NUSD Special Education

The mission of the Department is to identify and provide appropriate education to students with disabilities, in the least restrictive environment, to enable each student to reach their academic potential while acquiring life skills for the 21^st century.

Special Education is specialized instruction provided for children from birth to age 22 who qualify according to the laws and regulations outlined by the state and federal government. A student may qualify for special education services as an individual with special needs in one of thirteen areas identified by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004).

These areas are as follows:

• Autism
• Deaf-blindness
• Deafness
• Hearing impairment (hard of hearing)
• Intellectual disability
• Multiple disabilities
• Orthopedic impairment
• Other health impairment
• Several emotional disturbance
• Specific learning disability
• Speech or language impairment
• Traumatic brain injury
• Visual impairment

As defined by California Education Code (section 56031), special education is:

Specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of individuals with exceptional needs, whose educational needs cannot be met with modification of the general instruction program, and Related Services that help individuals with special needs to benefit from specially designed instruction. Special Education is an integral part of the total public education system. Other features of Special Education are:

• Services are provided in a way that promotes maximum interaction between students with and without disabilities in a manner that is appropriate to the needs of both.
• Services are provided at no cost to parents.
• Services include a full range of program options to meet the educational and service requirements of individuals with exceptional needs in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The LRE is generally the setting that is most similar to those attended by students with general education.

Novato Unified School District is part of the Marin County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), a collaborative of 19 school districts and public agencies in Marin. Through the District and SELPA, we offer a continuum of services for students with disabilities. The majority of students with IEPs attend general education with special education supports as outlined in their IEP. About 15% of students who qualify for Special Education attend a specialized program. 

The NUSD more intensive programs include: 

Specialized Academic Instruction: Students receive specialized academic instruction while participating in a general education setting. 

Early Intervention: For students who qualify for the Early Interventions Special Education Program, the goal is to provide services focusing on developmental progress and prepare children to transition smoothly to transitional kindergarten.

Special Day Class:  Serves students who need a smaller classroom environment as well as a differentiated curriculum and instruction. Students who are mild/moderate and cannot access the curriculum in general education classrooms. In the elementary RSP class for more than 50% of the day. 

Students who attend a special day class may qualify for special education under a variety of categories (e.g., Specific Learning Disability, Intellectual Disability, Other Health Impairment, emotional disability,etc.) Locations include Rancho Elementary, Olive Elementary, San Jose Middle School, Sinaloa Middle School, Novato High School, and San Marin High School.

Social Cognition (SOCOG)  Serves students with needs around communication (e.g., functional communication, self-advocacy, etc.) and social skills (e.g., pragmatics, recognizing contextually appropriate expectations, communication, etc.).  The class utilizes a reinforcement system that targets social skills, focuses on teaching in smaller environments that limit environmental distractions, and places a corresponding emphasis on skill generalization as the students display skill acquisition. 

Students typically qualify for special education in the area of Autism. Classrooms are located at San Ramon Elementary, Lu Sutton Elementary, Sinaloa Middle School, and San Marin High School.

Counseling Enriched Classroom (CEC):  A Counseling Enriched Classroom (CEC) within the Special Education (SPED) setting is a specialized environment that integrates academic instruction with therapeutic support, focusing on students' emotional and behavioral needs. These classrooms are designed for students with disabilities who may have additional challenges related to mental health, trauma, social-emotional development, or behavioral regulation.

In a Counseling-enriched Classroom, the primary goal is to provide an emotionally supportive and structured setting where students can develop academic skills alongside coping strategies, emotional regulation, and social skills. The classroom often works closely with school counselors, mental health professionals, and special education staff.

Students who participate in this class usually qualify under Emotional Disability, OHI, or Autism. Classes are located at Loma Verde Elementary, San Jose Middle School, Marin Oaks High School, and Novato High School.

Adult Transition Program:  The adult transition program is designed to support young adults with disabilities moving from high school to post-school life. This program typically serves students aged 18 to 22 who have completed their high school coursework but need additional support to develop the skills necessary for independent living, employment, and community involvement. These skills may include job readiness, daily living skills, community engagement, social skills, independent living skills, vocational training, and appropriate certifications, such as CPR and a food handler’s license.

Students are either on the certificate track or the alternative high school diploma track. The class is located at the Hill Education Center.

More Intensive Supports: If more intensive services are appropriate for the student, as identified in the IEP, the student may attend one of the Marin County Office of Education Programs. More information regarding those programs can be found Marin County SELPA