Flemington-Raritan details gains in inclusion, autism program and preschool expansion

Flemington-Raritan Regional School District special services leaders told the school board they have increased inclusion of students with special needs in general education settings, expanded preschool programming and added interventions to reduce out-of-district placements.

In a presentation to the board, Director of Pupil Personnel Services Dr. Danielle Hamblin and Special Education Supervisor Rebecca Burns described changes the district began six years ago, including a five-year grant from the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education aimed at moving students from separate-class placements into classrooms with typical peers. They said the district’s percentage of students placed in separate-class programs dropped from 55 percent in 2021 to 17 percent in the most recent report, and that the district has reduced the number of students educated outside the district.

The report said preschool programming expanded in recent years. Hamblin told the board preschool initially was a 2.5-hour tuition-in program; the district moved toward five-hour sessions under the grant and later to the current longer day to increase inclusive opportunities for 3- and 4-year-olds. The expansion, administrators said, supported the district’s efforts to educate younger children alongside typical peers.

Administrators highlighted curriculum and assessment changes for students with significant cognitive disabilities, including participation rules set by the New Jersey Department of Education for the Dynamic Learning Map alternative assessment. Burns explained that families and educators review department participation criteria annually during IEP meetings and that students can qualify one year and not the next depending on those criteria.

The district described targeted interventions now provided in-district to prevent outside placements. Since 2022 the district trained six special-education teachers in the Wilson Reading System, a structured literacy Tier 3 intervention; staff said 18 students currently receive Wilson services (one-on-one or in small groups) and have shown stronger rate-of-improvement on NWEA measures than peers receiving other interventions. The presentation said some students previously being recommended for out-of-district placements are now served in-district because of the new offerings.

Burns and Hamblin also reviewed the autism program, which district staff described as “exceptional.” The district secured a technical assistance grant from the state autism department and led a three-part statewide training series; the report said 224 participants attended the first training. Staff reported internal self-assessments using the Autism Program Quality Indicators showed rapid progress from “not implemented” to “partially implemented” for multiple program components.

Other supports noted included social-emotional coaching, regular professional development and informal peer supports for staff (a monthly “front porch” conversation series), therapy dogs used for some students with mutism, and the You Matter closet for families in need. The presentation also previewed the district’s Whole Child Fair on April 8 and said preschool staff will present at external conferences about inclusion and preschool expansion.

Administrators repeatedly emphasized that many of these changes relied on external grant funding, state guidance and multi-year professional development rather than one-time decisions.

District leaders flagged continuing challenges such as space constraints for preschool expansion and the cost of educating students whose needs require intensive external placements. They said the board and administration continue to track those students and pursue tuition-in options where appropriate.

The presentation closed with a video and personal stories from families and staff illustrating the effect of expanded preschool and special services on students’ school readiness and social-emotional development.