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Special Education

Phone Number (413)587-1414 ext. 3402

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Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School provides a comprehensive system of services to support student needs and ensure meaningful benefit is received from their academic and vocational experiences. All of the following services are articulated within a student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and are determined by the IEP Team. The following is
a list of the services provided:

 

Consultation Service:

This service provides indirect student support through consultation to teachers, parents, and/or other staff. This service may be a meeting, phone call, or other form of regular communication.  This service is provided when a student’s disability is such that it requires more specialized support, training or ongoing monitoring by an expert in a goal area in order to ensure progress.  This service may also accompany a direct service.

 

Instructional Support:

This service is provided in a regular classroom setting by a shared paraprofessional under the direction of a classroom teacher.  Academic support provides students who have significant needs the access to non-standard accommodations - or accommodations that would otherwise not be reasonable for a classroom teacher to implement with a full classroom of students.​

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Academic Support:

This service is a pull out service provided by a special education teacher. This service includes direct instruction that reinforces fundamental skill development while supporting academic and vocational progress. Students learn and apply compensatory strategies with the goal of becoming independent learners. Focus areas include but are not limited to:

  • Reading

  • Writing

  • Math

  • Executive Functioning

  • Study/Test-taking Skills

 

This is a pull out service.  Students who typically qualify for this service include those whose disabilities manifest across settings and curriculum areas and specifically require strategy instruction, extended time, and/or pre-teaching and re-teaching of content.​

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Standard English:

This is a pull out service provided by a dual licensed English and special education teacher. This service provides students with small group English Language Arts instruction but is aligned with the grade level standards for ELA and focuses on the essentials of the ELA curriculum while reinforcing fundamental reading and writing skills. This is a service that takes the place of a regular English class. Students receive credit towards their English course requirement for graduation.

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Transition Seminar (12th grade only):​

This is a pull out service provided by a special education teacher. This service provides students with specially designed instruction in the domains of post-secondary education, employability, independent living, and community participation. Students who qualify for this generally have low adaptive skills impacting their functioning within those domains. Units of instruction may include the following:

  • Daily Living Skills

  • Employability/Soft Skills

  • Relationships

  • Decision-making

  • Self-advocacy and determination

  • Goal-setting

  • Community Participation

  • Adult Agencies and Services

  • Consumer Math/Personal Finance

  • Travel/Transportation

  • Citizenship and Social Responsibility

 

Counseling:

This service is a pull out or push in service by a school adjustment counselor. It provides support and direct instruction to students with school adjustment issues that impact their ability to access and progress within the regular education program.  Direct instruction includes coping strategies to improve functioning in school despite barriers that may be impacting their success in school.  Focus of instruction may include self-awareness, self regulation, self-advocacy, social skills, behavior, etc. Collaboration between outside agencies, home and school for these students is imperative to their success.  Students who typically qualify for this service are students who demonstrate characteristics of social/emotional disturbance, students who have difficulty applying social pragmatic skills, or students whose behavior impedes on their ability to attend or participate in school.

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Communication:

This service is a pull out service that includes direct instruction by a speech language pathologist.  Services focus on providing students with an individual or small group opportunity to learn language and/or pragmatic skills within a structured setting. Students who typically qualify for this service are students who have been identified as having significant receptive or expressive language skill deficits. Students may also require this service if they have significant social/pragmatic skill deficits and lack age appropriate skills needed to navigate social interactions and impact their ability to make social progress in school.

 

Please contact Rebecca Wanczyk, Director of Student Services,with further questions. Upon an applicant’s acceptance to Smith and once registered, your sending school will coordinate a transition meeting to discuss specific support and services at SVAHS.

 

Other related services such as speech, physical and occupational therapy, are available where need is indicated in the Individualized Education Plan.

 

A transition meeting takes place at the sending school for all incoming students. A Smith school representative participates in the meeting to help plan services for students entering Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School.

 

 

Jessica Moulton, Special Education Department Head/Special Education Teacher

Kristen Keane, Transition Specialist/Special Education Teacher

Bridget Lawrence, Special Education Teacher

Stephanie Whitley, Special Education Teacher

Wendy Bajracharya, Special Education Teacher

Linda Kelley, Administrative Assistant

Ellie Wilson, Educational Team Leader

Dr. Jane Riley, School Psychologist

​Suzanne Warren, Speech and Language Pathologist

 

 

If you have concerns regarding your child’s IEP please contact the special education liaison.  If you have questions or concerns regarding the special education process, testing, or would like to discuss referral for a special education evaluation, please contact Student Services at (413)587-1414 ext. 3402.

 

*All special education programs and services are determined by the IEP team; students cannot select into these courses during the course selection process.

 

Rebecca Wanczyk, Director of Student Services (413)587-1414 ext. 3402

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