Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI)

Effective September 2008, Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI) will be the primary service provided to all students who qualify for special education and will be available at all San Diego Unified School District sites.

There will no longer be terms such as ILS, PACE, Nonsevere, etc. as a primary service. The IEP will now list the child’s primary disability, how they qualified for services) along with the amount of time the student will receive this service, how often, and in what environments.

This means that the service could happen in general education, separate classroom, separate school, etc. Additional related services such as speech therapy will continue to be listed separately. An individual schedule will then be developed for each student based on their IEP to ensure that the IEP is followed. Provision of services in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) should be discussed at every meeting.

We recognize that a change of this nature may cause you to be concerned about the services your child will receive and in what environment. Please remember that the District is obligated to implement your child’s agreed upon IEP; that will not change. Additionally, we anticipate much of the services provided in the district will look as they do now, however, there will be more options and flexibility. The City Heights Educational Collaborative aligns with San Diego Unified School District policies and provision of services.

What does this mean for my child:

Each child’s IEP will be implemented as developed by the IEP team. If your child requires
services in a small setting delivered by a special education teacher, it will be identified as SAI support in a separate class, we will no longer be using the term special education class. If your child requires additional services in general education, it will be listed and provided as SAI support in general education. Other than the changes in how we name classes, all services will still be determined by the IEP team and look very similar to how they do now.

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

All children receiving special education services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP is a written document that describes the child’s needs and the services that will best meet those needs Click here to learn more ...

Contact your child's school for for site-based programs and services. For more detailed information about programs and services provided by the San Diego Unified School District, click here.