Special Education

Northport Public Schools offers a three-tiered system of academic and behavioral supports to students, which are designed to help all students access and progress in the curriculum and guide them to academic success and promote lifelong learning and productive citizenship. One of the tiers of support offered to students on the basis of demonstrated academic need is special education. Parents of special education students often report feeling most comfortable talking to another parent who has been through similar circumstances. The Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District maintains SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) to assist in the process of linking these parents together.

ASD Resources

START Project
National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder
National Standards Project

Resources

Northwest Education Services Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)
Northwest Education Services Special Education Programs
Life Centered Education Transition Curriculum

In 2010, the Michigan Department of Education (MOE) required that each local district make public its process to identify a Specific Learning Disability (MOE updated 3/16/17). The MDE SLD Criteria, outlined the various options districts may select in order to determine the presence of a SLD.

Northwest Education Services has established Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW) guidelines as an interim Specific learning Disability (SLD) identification process in response to changes in federal and state law, while providing continual support for the transition to a Mufti-Tiered System of Support and use of a Response to Intervention framework for SLD identification within the local districts. Northport Public School District will use PSW, Rtl, or a combination of these processes to identify SLD.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding special education services, or the three-tiered model of student supports, please contact, Brenda Heckl at: (231) 386-5153 x 209 or bheckl@northportps.org