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Consultant teacher services support students with disabilities who are enrolled in general education classes, including career and technical education classes. The intent of consultant teacher services is to provide direct and/or indirect instructional support to students and their teachers which does not require removing the student from the general education classroom.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the No Child Left Behind Act focus on improving the academic achievement of students with disabilities. The Committee on Special Education (CSE) must determine how each student with a disability will have the opportunity to be involved with and progress in the general education curriculum. This includes recommending the types of support needed by the student or by the student's teacher(s) to enable the student to achieve the goals and objectives of such curriculum. Some students with disabilities could be successfully educated in a general education class with the support of a consultant teacher.

The 1997 IDEA changed the membership of the committee to strengthen the connection between special education and the student's opportunity to benefit from the general education curriculum.

Each Committee on Special Education must include at least one general education teacher of the student, if the student is or may be participating in the general education environment. The general education teacher helps the committee to identify appropriate positive behavioral supports and modifications for the student and necessary support for school personnel, to enable the student to participate in the general education class and curriculum.

83972 NYSUT Research and Educational Services – 3/2011

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