EDUCATION

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EDUCATION

• Individualized Education Program (IEP)
• Special Education
• Nonpublic School (NPS)
• 504 Plan

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Overview

• Individualized Education Program (IEP)
• Definition
• Process / Timeline
• Services / Educational Placement Options
• Responsibilities
• Special Education
• Definition
• Eligible Disabilities
• Non Public School (NPS)
• Definition
• 504 Plan
• Definition
• Qualifying Conditions

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Individualized Educational Program (IEP)
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Individualized Education Program (IEP) Definition

• A written education plan for a school-aged child
  with disabilities developed by a team of
  professional and the childs parent(s) it is
  reviewed and updated yearly and describes how the
  child is presently doing, what the childs
  learning needs are, and what services the child
  will need.

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) Timeline

• 15 days - Within 15 days of holders of education
  rights written request for a special education
  assessment received by the school district, an
  assessment plan is sent from the school.
• 50 days - Holder of education rights signs
  authorizing the Assessment Plan, then the IEP
  meeting must be held within 50 calendar days of
  receipt of signed consent to consider assessment
  results.
• 30 days - If the child has an IEP and is not
  making satisfactory progress, another IEP meeting
  can be requested in writing by holder of
  education rights or the school and held within 30
  calendar days.
• 30 days - Students new to the school district,
  who receive special education services, must have
  an IEP meeting held within 30 days.

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Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Assessment and IEP Process
Consent and IEP Development Meeting
Written Referral for Assessment from Holder of
Education Rights
Assessment Plan by Professional Team
IEP Implementation School Provides Special
Education Services
IEP Review Follow-up IEP Meetings

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) Referral
for Assessment

• Parents/guardians, CSWs, teachers, other school
  personnel, and community members may refer a
  child for an assessment for special education
  services.
• The referral needs to identify why the child
  needs the testing to improve the childs academic
  skills.
• Make the request to school principal in writing.

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Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Authorization for Assessment

• Holder of Education Rights (the parent unless
  otherwise identified by the court) must give
  signed consent to authorize a psychoeducational
  assessment to take place.

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Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Assessment

• Involves the school gathering information about
  the child,
• including
• tests
• observations
• interviews
• work samples
• school records

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Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Assessment

• The assessment may include testing in
• Academic
• Social Emotional Development
• Fine and Gross Motor Ability
• Speech and Language
• General Ability
• Hearing Assessment
• Health and Physical Development
• Vocational Ability

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) Purpose
of the Meeting

• Determines if the child qualifies for special
  education services
• Determines present levels of performance
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Establishes goals for the childs progress
• Develops a written document describing the
  childs educational needs and services to be
  provided

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) Meeting
Attendees

• Core participants
• Holder Of Education Rights
• Administrator
• School Psychologist
• Special Education Teacher
• General Education Teacher
• Group Home Provider (if child resides in a group
  home)
• And if appropriate
• Child
• CSW
• Childs Attorney
• Other District Staff

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) Sample
Meeting Agenda (1)

• Summary of Parent/Student Rights
• History of Case
• Parent/Student Share Concerns
• Reports of Individual Assessments by Examiners or
  Designees
• Eligibility for Special Education
• Not Applicable for Regular Annual Reviews
• Written Statement if Student Does Not Qualify

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) Sample
Meeting Agenda (2)

• Meeting Summary
• Summarize IEP
• Address Questions
• Acquaint Parents with Future Procedures, e.g.,
  annual reviews, transition IEPs, triennial review
  dates
• Explain Due Process
• Sign Appropriate Forms
• Parents are provided with legible copy of the IEP
  document
• Adjourn

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Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Information Contained in an IEP

• Present level of performance
• Statement about childs disability
• Annual goals and objectives, including
  measurement standards
• Statements defining services to be provided
• How often, when and in what setting services will
  take place
• How child will participate in general education
  activities with non-disabled peers
• Plan to address any behavioral issues

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) Possible
Other Services that can be included in the IEP

