Special Education

The Community Transition Program is designed to meet the needs of adult students ages 18 and older with disabilities, lower cognitive functioning and problem behaviors who have completed high school with a Modified or Extended Diploma or Certificate of Attainment.

The CTP–LSC program curriculum consists of functional reading, math and language. The program teaches job skills and preparation for independent living. Students are assisted in independent management of their health care, leisure time, community living, legal systems and other areas of transition.

The Independent Living Program is designed to support students ages 18 to 21 to learn skills for living independently in an apartment setting. The three-strand curriculum focuses on consumerism, personal growth, and daily living (i.e. cooking and cleaning). The goal of this program is to raise students’ awareness and skill levels as they prepare for transition from high school to adult independent living. This course is designed to be completed within one to two semesters. This is a day program, with no evening/overnight component.

IEPs are written by a team of professionals together with a student their parents/guardians. All eligible students with disabilities, age 5 to 21, will have an IEP.
The IEP is a written document that is updated annually and describes your student's individual needs, such as:

• Specially designed instruction
• Direct services
• Related services
• Modifications and accommodations
• Students present level of performance
• Goals and objectives
• Placement in the least restrictive environment.
• Transition support and/or services for students 16 and older

The Youth Transition Program is designed to serve students age 17 to 21 with disabilities and/or 504 plan students who have a barrier to employment. Trained staff work with students in the areas of employment, appropriate work behaviors, social skills, budgeting, housing and post secondary training. This is a cooperative grant with Vocational Rehabilitation Department and the University of Oregon. This program is designed to work with students with mild disabilities who are eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation services and are able to become competitively employed without long-term support. The goal of the YTP Program is for students to find placement in meaningful competitive employment or career-related post secondary training.

This team of specialists provides training, evaluation and consultation to schools and IEP Teams for students whose needs require specialized technology or equipment to access their education. They also serve as the loaning bank for this equipment.

This trained team of specialists is accessed through a referral process to the Local Education Service District, and provides training, consultation and direct services to students who have severe communication disorders that impact their ability to access their educational program. They provide staff training and attend IEP meetings as appropriate. The Augmentative Communication Team conducts assessments and recommends specialized technology and serves as loaning bank for this equipment.

This team consists of a Special Education Coordinator, Autism Speech Language Pathologists, Program Assistant, District Autism Specialists, School Psychologist, Autism Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and the WESD Autism Coordinator. Autism Spectrum Disorder Team processes evaluations as well as provides the coordination of autism services for the District. Attend IEP meetings and gives impromptu advice to staff and parents regarding strategies to help students with autism be successful.

Employment Specialists are based in each High School, Community Transition Programs and the Youth Transition Program. They work with licensed staff to facilitate the education/employability needs for identified students.  Employment Specialists develop job sites within the business community, assess student skill levels, place students in work experience and job shadowing sites, provide skills training and job coaching, mobility training, and review performance evaluations with students. Employment Specialists are knowledgeable in rules and regulations specific to state and federal labor laws, reasonable accommodations available through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and specific guidelines required by OSHA, SSI, and SSDI. Employment Specialists are knowledgeable in Individual Education Plans (IEP), Transition Plan procedures and practices.

School Health Nurses are a part of the School Health Services Program and work with school-age students with health conditions in Salem-Keizer Schools. The nurses work with the school staff, families and health care providers to develop individualized health management plans (HMP) for students with the most complex health needs. School Health Nurses are registered nurses (RN), with bachelor’s degrees licensed to practice nursing by the state board of nursing. They may give impromptu advice or attend IEP or 504 meetings to discuss health care needs and concerns. Nurses also train school staff on medical treatment and care.

The District OT/PT Team is staffed by licensed Physical and Occupational Therapists, as well as Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA’s). Evaluative, consultative and direct services are provided to students who have difficulty moving and participating fully in their school environment whether on an IEP or a 504 plan.  They also assist with adaptive equipment and assistive technology (i.e. wheelchairs, walkers) and provide appropriate training to school teams. The OT/PT/COTA team has a bank of equipment that they loan to students and also provide swim classes.

These teachers on special assignment serve as a resource to building-based special education programs, staff and parents. Program Associates assist with training, staff development, consulting, and transition in and out of special placements. Program Associates are often the initial point of contact for building staff and parents. Program Associates attend IEP meetings and serve as district representatives.

