Find resources about the least restrictive environment (LRE), special education services eligibility and the placement decision process below. Be sure to click each tab to locate the resources appropriate for you.
The LRE is the appropriate environment for a student with disabilities to receive a Free and Appropriate Public Education and to remove barriers for students to access the general education curriculum. Learn about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and how it assists special education team and parents to make decisions on the best placement and services for students with disabilities to promote growth.
Students must first be eligible for special education services after teachers identify a students who needs supports through a tiered system called Response to Intervention (RTI). Then, after evaluations, assessments and meetings with the interdisciplinary team, a student may receive a classification of a disability and decide the least restrictive environment or most appropriate setting, supports and services for the child.
IRIS Center. (2019). Least restrictive environment information brief. Vanderbilt Peabody College. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdf_info_briefs/IRIS_least_restrictive_environment_info_brief.pdf
This article from the IRIS Center provides an information brief about the least restrictive environment (LRE) in special education. It introduces the concept derived from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and shows a graphic for the continuum of alternative placements for services and the decision making process that coincides with it. Additionally, it describes each of the different special education settings and the services and supports that one might encounter within that setting to help educators and parents appropriately place their students into the LRE. This organized table also characterizes each placement with a sample scenario of how services and supports may be delivered. I think this provides a comprehensive overview of this process of determining the appropriate placement for students. As a pre-service special education teacher, it elaborates upon the nature of the work within each setting, some examples of the types of services, accommodations and modifications which need to be delivered, and an understanding of the students who are placed in each type of classroom. I would look to this resource as a helpful starting point in understanding the LRE, the decision making process with the interdisciplinary team, and examples of what each setting looks like for the students and families.
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Office, Education Department. (2020, December 31). Return to school roadmap: development and implementation of individualized education programs in the least restrictive environment under the individuals with disabilities education act. Education Department. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GOVPUB-ED1_200-PURL-gpo190935
This federal legislation is a roadmap to implementing the individualized education program developed by the interdisciplinary team for each student eligible for special education resources and services. It outlines the Individuals with Disabilities Act and addresses the need for considering the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and making sure that special education services are being delivered by the start of the school year. This resource also acknowledges other special factors including the possibility of needing assistive technology, the child’s social, emotional, behavioral, medical and mental health needs. Making educational placement decisions falls into this document which encompasses extended school year determinations and the possible need for compensatory services. I think the well organized, question and answer style of this document is very useful for people involved with special education. It helps answer important and frequently asked questions and answers them using legislative rulings and policies so stakeholders can remain in compliance with the special education law.
New York State Education Department. (n.d.). Continuum of special education services for school-age students with disabilities. NYSED. Retrieved from https://www.nysed.gov/special-education/continuum-special-education-services-school-age-students-disabilities
This is a New York State education department resource, which summarizes the continuum of special education services for school-aged students with disabilities. This website outlines the research on high-quality instruction and notes that students with disabilities should have access to and participate in the general education curriculum. However, if the student with disability has barriers which impose upon their learning the general education curriculum, there is a continuum of services listed for them to learn what is appropriate for them. This information is organized in a question answer manner about instructions, placement, transition services, support services and so much more. It addresses students’ different needs, physically, socially, academically, and management needs and how class size program modifications, accommodations and supplementary aids and services may impact learning. This resource defines what consultant teacher services, resource room programs, integrated coaching services, special classes, related services, teaching assistance and teaching aids are. Detailed information and common questions are laid out following New York State legislation. This is an important resource to begin deepening your understanding of different educational placements when deciding upon your preferences and interests.
Center for Parent Information & Resources. (2022, August). Placement, short-and-sweet. Parent Center Hub. https://www.parentcenterhub.org/placement-overview/
This webpage is produced under the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs to support parents and teachers in understanding special education processes. This resource outlines the different placements according to the law which aligns with the least restrictive environment for the student with a disability. The webapge touches on who is involved in the placement decision, what types of placements there are and what the decision is based upon. It indicates how the group, including special educators, parents and administrators decide which setting best suits the child and how to determine what types of support the child needs. I think this is a valuable resource because it also provides a synopsis on notifying parents and if the parents disagree with the decision. These are situations you may encounter as a special educator and should be prepared in how to handle this information alongside the guidance of administration. The hyperlinks to the subtopics on this page are helpful in navigating this resource quickly. Additionally, see the CPIR (Center for Parent Information and resources) webinars which could be a good reference to provide to parents when the interdisciplinary team is deciding upon this placement or if the parents want additional information and support about special education.
Wolsefer, B. A. (2024). The relationship of special education placement and academic outcomes in southeast Louisiana: a mixed methods study (Publication No. 31336517) [Doctoral Thesis, Southeastern Louisiana University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/relationship-special-education-placement-academic/docview/3075817713/se-2?accountid=14166
This research is about the effects of the placement on elementary-aged students with disabilities excluding gifted and talented students and students with severe intellectual disability. The mixed methods approach measured how the curriculum taught in 2 districts aligns with the Louisiana student standards on the LEAP 2025 assessment. It takes a case study approach to compare the scores of students' in inclusive settings to those taught within a resource room setting. It emphasizes the relationship between placement and student outcomes in regards to academic achievement and concurrently factors in influential statuses like gender, race, socio-economic status, and English proficiency. I think this is an important study to take into consideration as a pre-service teacher to understand the various elements of teaching within an inclusive and resource room setting. Depending on your interests and passions, looking at the relationship between these factors may be influential in the decision to work with certain populations in different settings.
Brown, J., Skow, K., & the IRIS Center. (2009). RTI: Data-based decision making. Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdf_case_studies/ics_rtidm.pdf
This resource provides a comprehensive review of Response to Intervention and the Data-Based decision making that goes into qualifying for special education services or determining which supports are appropriate for students. It provides a definition and introduction of the response to intervention tiers and discusses the process of delivering interventions to students who need them. Additionally, the IRIS center compiles an example on how to evaluate present levels of performance and a benchmarking goal for the student. Depending on where the student is, they provide approaches on how to intervene and support the student. Next, the module reviews how to track a students’ rate of growth graphically, what strategies to implement depending on which Tier the child falls into, and a dual-discrepancy approach. Furthermore, placement decisions and a corresponding graphic are presented along with how to best communicate this information to parents. I think this is an extensive and realistic approach to response to intervention data-based decision making for students who have disabilities or those you may suspect need additional academic support.
Swanson, E., Solis, M., Ciullo, S., & McKenna,. W. (2012). Special education teachers’ perceptions and instructional practices in response to intervention implementation. Learning Disability Quarterly, 35(2), 115–126. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41702361
This study uses sampling, teacher observations and focus group interviews to understand the perceptions of special education teachers from grades 3-5 in response to the intervention framework that the district began implementing. It focuses on the quality of reading and math instruction delivered and how much of it was evidence-based practices in the response to intervention settings. The authors describe response to intervention’s positive impacts such as early identification of academic needs to better support students with difficulties as well as its challenges like increased paperwork, scheduling issues and new need for additional personnel. I think this is a nice article which gives a general review of how response to intervention implementation is necessary and how teachers overcome its challenges. This is an important read as special education teachers are important team players when it comes to special education.