Exceptional Education Staffing Model Allocations and Specialized Programs


Students identified for Exceptional Education services in Hamilton County Schools are served across a continuum of services, considering the individual needs, access to the least restrictive environment, the intensity and restrictiveness of the services needed to ensure they access, participate, and progress in the general education curriculum.

Principals provided extensive feedback that allocation of Exceptional Education staff based on caseload for Exceptional Education teachers was not the preferred staffing model.

Across the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 staffing models, schools have a multitude of ways to serve students using the allocation of teachers and assistants from their base model. The district Exceptional Education staff are ready and willing to support with discussing how to build teacher and student schedules that meet the needs of students. Each teacher should have a caseload of no more than 20 students; however, it is always most successful to serve students when teachers collaborate and work together as a team.

In Hamilton County Schools, specialized programs are centralized and locations are identified within each learning community. The goal is always to serve students in their zone school or the school closest to their home. Transportation and access to the right complement of services through a specialized program may sometimes require a student to attend a school other than their zone school. When the IEP team, including the parent, has determined that a student requires a specialized program, district Exceptional Education staff will participate in the first IEP meeting to work with the IEP team to make the best recommendations for the student.

Specialized Programs in HCS include: