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Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)

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Director of Special Education:  Sharon Hurst

900 Grant Street
Denver, Colorado 80203

PH 720-423-3506
Sharon_Hurst@dpsk12.org

The Department of Student Services of the Denver Public Schools has many areas that are in place to meet the needs of students ages 3 - 21.

By far, the largest of these areas is Special Education.  Staff in Special Education believe the following:

• We believe that education is comprehensive, addressing the student's physical, mental and social needs.
  
• We believe that parents are informed partners in planning and ensuring the learning success of each student.
  
• We believe that students share responsibility for their own education and the education of their peers.
  
• We believe that educational services must be based on the IDENTIFIED NEEDS of students at each school.
  
• We believe that educational services that remove barriers to learning will increase student achievement.
  
• We believe that an array of services should be available to each student and family.

With the above beliefs in place, the Special Education Staff of the Denver
Public Schools have adopted a NEEDS-BASED MODEL to meet the needs of students with disabilities.  The ultimate goal of needs based services is for each student to acquire skills necessary to pursue independent living, community participation, career path employment and/or post secondary education.

Needs-Based services are based on the following basic concepts:

• Special Education is a planning process, not a program
  
• Identification of needs and characteristics of services to meet those needs is the focus of all decisions (instruction, related services, and placement).
  
• Student needs are similar by virtue of their intensity or by functioning area rather than by disability.
  
• Students are grouped and regrouped as their educational needs dictate.