Special Services

We at Blue Hill Consolidated School believe it is the positive interaction between the individual student and the individual classroom teacher that is the key to a successful school experience for each student. We encourage home and school communication in order to foster such a relationship. The most important services our school has to offer are those provided by the classroom teacher. The teacher's day-to-day guidance, concerns, and instruction will fulfill most students’ needs. At times, however, a student may require more specialized assistance, so the teacher or parent may turn to one or more of the following special services.

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• Gifted & Talented Programming

• Response to Intervention (RtI) and Title I

• Reading Recovery

• Individual Educational Program (IEP) Meetings

• Speech/Language

BHCS identifies approximately 5% of the total student population as Gifted and Talented in academics and/or in Visual/Performing Arts. Students qualify for these services based on class performance, teacher or staff recommendation, and scoring on a qualifying standardized assessment. Parents may also recommend their child be considered for Gifted and Talented testing. Once students have been identified, a team including current teachers, administrators, parents, and the student meet to determine the student’s specific strengths and interests to create an Individualized Learning Plan. This team meets at least yearly to update the plan.

RTI makes early identifications of reading, math, and behavioral difficulties. Giving brief and frequent assessments that identify difficulties early on, our regular education staff, along with our RTI/Title I teachers, can then work with intervention techniques to help students meet reading and math standards at their grade level. For the behavioral dimension of RTI (RTI-B), our school is following the guidelines and strategies of PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support) which is an effective protocol to maintain a positive and healthy school climate. Our assistant principal, Mr. Snow, oversees the RTI-B process of identifying students in need of interventions in behavior, as well as the process of providing the interventions.

The school committee recognizes that a certain number of students will need supplementary services in the basic skills of reading and mathematics. Title I funds are used to provide the supplemental services on a non-discriminatory basis. Established procedures will be adhered to in order to assure comparability of services, parental involvement, and student selection. Visit Union 93’s website for more information regarding Title IA students and parental involvement.

Reading Recovery is an evidence-based intervention that serves students who need extra support to catch on to reading and writing concepts in first grade. Students in Reading Recovery are assessed using the Observation Survey before entering the intervention, when leaving the intervention, and at the end of the school year. This intervention, which lasts 12-20 weeks, is administered by teachers who are specially trained in Reading Recovery, which helps students make the transition into reading texts. Qualifying students receive individual reading and writing lessons one-half hour each day in addition to the regular classroom instruction.

Whenever a team of teachers feels a student needs assistance beyond the regular program, the classroom teacher may refer the student to an IEP meeting if other services have not been effective. The IEP team is made up of parents, classroom teacher, principal/assistant principal, special education teacher, and any others who may assist in planning an appropriate program for the student. Testing can be recommended through this team process and recommendations made for better meeting the needs of the student. Counseling services can be recommended through this process if deemed necessary and instruction in small groups for part or all of the day can be recommended if appropriate for the student. Special education teachers are ready to meet the needs of any student referred to their programs.

An IEP may recommend testing and delivery of speech or language instruction if deemed necessary for student success.