Special Education Programs

Special Education Programs and Services

North Wasco County School District provides a range of special education services designed to meet the individual needs of eligible students from early childhood through age 21. Services may include support within the general education classroom, targeted instruction in a smaller setting, highly structured programming, or community-based transition services.

The descriptions below provide a general overview of several service models available within the district. They are intended to help students, families, and community members understand the purpose of each program and the types of support that may be provided.

A student’s services are not determined by a diagnosis, eligibility category, or program name alone. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) team considers the student’s strengths, needs, goals, progress, and the supports required for the student to participate and make meaningful progress. Services may look different for each student and may be provided in more than one setting during the school day.

Families are encouraged to contact their student’s school or the Student Services Department with questions about individual programs or services.

Learning Center / Resource Room

What is a Learning Center or Resource Room?

A Learning Center, sometimes called a Resource Room, is a school-based setting where eligible students receive specialized instruction and support based on their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Students generally participate in their general education classrooms for most of the school day and receive Learning Center services individually, in a small group, or within the general education classroom.

Learning Center services may include:

Specially designed instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, communication, behavior, organization, or other areas identified in the student’s IEP
Targeted instruction using methods, materials, or pacing adapted to the student’s individual needs
Support with using accommodations, assistive technology, and learning strategies
Instruction to build independence, self-advocacy, and school participation
Monitoring progress toward IEP goals
Collaboration between special education staff, general education teachers, related service providers, and families

A Learning Center is not simply a place for completing unfinished assignments, receiving general tutoring, or taking tests. The primary purpose is to provide the specialized instruction identified in the student’s IEP.

The amount, location, and type of support are individually determined by the IEP team. Receiving Learning Center services does not mean that a student must spend the entire day outside the general education classroom. Students with disabilities are educated alongside students without disabilities to the greatest extent appropriate for their individual needs.

Each school has a Learning Center.

Learning Resource Center

What is the Learning Resource Center (LRC)?

Located at Dry Hollow Elementary, the Learning Resource Center, or LRC, provides structured, individualized special education services for students whose disability-related needs affect multiple areas of learning and school participation. Students served through the LRC may need support not only with academics, but also with communication, social interaction, independence, classroom routines, and applying learned skills in new situations.

LRC services may include:

Explicit instruction in foundational reading, writing, and mathematics
Functional academics, such as understanding time, money, measurement, personal information, and written directions
Instruction in communication and expressing needs, ideas, and feelings
Support with social skills, classroom expectations, and relationships with peers
Development of self-care, independence, organization, and responsibility
Highly structured instruction using concrete materials, visual supports, repetition, and guided practice
Additional support with beginning tasks, maintaining attention, completing work, and working independently
Practice using skills across different people, activities, and school settings

The LRC referral form considers student needs across adaptive skills, communication, social development, classroom functioning, and academics, rather than focusing on academic performance alone.
Students may participate in general education classes and activities based on their individual strengths, needs, and IEPs. Referral to or placement in the LRC is not determined by a single score, diagnosis, or checklist. The IEP team considers the student’s individual needs, the supports already provided, and the full range of available services.

Structured Learning Center (SLC)

What is a Structured Learning Center (SLC) Classroom?

Structured Learning Center, or SLC, classrooms provide intensive, individualized special education services for students whose needs cannot be fully addressed through a traditional Learning Center or Resource Room model. Students in an SLC may need a highly structured learning environment, more frequent individualized or small-group instruction, specialized communication supports, and additional assistance throughout the school day.

Instruction and support may address:

Academic and functional learning
Communication, including the use of AAC, visual supports, gestures, or other communication systems
Social interaction and participation with peers
Emotional and behavioral regulation
Adaptive skills, daily routines, and independence
Sensory, mobility, personal care, or other disability-related needs
Generalization of skills across classrooms, activities, and school environments

SLC staff work closely with families, general education teachers, related service providers, and other school staff to provide consistent support across the student’s day. Instruction is adapted in content, methods, pacing, and delivery to help each student make meaningful progress toward their IEP goals.

Students may receive services in the SLC for all or part of the school day. Opportunities to learn, participate, and build relationships with general education peers are planned according to each student’s strengths and individual needs.

Placement in an SLC is not automatic based on a student’s disability or eligibility category. It is an individualized decision made by the IEP team after considering the student’s needs, the supports that have been provided, and the range of services available. The goal is to help each student develop communication, academic, functional, social, and self-advocacy skills while increasing independence and meaningful participation in the school community.

SLC classrooms are located at Chenowith Elementary, The Dalles Middle School, and The Dalles High School.

Transition 21

What is Transition 21?

Transition 21 is a special education transition program for eligible young adults who continue to need individualized instruction and support as they prepare to move from school into adult life. The program provides instruction and community-based experiences based on each student’s strengths, interests, preferences, needs, and postsecondary goals.

Who is eligible for Transition 21?

Students may be considered for Transition 21 when they:

Are eligible for special education and have a current Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Are generally between the ages of 18 and 21
Have not received a regular high school diploma
Continue to need specially designed instruction and transition services to prepare for employment, further education or training, independent living, or community participation
Have needs and postsecondary goals that can be appropriately addressed through the Transition 21 program

Participation in Transition 21 is not automatic based on a student’s age, disability, diploma option, or number of years in high school. The student’s IEP team determines whether the program is appropriate after considering the student’s transition assessments, goals, support needs, progress, and the full range of available services.

In Oregon, eligible students who have not received a regular high school diploma may continue to receive special education services through the end of the school year in which they turn 21. Receiving a regular high school diploma ends eligibility for special education services under IDEA.

What services does Transition 21 provide?

Rather than following a traditional high school schedule, Transition 21 focuses on helping students build practical skills that can be used at work, at home, and in the community. Services may be provided in the classroom, at community locations, in workplaces, or through partnerships with local agencies and businesses.

Transition 21 services may include:

Career exploration and identifying employment interests
Job-readiness instruction, job coaching, and work-based learning experiences
Volunteer opportunities, job shadows, and community employment experiences
Independent living skills, including personal organization, household responsibilities, transportation, money management, and community access
Communication, self-advocacy, and decision-making skills
Support with postsecondary education or training opportunities
Connections with Vocational Rehabilitation, developmental disability services, and other adult agencies
Instruction in workplace expectations and skills for increasing independence
Collaborative planning with students, families, school staff, and community partners

Each student’s Transition 21 services are developed through the IEP process. The type, frequency, and location of services are based on the student’s individual transition goals and support needs.

The purpose of Transition 21 is to help students leave school with greater independence, meaningful community connections, and the skills and confidence needed to participate in employment, continued learning, community life, and adult services.

Red squiggle with a cherry on it above the words Transition 21

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A boy with a HUGE smile with coloring tools in front of him.

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