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After participating in a thorough external review of the district's special education programs by IU Bloomington’s Center on Education and Lifelong Learning, and reviewing their recommendations, the Duneland School Corporation decided to decentralize services from Porter County Education Services (PCES) at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year.  The Duneland School Corporation now employs all special education teachers and instructional aides, and manages the special education programs within the district. DSC will continue to examine structures, and programs and services in order to strengthen programs and increase opportunities for inclusion within the district in order to promote student success. 

DSC continues to engage in a partnership with PCES in several areas including:

  • Assessments and Evaluations to determine eligibility for special education and related services

  • Related services include:

    • Speech and Language services

    • Occupational Therapy

    • Physical Therapy

    • Counseling

    • Assistive Technology

    • Functional Behavior Assessments

  • Provide instruction and specialized skills training for students who are eligible as Deaf and Hard of Hearing or Blind or Low Vision

DSC will continue to collaborate with PCES in order to meet the needs of all students.

The Department of Exceptional Learning is committed to supporting students with disabilities and will ensure that eligible students are provided a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.

Continuum of Services 

The Duneland School Corporation believes in supporting all students through the development of the whole child and ensures a culture of high expectations and continuous growth through innovation and research-based practices. In order to meet the needs of students, DSC offers a continuum of services for students with exceptional needs. Special education and related services are available to students ages 3 - 22, offering a full continuum of placement options for students with special needs as deemed appropriate by the Case Conference Committee (CCC). Each student’s developmental, educational and behavioral needs are considered by the CCC when determining the appropriate placement in the least restrictive environment.

Developmental Preschool

The DSC developmental preschool program is for children 3 – 5 years of age who have qualified for early intervention services through a multidisciplinary educational evaluation. The services provided for each child will vary depending on their individual needs. The continuum of services provided may include walk-in services for speech and/or language therapy, as well as more intensive programming in the developmental preschool program. Speech, language, physical and occupational therapies are integrated within the program by the therapists and the classroom teacher.  The special education preschool services are offered at the Early Childhood Education HUB.

Resource Support

Resource services are designed to support students within the general education curriculum and environment. Students identified with special needs are supported by special education staff in the general education classroom. In addition, services may be provided within the special education setting when specific instruction is needed to remediate academic instruction and/or behavior and social skills instruction driven by the student’s IEP goals.

Intense Interventions

Intensive interventions are provided for students who have not been successful with resource support. These services are provided in separate classrooms in order to provide instruction in functional academics, life skills, social emotional skills or address behavioral challenges. Students are integrated into the general education environment on an individual basis determined by student need.

Separate Educational Facility

Specialized and Intensive programs are provided at a separate educational facility known as the Special Education Learning Facility (SELF School) by Porter County Education Services. These classrooms and programs address the needs of students with severe disabilities in the areas of functional skills and behavioral challenges.