• Welcome to the Providence Schools Office of Specialized Services

    The Special Education Commitment

    Providence Public School District educators are committed to the challenge of providing an appropriate education for every student. To meet this challenge, a wide range of services, program options, and curriculum alternatives are available to students whose education needs cannot be met in the regular classroom without specialized instruction.

    An Individualized Education Program For Every Student

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that schools and parents share the responsibility in designing a program that meets the unique educational needs of each student. This program is outlined in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

    A Full Continuum of Services

    Providence Public School District provides students with disabilities a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). This continuum includes the following:

    • Inclusion Support

    • Resource Programs

    • Self-Contained Support Classrooms

    • Center-Based Schools

    • Home and Hospital

  • PPSD Child Find 

    • Every child is entitled to a public education, regardless of disability. Children with disabilities may go without services because families are not fully aware of their options. If you know of a child, birth to age 22, who is not receiving any education services or feel that your child may be in need of special education services, please contact your local school or call the Special Education Department at (401) 456-9330.

    • The identification, location and evaluation of students suspected of having a disability includes students attending private schools, students who are highly mobile, students who have been suspended or expelled from school, home-schooled students, students who have not graduated from high school with a regular high school diploma and those who may be in need of special education and related services even though they are advancing from grade to grade, and regardless of the severity of the disability. 

  • Special Education Records Destruction 

    On January 31, 2021, Providence Public School District will destroy special education records of students born prior to September, 1994. Former special education students who are 27 years old, may request their records from the school last attended; otherwise, the records will be destroyed. 

     

    About this site: 

    This page will provide information on a variety of special education topics for parents of students who are differently abled, teachers and staff and the Providence community. Please take some time to familiarize yourself with our information. It is the commitment of the Office of Special Education to provide Individual Education Plan programming for every child in the District with a special education disability. It is our mission of the Office of Special Education to provide vision, leadership & expertise to schools, students and families in the implementation of curricula, instruction and social emotional supports to ensure the success of students who are differently abled ages 3-22* in achieving their current and post-secondary goals. The special education department seeks to improve the performance of students who are differently abled and assist in narrowing the achievement gap by ensuring equal access to the curriculum and differentiated instruction in the least restrictive environment.

    For information or to reach the Special Education Department, please call (401) 456-9330.