successful learner. Some students need different instruction to be able to access the
general curriculum successfully. Classroom teachers, specialists, and interventionists
collaborate with students and families to guide and determine instruction and next
steps. The team identifies what a student already knows, a student’s progress, and a
student’s needed growth. South Ridge encourages and promotes a more inclusive
model of instruction for students. South Ridge values the individual community of each
classroom and the reciprocal benefits of inclusion.

Purpose:
● Identify students, through the iMTSS process, who need additional support or
specialized instruction.
● Provide support tailored to each student’s individual needs.

IEP Plans:
The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a federally mandated document designed for
students with disabilities, ensuring they receive specialized instruction in the least
restrictive environment. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement
Act of 2004 (IDEA) and Colorado law, students aged 3-21 may qualify for an IEP under
various categories such as Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability, Specific
Learning Disability, and others.

504 Plans:
For students who require accommodations for a disability or suspected disability that
substantially impacts daily life activities, South Ridge implements 504 plans. These
plans are tailored to provide necessary accommodations, fostering independence and
reflective learning among students. While students on a 504 plan participate fully in the
IB program, accommodations are provided to facilitate access to the curriculum.

Differentiation:
South Ridge Elementary strives to address the individual needs of every student
through personalized learning pathways, empowering them to take ownership of their
educational journey.

Tiered Programming and Services Offered:
A range of services is available at South Ridge to meet the needs of students on an IEP.
Each student is assigned a case manager who collaborates with grade-level teams to
ensure their IEP needs are addressed effectively. Services include:
● General education with minimum support
● Multi-Tiered Support System to address diverse learner needs
● Self-contained classes provided by certified learning specialists
● SSN (Significant Support Needs) program following IB guidelines and ensuring
least restrictive environment practices
● Speech-Language Services, Mental Health Services, and Occupational Therapy
Services tailored to individual student needs.
Advanced Learning Plans:
South Ridge implements state-mandated Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs) for Gifted
and Talented (GT) students. These strength-based documents provide challenges in the
student's areas of strength, with specific goals for affective guidance and
accommodations to support their success.

Multilingual Learner Plans:
Once a student is identified as a multilingual learner via the WIDA screening process,
this student is provided with a specific ML plan created by an ELD specialist.
(This screening process is mandated by the federal government for all students who
have another language of influence other than English indicated by the parent during
the registration process.)
The ML plan ensures that the student has access to content taught within the classroom
through various types of language and academic support by the ELD specialist or ELD
team. Each multilingual learner has language and academic specific goals within the ML
plan. These goals are communicated with the classroom teacher and parents in order to
promote student growth and success. Once a student has reached a 4.0 in literacy and
4.0 composite score on the yearly ACCESS test, an ML plan is no longer required.
However these students are still monitored to ensure equitable access to content and to
ensure academic growth is still occurring.

Inclusion resources-
● Three full-time Learning Specialists (LS) for students with mild to moderate
disabilities
● Two full-time Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) for students with speech
and/or language impairments
● School Psychologist
● School Counselor
● School Educational Assistants
● Itinerant services are provided from District Behavior Specialist, District Autism
Team, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Vision Specialists, Audiologists,
and teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on an as needed basis.
● External agencies (example: AllHealth, WrapAround, Court Appointed CASA
representatives)
● One half time Gifted and Talented Teacher
● One full time and one half time intervention specialist
● Two full time Literacy Specialist
● One half time School Nurse
● 2.5 ELD Specialists