• General
• 01 Right to Education
• 02 Opportunity Goal
• 03 Identification
• 04 Eval and Elig
• 05 IEP
• 06 Placement LRE
• 07 Safeguards
• 08 Confidentiality
• 09 Transition
• 10 Private Schools
• 11 Gen Supervision
• 12 Pers Standards
• 13 Ensuring Services
• 14 Goals
• 15 Assessment
• 16 Susp/Expulsion
• 17 Use of Funds
• 18 State Advisory
• 19 Pub. Participation

SECTION VI: PLACEMENT IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT

Policy Statement

Section 2 of the ROP’s Special Education Act “The Programs and Services for Handicapped Children Act of 1989” (amended 1996) declares:

“It is the responsibility of the national government to provide full educational opportunities and necessary related services to each handicapped child in order to ensure that each handicapped child acquires the skills and knowledge necessary to lead a fulfilling and productive life as a citizen of the Republic. It is further recognized that such educational opportunities and related services shall be provided in regular classrooms and regular schools or other environments which provide education and interaction with nondisabled children.”

Administrative Policy 2.10(d) further states the MOE shall provide programs and services that will:

“Allow for maximum interaction of the handicapped student with the regular school population, appropriate to the needs of both populations. Students should be removed only when education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.”

A. The ROP MOE has in effect policies and procedures set forth in the ROP MOE Special Education Procedural Manual to place children in special education programs. Services shall be age-appropriate, occur close to home (within the school the child would attend if not disabled, unless the IEP requires some other arrangement) and involve maximum integration with non-disabled peers. The integration shall occur across academic, social, extra-curricular and community aspects of the school program.

B. Further, it is the policy of the Special Education Program to ensure that:

1. To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are nondisabled, and

2. Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the child’s disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.