Special Education at Baxter Academy

The Special Education department at Baxter Academy is made up of a small group of talented staff members whose primary goal is to educate and support students who have an identified special education disability and an active Individual Education Plan. This occurs mostly through an inclusive model of teaching. Special Education staff team-teach academic courses with regular education staff. They also are in regular education classrooms to provide direct support and specially designed instruction to students who require it without stigmatizing the students by "pulling" them out of their class for this instruction. By providing support this way, many non-identified students have the opportunity to receive similar support when they need it. For those students, with special needs, who struggle severely with executive function skills, they may participate in a Functional Learning Lab where the special education teacher offers strategies and practice in developing these needed skills.

Getting started

When students join Baxter Academy with an active IEP (Individual Education Plan), the IEP is immediately implemented to the best of the staff’s ability. Then an IEP Team meeting occurs to amend the IEP, if necessary, to reflect the student's needs that are specific to Baxter Academy. A student's IEP is developed through the collaboration of all those involved (staff, parents, students, specialists) to attempt to meet the needs of the student. Each IEP is individually developed because each student is an individual and what works for one student may not for another.

Parents, guardians, school staff, and or DHHS may refer a student to the special education department due to academic, social, mental, and or emotional issues. Anyone interested in referring a student for a special education evaluation should reach out to the special education director to complete the official referral form. The director will then sign it and schedule an IEP Team meeting, within 15 calendar days, to review the referral and all concerns. At this meeting, it will be determined if testing will be completed and written permission will be asked for.

Once written permission is given, Baxter Academy has 45 school days to complete the evaluations and reconvene another IEP Team meeting. At the follow-up meeting, all testing is reviewed and a determination as to whether the student qualifies for and requires special education services will occur. If a student does qualify, a case manager will be assigned to the student and an IEP will be developed. If the student doesn't qualify, recommendations will be made to support the teachers and students with any area of concern.

Focused Learning Labs

Students have the opportunity to focus on executive functioning skills and practice them with support as they complete academic work.

Prerequisite: A student must be identified with a special education disability, have an active IEP, and be determined necessary through an IEP team meeting.