Catawba County Schools offers a variety of services and programs to meet the needs of special education students. Our IEP team makes decisions regarding student needs, while the school district determines the most appropriate location for services.

Learn more about our Specialized Programs

We take pride in the amount of individualized attention we give our students. Since people are our most valuable resource, our student to staff ratio is well below state requirements. Learn more about our staffing ratio.

Meet our EC Support Team

Catawba County Schools participates in the North Carolina State Improvement Project Grant as a Best Practice Center in the Northwest Region. The project supports evidence-based literacy and math instruction for students with disabilities. Catawba County has in-district trainers and coaches for intervention programs discussed on the NC SIP website. Additionally, we have instructors for Reading Research to Classroom Practice and Foundations of Math. 

View the NC SIP Website

Check out our data for students with disabilities:

Graduation Rates 

End of Grade & End of Course State Assessment Proficiency

Early Intervention

Our district offers a variety of programs and services to better prepare preschool age children for kindergarten. We also offer early interventions for struggling, non-identified students. 

Assistive Technology Team

Autism Team - The Autism Team conducts assessments for students who may require Exceptional Children’s services under the Autism category.  The team also provides expertise to assist with programming and evidence-based approaches for students with autism. 

Behavior Specialist Team - The Behavior Specialist Team provides support and expertise in evidence-based approaches for students with significant behavioral and/or emotional needs.

Instructional Specialist Team - The Instructional Specialist Team provides support and expertise in evidence-based instruction, informal assessments, and planning specially designed instruction for teachers through coaching and professional development. 

EC Lead Team - The EC Lead Team, comprised of the EC Director and Lead Representatives within the department, work together to improve programming and services for students with disabilities.

Program Specialist Team - Our Program Specialist Team assists teachers with questions regarding eligibility and appropriate individualized education plan development. They also support schools with management of special education referrals and student transfers from other states. Program Specialist Team members develop compliant paperwork for students as they are referred for special education evaluation and assist teachers with writing compliant educational plans that ultimately improve services for students with disabilities. 

School Psychologist Team - School psychologists work with students who are eligible for special education services, as well as those who have not yet been identified as having a school based disability. They assist  teachers with classroom-based student needs and provide guidance to schools regarding academic and behavioral interventions with students who are having difficulty. School psychologists are responsible for many student assessments for children who may need special education services or who may need to be reevaluated for services. Upon completion of assessments, school psychologists assist school teams in making eligibility decisions regarding the need for specialized instruction and with the development of individualized education plan goals.