Mellisa Thomas

                Director of Pupil Personnel  

                Services and Special Education

               Phone: (845) 256-4040 / Fax: (845)256-4024

                 196 Main Street, New Paltz, New York 12561                                                                                                                                

                 Email: mthomas@newpaltz.k12.ny.us                                                                                                                                                                   

March 18, 2025

  New Paltz High School: Resource Room Program

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing to inform you of a change to the Resource Room Program for the 2025-2026 school year. While the various implementations of the program have served us well, we have observed that the 80-minute intervention block is too long for students to maintain focus solely on supplementary instruction.

The Resource Room Program is designed to supplement the general education or special education classroom instruction for students with disabilities who require additional support in areas such as organizational skills, reading, the use of assistive technology devices, Braille, or compensatory strategies. The program is not designed to be utilized as a study hall, homework help center, or test accommodation center.

Since special education is a service and not a place, there is fluidity within and between service delivery models. Many of the supports provided in the Resource Room—such as instruction in organizational skills, reteaching, and compensatory strategies—can also be delivered through the Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) program, which helps explain the decrease in engagement and productivity in the Resource Room.

Over the years, ICT sections have expanded from two core subjects to four for grades 9 and 10, increasing the level of support that would traditionally be provided in the Resource Room. While ICT is an optional program within the continuum of services, the district remains committed to offering it, as it is designed to naturally integrate students with disabilities into the general education classroom while providing real-time support.

For 11th and 12th graders, some students resist this support. Possible reasons include a desire for greater autonomy and concerns about missing out on mainstream academic experiences, especially as they prepare for college and career goals.

Given this flexibility and fluidity of service models and student engagement, the Resource Room schedule will be adjusted to 40 minutes every other day, combined with two hours of Indirect Consultant Teacher service.

Despite this adjustment, the focus of the Resource Room, combined with Indirect Consultant Teacher service, remains the same: providing targeted supplementary instruction while fostering a gradual release of responsibility, enabling students to work toward independent practice and application. This adjustment is essential in continuing to support students’ independence, self-direction, and postsecondary goals.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the program adjustment, please feel free to contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Mellisa Thomas

Director of Pupil Personnel  

Services and Special Education