What factors should be weighed when determining placement under LRE?

• A. Student's needs only.
• B. Student's needs, supports, and inclusive opportunities with non-disabled peers to maximum extent appropriate.
• C. District budget only.
• D. Teacher preference.

Answer: (B)

When deciding placement under the Least Restrictive Environment, the goal is to keep the student with non-disabled peers as much as possible while ensuring the student can participate successfully. The key factors are threefold: the student’s individual needs, the supports required to participate (such as accommodations, services, or assistive technology), and the opportunities to learn and interact with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. This approach prioritizes inclusion and uses supports to make participation feasible, only moving to a more restrictive setting if the student cannot participate with these supports. Budget or teacher preferences are not the basis for placement decisions; they don’t address the student’s access to general education or the supports necessary to participate with peers.