Continuum of Services

A student’s placement within the Continuum of Service is made by a student’s IEP team, which includes (but is not limited to) the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s), educators from the student’s school district, and other individuals at the discretion of the parent or district with knowledge regarding the student and services.

• General Education with Push in Supports
• General Education with Pull Out Supports
• Program Placement with Push in Supports
• Program Placement with Pull Out Supports
• Separate Day School
• Home Hospital or Homebound Placement
• Residential Facility 

Tacoma Schools Program placement decisions are made in accordance with the concept of educating students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Each student has access to an appropriate learning environment and an opportunity for education with non-disabled students to the maximum extent appropriate as determined by the IEP team.  

State law requires all school districts in Washington to have available a continuum of alternative placements available to meet the needs of students eligible for special education. Washington State Administrative Code (WAC) 392-172A-02055.  

Special Education Programs 

• Pre-School: Children, ages 3-5, with developmental delays in communication, cognition, social-emotional, adaptive, and motor skills areas receive specially designed instruction per their individual education plan (IEP). 

• Learning Resource Room (LRC): Students receive specially designed instruction in academic, behavior, adaptive and social areas as indicated on (IEP). 

• RISE program: (Reaching Independence Through Structured Education) Students with emotional and behavioral disabilities receive specially designed instruction in all areas as indicated on their IEP. Inclusion in the general education settings will occur as designated in the IEP.  

• SUCCESS program (S.-Structured U.-Universally Designed C.-Comprehensive C.-Cognitive E.-Educational-S. Support -S.-Services): Students grades Kindergarten to Fifth Grade with moderate to severe disabilities receive specially designed instruction in all areas as indicated on their IEP. Inclusion in the general education settings will occur as designated in the IEP.  

• ACCESS program: (A.-Academics C.- Community C. – Communication E.- Employment S. – Self-Help S. – Social Skills): Students grades Sixth to Twelfth Grade with moderate to severe disabilities receive specially designed instruction in all areas as indicated on their IEP. Inclusion in the general education settings will occur as designated in the IEP.  

• Deaf and Hard of Hearing program (DHH): Learn more about our DHH program.

• Community Based Transition program (CBT): Students, ages 18-21, with significant disabilities receive on-going specially designed instruction in the areas of community living and work training. Learn more about our CBT program.

Contact our team to learn more