Akers Elementary

   "Home of the Eagles"

The Primary Resource Specialist at Akers Elementary School, along with the Resource instructional aide, works with children identified as needing Special Education help in grades K-5. Instruction is done with small groups, individually or with the homeroom teacher on a collaborative basis. Children must be identified as having a learning disability and the need for remediation determined. The Resource Specialist Program (RSP) comes under the umbrella of Special Education services. If a student qualifies for RSP in one district, he or she will automatically transfer into the RSP program in a new school district.

The transition from one school district to another is much smoother for the student if the parent brings the special education paperwork when enrolling a child in a new school. At the new school, the Resource Specialist Teacher will review the special education file of the new student, confer with the teacher or teachers who see this student and assess his or her needs. A meeting will then be held with the parents, teachers and administrator to develop an appropriate individual education plan (IEP).

With the help of Senate Bill AB777, the Resource Specialist teacher is able to work with students (for a short time) who are struggling academically but have not been identified as learning disabled, as long as there is room in the intervention program. These students are placed in the program after a need is established through the Student Study Team process and parental approval is received.

SRA Corrective Reading and Step-Up-To Writing are also programs that are used to assist students in improving their academic skills in core curriculum for Reading and Writing.

Akers also offers an upper grade (6-8) Resource Specialist who works with identified children. Instruction is accomplished through small groups, individually, or with the homeroom teacher on a collaborative basis. An RSP aide is also available to work with identified students.