4.4.2. Continuum of Alternative Placements
4.4.2. Continuum of Alternative Placements aetrahan Fri, 03/03/2023 - 11:14LEAs administer their special education programs using a number of different delivery methods in various settings, but all LEAs must offer a continuum of alternative placements categorized according to the amount of time the special education student spends with nondisabled peers.1 The continuum of placements must include, in order of least restrictive to most restrictive, regular classes, special classes, special schools, residential facilities, and hospital/homebound instruction.2 Students who are educated in a regular class with their non-disabled peers for 80% or more of the day are said to be placed in a regular education setting.3 This type of setting is also commonly referred to as “inclusion” or “mainstreaming”.” Within a regular education setting, students can receive special education and services within the regular classroom, a model known as “push-in” services, or in a separate resource classroom, in a model known as “pull-out” services.4 More restrictive settings include a resource setting (40-79% of the day inside a regular class) and a self-contained setting (less than 40% of the day inside a regular class).5 The placement must be reviewed at least once a year at the annual IEP meeting, and a student cannot be placed in a more restrictive self-contained setting without first conducting an evaluation.