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Special
Education The
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA'04) is a Prairie
Creek Community School is committed to the success of all students and
takes
seriously its mandate to provide a "free and appropriate public
education" (FAPE) to students with disabilities. What
is special education? "Special
education" is instruction, specific to the child, at no cost to
parents,
to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. It is important
to note: Students
with
disabilities are general education students first. They receive special
education support services in conjunction with the general education
curriculum. Special education is an instructional service, not a place.
Special
education services must be reasonably calculated to allow the student to benefit from
instruction. If the student is receiving benefit from the special
education services, the student will progress at his/her own individual
rate. A student who has a disability will always have the
disability and
would not be expected to progress in all areas at the same rate as
his/her
regular education peers. Who
is eligible for special education services? Students
qualify for special education by meeting specific eligibility criteria,
as
defined by the MN Department of Education. Students are evaluated by a
team of
professionals to determine if they qualify in one or more of the
following
disability areas:
Autism
Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH)
Developmental Cognitive Disability
(DCD)
Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (EBD)
Other Health Disabilities (OHD)
Severely Multiply Impaired (SMI)
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Speech or Language Impairments (S/L) It
is possible to meet the eligibility requirements of a disability and
not need
special education services. For example, a child with a hearing loss
who is
succeeding within the general curriculum may not require "specialized
instruction." In such instances, the district may still be
required to
make reasonable adjustments or accommodations to enable that student to
access
general education services under a Section 504 plan.
How
does a child receive special education services? The
school will conduct an evaluation to determine your child's area of
special
education disability and area(s) of educational need(s) (such as
reading, math
and written language). With your input, goals will be written to
improve
the areas of need identified. These goals will be written on a
document
called an Individual Educational Program (IEP)/Interagency Individual
Intervention Plan (IIIP). Specialized instruction may be provided
in the
areas of need. Special education areas of need may include:
Reading
-
Self-help skills - Communication
Writing
-
Motor skills - Organizational skills
Math
skills - Transition skills - Social skills
Related
services How
do I refer my child for a special education evaluation? When
educational concerns are identified by parents or teachers a Child
Study Team
(CST) is developed to examine the area(s) of concern, examine current
levels of
performance in the classroom setting, and use a problem solving method
to identify
pre-referral interventions and follow-up plans. The Child Study Team
reconvenes
to examine the intervention documentation. If concerns persist, this
Child
Study Team (CST) contacts the parents to review pre-referral
information. The
CST then determines if an evaluation is needed. If an evaluation is
needed, an
Evaluation Determination Meeting is held and an evaluation plan is
completed.
This plan is shared with parents for their written consent. If the
referral is
not appropriate alternative options will be recommended. Parent
concerns
may be made by contacting your child's teacher or the director of the
school.
What
is an IEP? When
a student is eligible for and needs specialized instruction, an
Individual
Education Program (IEP) plan is developed at an IEP Team meeting. The
IEP is a
written plan for each child with a disability that is developed,
reviewed, and
revised annually through the IEP team process. The IEP team is
responsible for determining the appropriate placement of children with
disabilities. Who
is involved in the IEP team? The
IEP team is a group of individuals responsible for developing,
reviewing, or
revising an IEP for a child with a disability. IEP team members
include
parent(s), a regular education teacher, a special education teacher, a
representative of the school district, and any individuals at the
parent or
district's discretion who have knowledge or special expertise regarding
the
student. (Students are involved in the team as well at age 14 or grade
9.) What
are related services? Related
services are a broad array of services that assist a student with a
disability
to benefit from their program of specialized instruction. Related
services
includes such things as:
Related
services are provided if it is determined the child would not be able
to meet
their instructional goals without this service. Related services
cannot
be provided unless the student is already receiving a special education
service
in a disability area. The related service is only provided if the
student
requires the service in order to make progress on IEP/IIIP goals. What
should you expect if your child receives special education services? Parents
should expect to participate as a team member in decisions regarding
their
childÕs special education program. Your child should
receive instruction
that has been individualized to meet the specific needs of your
child.
Special education instructors will work with regular education teachers
to
provide the appropriate accommodations and modifications within the
regular education
setting. Modifications and accommodations can include such things
as
modified assignments, class notes, as well as other aids to assist
students to
succeed in school.
What
special education rights do parents have? The
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA Ô04)
requires
procedural safeguards that school districts must follow to protect the
rights
of parents and children. A copy of those safeguards are given to
parents on
multiple occasions throughout the special education process, and may be
downloaded by clicking on the link immediately below: Notice
of Procedural Safeguards What
is the Special Education Advisory Council? Minnesota
law (M.S. 125A.24) requires that each district establish a Special
Education
Advisory Council (SEAC) to provide input to the district's Board of
Education
and to district administration about policies and decisions that affect
children and youth with disabilities. SEAC is composed of parents of
children with
disabilities, district special education staff and a representative
from each
non-public school located within the district. If
interested in being involved with SEAC please contact the school
director. Who
should I contact if I have questions about special education? There
are a number of people who can assist parents if they have questions.
If your
concerns are specifically related to the implementation of your child's
IEP,
you should discuss them with your child's IEP Manager. Parents might
also elect
to speak to the school director for questions related to both special
and
general education. Are
there additional resources for parents? Yes,
there are many organizations that provide information and support to
parents of
children with disabilities. Links to several useful resources are
available
below.
Parent Advocacy Center for Educational
Rights (PACER)
Center Council
of Exceptional
Children (CEC)
MN Council for Exceptional Children
(MN CEC)
National Information Center for
Children and Youth with
Disabilities (NICHCY)
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services
(OSERS) Learning
Disabilities
Association of Minnesota Children
and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder (CHADD) |