Exceptional programs

Welcome to Taos Municipal Schools Exceptional Programs. Our department and staff provide individualized services to students with exceptionalities by highly qualified teachers and ancillary staff. The case manager assigned to your child and your school principal will work with you and your child as a team to meet your child’s individual needs throughout the school year.

WHAT ARE EXCEPTIONAL PROGRAMS?

Students who qualify for exceptional programs have been identified by a multidisciplinary team with one or more of thirteen recognized disabilities and a need for specially designed programming to be successful in school. In New Mexico students also qualify for exceptional programs if they meet the state criteria as gifted by a multidisciplinary in either academic achievement, critical thinking, or creativity.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILD QUALIFIES FOR EXCEPTIONAL PROGRAMS?

Your child can be referred for an evaluation by your schools Student Assistance Team when insufficient progress has been made from research based interventions. You can request an evaluation from school personnel at any time. Exceptional Programs staff will meet with you and your child’s teacher to review exiting data and provide recommendations. If the team determines it is in the best interest of the student to proceed with the evaluations, a licensed professional diagnostician will gather more information from both you and your child through some interviews and standardized assessments. An IEP team will then meet to review all this data and make an eligibility determination based on state guidelines. As your child’s parent, you are an essential member of the ‘IEP team’ in the process.

WHAT IS AN IEP?

An IEP is an Individual Education Plan, which is an agreement between the school and you to provide individualized support to your child in order to access the same curriculum as other students. It is a living document that should change regularly as the team refines strategies to maximize your child’s ongoing educational success.

WHO CALLS AN IEP MEETING?

Your child’s case manager will schedule at least one IEP team meeting every year to review your child’s progress on their goals and update the current IEP. Your child’s case manager will also schedule a re-evaluation every three years. Any member of the IEP team can call for an additional meeting at any time to review the current document and make any changes to the plan or services.

EXCEPTIONAL PROGRAMS CAN HELP FAMILIES BY:

• Locating valuable resources in the community

• Identifying and evaluating student needs

• Transitional planning for the future

SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS THAT EXCEPTIONAL PROGRAMS SUPPORT:

• The preschool classrooms at Enos Garcia and Ranchos provides both inclusive and/or pull out services to meet each child’s needs.

• In partnership with all other licensed preschool facilities in Taos County

• Gifted programs K-12

• Chrysalis Alternative School – 9-12th

• Los Brazos setting – Taos Middle School grades 6-8

• Transition Support and Job Training/Coaching

• Child-Find (ages 3-21) to locate students in Taos County in need of Special Education support

• Extended School Year Services

For more information about Exceptional Programs, you can contact our office at 575-737-6115.

Lynn Brashar – Director of Exceptional Programs Christina Martinez & Danette Rael