Rebecca Hebert-Sweeny
Co-Director of Special Services: GRS Cooperative
bhebert@ncia.net

Steve Gordon
Co-Director of Special Services: Dummer, Errol, and Milan
sgordon@sau.org

Special Education:
The SAU 20 special education programs are designed to provide specialized instructional services for those students between the ages of 3 and 21 who are determined to be educationally disabled and need these services in order to benefit from the general curriculum. Examples of educational disabilities include speech and language problems, learning disabilities, emotional disturbance and visual impairments. These services are free and most often are provided in the child's regular class.

The Special Education Process includes the following steps: Identification, Referral, Evaluation, Determination of Eligibility/Disability, Development of the Individual Education Program, Placement and Monitoring.

SAU 20 publishes a document titled New Hampshire Procedural Safeguards Handbook For Special Education: A Parents' Rights in Special Education. To receive a copy of this informative booklet which explains the special education process from referral to monitoring or to discuss a special education issue with one of the C0-Directors of Special Services, please contact the Superintendent of School's Office at (603) 466-3632).

Section 504:
Section 504 is the section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which applies to persons with disabilities. Basically it is a civil rights act which protects the civil and constitutional rights of persons with disabilities. Section 504 prohibits organizations which receive federal funds from discrimination against otherwise qualified individuals solely on the basis of handicap. Section 504 is enforced by the US Department of education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR).

Procedural Safeguards Handbook

Home Education:
Home education has proven to be a viable educational option for SAU 20 parents. Statewide, the program has grown from a few pioneering families in the 1970's to more than 1650 children in 1993. All 67 school administrative units and 18 private schools are involved in providing oversight of these programs.

Home Education information

English as a Second Language:
The Gorham School District recognizes that students may be enrolling in our school district who have limited English proficiency. For these students to compete with his/her English speaking peers, an ESL program is available in accordance with the State of N.H. requirements and in compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Education Act of 1974.