Children, ages 3-5, who have a significant developmental delay in one
or more of the following areas may be eligible to be served in a half day pre-school
program for children with disabilities: cognitive; language; gross or fine motor; social
or emotional; self-help skills.
Children, ages two years and nine months to five years, may be referred
throughout the year. Children with hearing or visual impairments may be referred at birth.
Students attend regular classes with peers, and receive additional
specialized instruction from a special education teacher in language arts and/or math. The
amount of special education instructional time is determined by the individual needs of
each student.
Regular and special education teachers collaborate, plan lessons, and teach a subject (such as social studies
or science) together to a class of special and regular education students.
A certified or licensed speech pathologist determines a student’s eligibility for
speech and language services. The individual needs of the students determine the amount of
speech therapy, and whether speech services will be provided individually, in a group, or
in the student’s classroom.
Special and regular education teachers collaborate on strategies and
modifications that will enable students to learn effectively. The special education
teacher serves as a consultant, tutor and facilitator with a system of instructional
procedures that accommodates students’ instruction in the regular classroom and
encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning.
(Living Independently in Functional Environments)
L.I.F.E. skills classes prepare students with severe disabilities to
perform meaningful activities in a variety of domestic, vocational and community
environments. The L.I.F.E. skills teacher utilizes instructional materials and
community-based instruction necessary for these students to transfer educational skills
learned in the classroom to the home and community.
The PASS program (Positive Attitudes for School Success) is designed for students who exhibit behavioral problems which interfere with their ability to function in a regular and/or resource setting. Behavior specialists monitor the students' behaviors in regular classes throughout the day. Upon initial entry into the PASS program, students spend the first week in a self-contained setting to work on self discipline and following schedules. After the first week, students may begin to be mainstreamed into regular classes. A highly structured environment enables the students to remain in a less restrictive classroom environment.
Extended Year Services (EYS) are provided for students who demonstrate severe regression (substantial loss of
critical skills) that requires more than eight weeks of recoupment (relearning). The ARD Committee determines, on an individual basis, which students require extended year services.
Galena Park I.S.D. is a member of the East Harris County Cooperative for Deaf Education that serves hearing impaired students whose educational needs cannot be adequately served within their home school district. The objective of the program is to provide instruction through teachers of the hearing impaired that will enable students to learn to communicate effectively and allow them to
be educated with their peers. The fiscal agent is Goose Creek I.S.D., and the elementary-high school campuses that the students attend are located in Baytown and Pasadena.
Students remain in regular classes with support from special education teachers who monitor progress and assist the regular teacher with the modifications of tests and instructional necessary for students to be successful in the regular curriculum.
The vocational adjustment class coordinates the classroom environment with the community to instruct students in job preparation and on-the-job training. The classroom/community approach offers students the opportunity to transfer classroom knowledge to the work community and acquire marketable skills necessary to succeed in a competitive job force.
Homebound instruction is a means of providing a continuation of educational instruction for students who,
because of serious illnesses or accidents, will be unable to attend school for four or more consecutive weeks. Success of the homebound instruction relies on the collaboration of the homebound and regular teacher, student commitment to complete assignments and
parent support.
An itinerant teacher of the visually impaired provides specialized instruction to blind and visually impaired students in the
district. Assessment and program planning focuses on how the visually impaired student may receive instruction in the least restrictive classroom setting with appropriate modifications.
