Students needs are the key focus in a new special education staffing plan developed by an Interest Based Agreement Process group.

Members of the group agreed on the plan Thursday after 15 days of meetings to determine how to improve staffing of special education classes in schools.

The new plan will be piloted during the 2008-09 school year, with the goal of implementing the plan in 2009-10, according to Tammie Bertelson, the director of special education in Natrona County.

A student-needs rubric will be used to determine how to staff special education teachers, speech and language pathologists, social workers, psychologists and teaching assistants at schools with special needs students.

In the rubric, students are given a score of one, two or three in 15 different areas. A student needing help in an academic area would be scored as follows:

A one indicates special education teachers and general education teachers work in collaboration, but the student works in a general education classroom.

A two indicates a special education teacher or assistant should be assigned to work with the student in a general education classroom.

A three indicates the student needs specially designed instruction in a pull-out or inclusive setting provided by a special education teacher on a regular basis.

Staff levels are then determined by cut scores, which have not been determined yet.

Bertelson said the new plan is a big change from how special education staffing is currently done.

"This is not based on the number of kids," Bertelson said. "It's based on the needs of kids."

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com.