2020-2021 540 Farview Avenue Paramus, New Jersey 07652 http://bcss.bergen.org The mission of the Bergen County Special Services School District is to effectively address the unique social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and career needs of students by creating positive, stimulating, and encouraging learning environments in schools, homes, and communities. Through dynamic collaborations with families and partnerships with community resources, the District will enable each learner to realize his or her highest potential and to become a Programs and Services self-directed and contributing member of society. S ergen County Special Services is a designed to meet individual needs. BCSS offers local Bunique county-wide public school school districts a wide range of programs incorporating district that was established through an the most effective and up-to-date technology available act passed by the New Jersey Legislature in to meet the needs of students with diverse learning 1971. disabilities. The district also offers an extensive array of services to facilitate the transition from school to ROGRAM Distinguished as the first Special Services adult life, including employment and/or postsecondary school district in New Jersey, Bergen County education. A team of qualified professionals conducts P is now one of eight such districts funded individual assessments to develop personalized, holistic by county, state, and sending schools. The plans ensuring each student’s successful integration District offers a broad spectrum of special into full community living. education programs and services for children and adults with disabilities. The school programs at Bergen County Special Services CHOOL are organized into five separate divisions known as S Students are placed in the least restrictive continuums. Each of these continuums include a environment according to developmental broad range of special education classifications, and are and chronological levels. Flexible and highly designed for the needs of students in pre-Kindergarten individualized learning environments are through secondary school. AUTISM CONTINUUM learn to assume responsibility for their actions by understanding consequences of behavior, predicting outcomes of behavior, and exercising control of behavior. The Autism Continuum is designed to meet the academic, social, behavioral, and vocational needs of students who are classified The Behavioral Skills Continuum is firmly rooted in the with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive commitment to provide an environment where all students Developmental Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder- can experience success and ultimately transition to become Not Otherwise Specified. Learners attending our programs range productive, self-supporting citizens. Each site provides a full in age from three to twenty-one. We offer our students highly array of traditional and functional academic courses, as well individualized instructional formats based upon the principles as personal, social, career and employment experiences. These of applied behavior analysis (ABA). These empirically-based supportive settings are designed to facilitate student learning teaching methodologies, according to ongoing research efforts, potential and, simultaneously, to equip students with the skills are the most effective educational interventions for students with they need to effectively make decisions, solve problems, and autism. Our school services include occupational, physical, and assume responsibility. Curriculum in these programs is aligned speech therapies; family training; home program coordination; to New Jersey Student Learning Standards; students participate and augmentative communication assessment. Programs in all state-mandated testing. include language, social, behavioral, and academic development. Students enrolled in these programs are usually authorized to substitute the state’s DLM alternative assessment for state-required standardized tests. The secondary program utilizes the support DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CONTINUUM services of a job coach and an industrial arts teacher to assist students with internships at local businesses and employment in The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Continuum offers programs in local communities. Midland Park and Hackensack, and is one of the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in New Jersey. Students, who Bergen County Special Services holds membership in Autism range in age from three to twenty-one, are educated either New Jersey, Inc. through an Auditory-Oral approach or a Total Communication approach. The Auditory-Oral track focuses on the development of listening and oral speech skills, while the Total BEHAVIORAL CONTINUUM Communication track incorporates sign language and finger spelling in addition to speech, speech-reading, and auditory Programs within this continuum are designed for students with amplification. Both approaches emphasize the development of emotional and/or learning disabilities who require educational, communication skills through intensive speech and language supportive, and/or ongoing counseling to develop positive training in conjunction with the use of residual hearing. social and emotional interactions and, ultimately, the ability to self-monitor their personal growth and development. Students Since the programs are located in public schools, students have the opportunity to interact with age-appropriate peers who are not hearing impaired. A complete array of placements is available, from self-contained to full inclusion (mainstreamed). SERVICES FOR Collaborative teaching, participation in lunch and recreation NON-PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS periods, and a full spectrum of academic and extracurricular activities are among the inclusion options offered. All students New Jersey’s Chapter 192 and Chapter 193 programs are are eligible to participate in general education, physical offered to eligible students enrolled full-time in nonpublic education, sports, music, art, and library classes. A variety of elementary and secondary schools in New Jersey. Chapter cultural enrichment activities, such as performances by the 192 programs provide auxiliary services such as compen- National Theatre of the Deaf, are offered throughout the year. satory education, English as a second language, and home Curriculum in these programs is aligned to the New Jersey instruction. Chapter 193 programs provide remedial ser- Student Learning Standards, with students participating in vices such as evaluation and determination of eligibility all state-mandated testing. Additional support, including for special education and related services, supplementary audiological services, ongoing case management services, and instruction, speech-language services, and home instruc- sign language classes for families and staff, is provided. tion from certified teachers employed by BCSS. The 192/193 Program is staffed by approximately 64 pro- LIFE SKILLS CONTINUUM fessionals who provide services to classified and general Programs within the Life Skills Continuum offer education and education students in non-public schools throughout Ber- related services to students who exhibit cognitive and/or physical gen County. Forty-two highly qualified teachers provide disabilities. Emphasis is placed upon intensive instruction in Comp Ed (basic skills) to students who fall below the min- age-appropriate independent living skills, generalization of imum levels of proficiency on standardized tests, as well skills across multiple environments, and community-based as Supplemental Instruction (SI) to classified students. functional instruction. Career education and development of Two ESL teachers instruct students for whom English is social skills enable students to become contributing members of a second language, to ensure their success both academi- society. Job coaches assist students in obtaining and maintaining cally and socially. Additionally, twenty certified speech/ employment. Students and families are linked to adult service language specialists in the Program evaluate and provide providers so they can continue to receive the supports needed to succeed in life. Students typically participate in DLM alternative treatment for children with speech and language needs. assessment. Contact Information: Danielle Russo, 201-343-6000, ext. 6033/[email protected]. PRESCHOOL CONTINUUM Several Bergen County Special Services school sites have preschool programs that serve children who have been identified with specific needs. For other preschool children who have been PROJECT SEARCH identified with special education needs, inclusion in a general preschool classroom is the best placement. These students can be placed in a typical early childhood education center, PROJECT SEARCH is a full-time program located at provided with special education supports, and be educated with the Bergen County Administrative Offices at One Bergen their typically developing peers. The program offers a full-day County Plaza in Hackensack. In partnership with Bergen integrated preschool class with the goal of transitioning students County Project SEARCH and the Bergen County Work- to an integrated kindergarten class. Preschool classes are offered force Development Board, BCSS offers students with dis- at Brownstone School, Washington Elementary School, Hearing abilities full immersion in a variety of work settings dur- Impaired Program (HIP) at Midland Park and HIP at Union ing their last year of school in order to increase students’