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The Neighborhood School Model (NSM) is a focus on providing special education programming to the students that reside in the catchment area of the school at the neighborhood school rather than moving students in a program that could be located across the city. This model is grounded in the core belief that special education is not a place.  Special education is a service that can be provided in many different places, depending on the child’s needs. IDEA strongly prefers that children with disabilities be educated at their neighborhood school, in the general education classroom, with their peers without disabilities.  This model is designed with that focus as a foundation so that students with disabilities receive the individualized instruction and services identified through their individualized education program.

The Neighborhood School model started with two schools in the 2023-2024 school year. This expands to six additional schools in the 2024-2025 school year. We will continue to incrementally add schools until we reach our ultimate goal of ensuring that all èßäapp¹ÙÍø students are educated in their Neighborhood Schools or their schools of choice. 

We have engaged with families, educators, and community members through numerous feedback sessions and we will continue to facilitate engagement opportunities. If you have specific questions regarding your students’ educational program, please connect with your child’s teacher, special education teacher, and/or building administrator. For districtwide information we will have regular updates provided on our website, and if you have questions, concerns and or would like to share your experiences please input them into the . 

The effectiveness of a special education program is assessed based on student progress within their IEP goals, the general education curriculum, compliance with legal requirements, student outcomes toward post secondary goals, and the sense of belonging and engagement among all students. We will gather qualitative and quantitative data throughout the implementation process to inform necessary systemic adjustments in addition to individualized education plan needs. Like any system change, we expect to learn, grow, and adapt as we move toward our ultimate goal.

All schools currently support students with special needs. Each student’s individualized education program (IEP) will determine how students participate in general education and what additional resources may be required.

èßäapp¹ÙÍø recognizes the necessity for staffing and individualized student instructional support and services. We allocate special education staffing based upon the level of need outlined within students’ Individualized Education Plans. This will be true for Neighborhood Schools, as it is for all schools. At any point, parents/guardians can call a meeting with their school to discuss the needs of their students. 

In all schools, students who participate in specialized programming receive their services and support in the least restrictive environment based on the IEP. Some of these services and supports are best provided in a general education setting, while others are best provided in a special education setting. Even in our Neighborhood Schools, these placement decisions will continue to be driven by student learning needs documented in their IEPs. Enrollment in lottery, and charter programs remains unchanged.

Professional learning and collaboration opportunities will be provided for staff and leaders to prepare them for working effectively in inclusive practices. We recognize that support is crucial for both general education and special education teachers to support diverse learning needs.

No. The goal is to allow students to attend their neighborhood school (or their school of choice), while receiving their special education services at that site.