Dr. Guadalupe Perales
Welcome to Student Support Services
The Special Education Department provides leadership and support to special education students, staff, and families. The department facilitates intervention, assessment, and educational placement for students with disabilities.
Our Vision
McFarland Unified School District recognizes that every student has unique individual needs. We will provide a program that meets the academic, physical, social, behavioral, and emotional needs of every student so that each student has equal opportunities to succeed and become a contributing member of society.
Student success will be supported by staff continuously trained to provide differentiated instruction based on each student's unique needs. Teachers, parents, instructional aides, support staff, and administrators will plan, develop, and implement classroom environments that are designed to meet the individual learning and social needs of students. All staff will be trained and informed in classroom management, behavior modification, conflict resolution, and techniques to support the success of all students. Student growth is measured academically, physically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.
Strong relationships and collaboration of stakeholders will support the development of skills and assets that allows all students to be successful academically, physically, socially, and behaviorly.
All stakeholders will work as a team, meeting often for collaboration, to ensure success!
Our Mission
The mission of the Special Education Department is to provide purposeful and accurate guidance, support, and procedures so that staff and parents develop positive and professional team relationships in order to produce improved student achievement in a quality, caring, and appropriate educational setting.
What is Special Education
California Education Code (Section 56031) describes Special Education as:
Specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of individuals with exceptional needs whose educational needs cannot be met with modification of the regular instructional program. It includes related services at no cost to the parent that may be needed to assist such individuals to benefit from specially designed instruction.
Special education ensures students receive a Free, Appropriate Public Education, commonly referred to as FAPE. FAPE is a description of the services and supports that are required for a child with a disability to gain educational benefit. The offer of FAPE is outlined in a student's Individual Education Plan (IEP).
Special education further ensures all students receive instruction in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). LRE is defined as the education of students with disabilities with non-disabled peers to the greatest extent possible. Once a student qualifies for Special Education services, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is developed by the IEP team, which consists of qualified professionals, the student and the parents.
