School Support Services

Overview
New Dawn follows these overarching principles in the administration of its special education program:

• New Dawn aims to educate students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment with their non-disabled peers in an inclusion environment. All parents must agree to this model prior to enrolling at New Dawn.
• New Dawn does not discriminate in admission and enrollment practices on the basis of a student having or suspected of having a disability.
• New Dawn adheres to all applicable state and federal guidelines in the implementation of its special education program.

Services at New Dawn
New Dawn Charter High School, in keeping with state and federal mandates concerning special education, ensures that all special education programs and services included in a student’s IEP are provided directly to the student during school hours. New Dawn employs three full-time, certified special education teachers. These staff members provide consultation and support to classroom teachers; provide instruction in general education classrooms to special education students, both individually and in small groups; and serve as special education consultants to the overall school community.

Classroom teachers at New Dawn are expected to be highly knowledgeable about the needs of students with disabilities. In addition to understanding their responsibilities toward students with IEPs, they are required to request any support they may need to implement a student’s program and to take all possible steps to implement classroom modifications/ accommodations in accordance with students’ IEPs.

Overview
A student should be identified as an English Language Learner (ELL) if he or she: (1) was not born in the United States and/or has a native language other than English; (2) comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; (3) is a Native American or Alaska Native and comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on his or her level of English language proficiency; (4) indicates on the Home Language Survey that English is not spoken at home; (5) has already been identified by the NYC DOE as an ELL; or (6) upon interview with a school staff it is deemed the student does not have the requisite English skills necessary to participate fully in classroom learning.

Services
Student in need of English language service are actually integrated into the general education program under an immersion model. The school will directly provide or make referrals to appropriate support services that may be needed by ELL students in order to achieve and maintain a satisfactory level of academic performance. Such services may include individual counseling, group counseling, home visits, and parental counseling.