School Psychologists work with school special education teams, administrators and testing specialists to provide consultation, assessment, eligibility, intervention, prevention, evaluation and planning services. Psychologists can help identify potential learning difficulties, design programs for children at risk of academic failure, and provide parents and staff with skills to cope with disruptive behavior. They may also provide school trainings to help staff better understand emotional complexities of students and provide useful strategies for redirecting. They develop a Summary of Assessments – Confidential Psychological Report for determining qualifications for specific disability categories. Psychologists help others understand about child development, personality development, emotional development, and social skills learning. Psychologists can also develop programs covering topics such as teaching and learning classroom strategies, classroom management techniques, or handling residuals of abuse.

Speech Language Pathologists are housed in schools and are specialists who serve children who have communication disorders. SLP’s conduct assessments, and provide direct service to students. They prepare and conduct IEP meetings for students with a communication disability and may act as a District Representative at IEP meetings as needed.

Testing Specialists are special educators who are qualified to give academic and cognitive evaluations for initial special education identification and 3^rd year re-evaluations for IEP’s. Testing Specialists also complete file reviews, observations, and consult with staff on bilingual evaluations, eligibility issues and students new to Salem-Keizer Public Schools.

Starting in the 2023-24 school year new state law, Senate Bill 819, has changed how schools may use “abbreviated school day programs,” which means a program where a child attends school for fewer hours of school than the majority of other students. 

Here’s what you need to know:

• This law changes how individualized education program (IEP) teams decide if your child should be on an abbreviated school day program placement. Salem-Keizer school staff will provide more details about these changes when meeting with families to discuss this placement.
• For students who are on an abbreviated day and receiving services through an IEP/504, the District is required to obtain parent/guardian consent on an ongoing basis. Parents/guardians have the right to revoke consent at any time. If parents/guardians choose to revoke consent for an abbreviated school day, they must to notify their school in writing. If parents/guardians revoke consent, the district will provide the student with meaningful access to the same number of hours of instruction and educational services as other students within five school days.
• While students are on an abbreviated day and receiving services through an IEP/504, the service team will meet at least every 30 calendar days, unless parent/guardian provides written consent for an alternate schedule. Senate Bill 819 requires that a meeting be held at least every 90 calendar days, or annually for students on a 504. 
• Before each IEP meeting, the district must inform you in writing of the following items:
  • The school district’s duty to comply with the requirements of this bill; 
  • The prohibition against a school district placing a student with a disability on an abbreviated school day program without your consent; 
  • The student’s right to have meaningful access to the same number of hours of instruction and educational services as the majority of other students who are in the same grade within the student’s resident school district; and 
  • The parent’s or foster parent’s right, at any time, to withdraw consent for an abbreviated school day program placement or to request a meeting of the student’s IEP team to discuss whether the student should no longer be placed on an abbreviated school day program.

The full text of Senate Bill 819 is available to review online.

For more information on abbreviated school days, please contact:

• Salem-Keizer Public Schools - Call 503-399-3101 or email Cheré Limbach, Administrative Assistant
• Oregon Department of Education (ODE) - Call 503-947-5600 or email Oregon Department of Education
• FACT Oregon - Call 503-786-6082 or 541-695-5416 or email FACT Oregon Support or email FACT Oregon Apoyo
• Disability Rights Oregon (DRO) - Call 503-243-2081 or email Disability Rights of Oregon

Related Resources & Documents

Download the Abbreviated Day Letter to Parents and Guardians - July 25, 2023 as a PDF.

Special Education Resources

Popular resources for Salem-Keizer parents of students with special needs:

• Parental Rights and Procedural Safeguards
• FACT Oregon
  • 503-786-6082 or 1-888-988-3228
  • FACT’s Special Education Toolkit
• Creating Opportunities Regional Family Network
• Oregon Department of Education IDEA Compliance
  • 503-947-5600

What’s the Difference Between Special Education and a Section 504?

Section 504 is a civil rights law designed to protect individuals with disabilities. It’s intended to allow students supports or accommodations necessary for them to access their education. A Section 504 Plan is developed, much like an IEP, but without specially designed instruction. Generally, most students on a Section 504 plan are able to fully participate in general education.

Typically, an IEP (individual education plan) is designed for students with disabilities whose disability prevent them from accessing general education without specific interventions, such as specially designed instruction, related services and supplementary aids and services.