Brandywine School District
16 Great Schools. 1 Strong Community.
Special Education Services Continuum in BSD
Least Restrictive Environment and Inclusive Opportunities
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is a guiding principle in IDEA, which is the law guaranteeing students with disabilities the right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that meets their individual needs. IEP teams need to make decisions that ensure students with disabilities receive their education alongside their peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate. Students should also not be removed from the general education classroom unless their learning cannot be achieved, even with the use of additional supplementary aids, supports, accommodations, modifications, and services. Decisions about where students will spend their time in school and how those services will be provided must be made using these guidelines.
In Brandywine School District, we believe in providing inclusive opportunities while also meeting the individual needs of students with disabilities. Each IEP team develops an Individualized Education Program to provide students with opportunities to participate with students without disabilities to the maximum extent possible with the individualized supports necessary for them to make progress toward their goals, within the curriculum, and in other educational activities.
A, B, and C of LRE!
The IEP identifies a student's Least Restrictive Environment which is based on the amount of time a student spends in the general education setting and the amount of time a student spends in a special education setting. The specific amount of time will vary by student and depends on the service model or a combination of models (as described below) that meets the individual needs of the student.
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LRE A is identified when a student is in the general education setting for at least 80% of the school day. The other percentage of the day, the student would be in a special education setting.
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LRE B is identified when a student is in the general education setting for 40% to 79% of the school day. The other percentage of the day, the student would be in a special education setting.
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LRE C is identified when a student is in the general education setting less than 40% of the school day. The other percentage of the day, the student would be in a special education setting.
These are the most common settings. However, there are additional setting options to address the needs of students who are not demonstrating progress. See more information about Least Restrictive Environment from the Parent Center Hub.