• Language and speech
• Audiological services
• Psychological Counseling
• Adapted physical education
• Physical and Occupational therapy
• Transportation
• Rehabilitation Counseling
• Positive Behavior Support (based on need
  identified in a functional analysis assessment)

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Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Educational Placement OptionsIn order of least
to most restrictive

• General education class
• General education class with consultation
• General education class with DIS (designated
  instruction and service)
• General education class and RSP (resource
  specialist program)
• General education class and SDC (special day
  class)
• Special day class
• Special school
• Public/Non-public school dual enrollment
• Non-public school
• Home or Hospital

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) Frequency
of Meetings

• Once the IEP meeting is held, follow up meetings
  occur on the following schedule
• Annual review
• Every third year comprehensive testing and
  evaluation
• As needed, at the request of the holder of
  education rights or school

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Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Disagreements

• If parent (or Holder of Education Rights)
  disagrees with any portion of the IEP, parents
  should indicate portions agreed upon so they may
  be implemented immediately, and a plan should be
  developed for resolving areas of disagreement.

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) SUMMARY OF
RESPONSIBILITIES
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Individualized Education Program (IEP) Holder of
Education Rights

• Has the responsibility to authorize the request
  for the psycho educational assessment.
• Must attend the IEP meeting.
• Be prepared to discuss the child's strengths and
  needs about the child's education progress.
• Participate in the decisions impacting the
  childs education and services needed.
• Sign the IEP document.

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) Childrens
Social Workers Role

• Collaborate with holder of education rights and
  school
• Share in the assessment, including strengths and
  needs
• Advocate for the child
• Provide the caregiver a copy of the IEP
• The CSW is not permitted to sign the IEP document.

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) School

• Has the responsibility to provide the child
  educational services
• Provide assessment services
• Organize the IEP meeting
• Provide special education services individualized
  to the childs IEP

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Special Education
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Special EducationDefinition

• Defined as specially designed instruction to
  meet the unique needs of a student with a
  disability.

• Every child has the right to a public school
  education in the least restrictive environment
  (LRE), which provides for interactions with
  nondisabled peers as appropriate.
• This includes
• Partial day attendance in general education
  classes
• Participating in extracurricular activities

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Special EducationDisabilities Eligible for
Special Education Services

• Some examples to be assessed are
• Speech and Language Development
• Vision Problems
• Hearing Problem Physical Development
• Academic Development
• Cognitive / Memory Skills
• Attention / Perception Skills
• Social / Emotional Development
• Living Skills

• If a child has difficulties that interfere with
  his/her ability to learn it will need to be
  assessed to qualify as a disability.

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Special EducationFederal Law for the Provision
of Special Education Services

• IDEA
• Educational services provided in public schools
  based on law Individuals with Disabilities
  Education Act (IDEA) renamed in 1991.
• IDEA address children with educational
  disabilities from ages 3 to 21 years of age.
• An educational disability is a condition that
  prevents a child from benefiting from his/her
  education, not necessarily based on a childs
  intelligence.
• Each child has an IEP designed to the childs
  unique needs.

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Special EducationThe Six Principles of IDEA

• Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
• Appropriate Evaluation
• Individualized Education Program (IEP)
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
• Parent and Student Participation in Decision
  Making
• Procedural Safeguards

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Special EducationServices Provided

• Are based on
• Assessments
• Multidisciplinary team meeting
• Outcomes of the IEP meeting
• Individual to the child
• Ongoing status reviews of prescribed IEP meetings

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Special EducationCSW Role

• Discuss with the caregiver how the child is
  progressing in school and if special education
  services are being provided
• Talk with the child about school
• Obtain school IEP and reports routinely
• Meet with the teacher, including attending IEP
  meeting
• Include educational information and progress in
  court report every time.

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Special Education / Early ChildhoodEarly
Intervention Services for Children

• Age Birth - 5 years with significant
  developmental delay in the developmental
  milestones related to
• Cognitive
• Physical (motor, vision, and hearing)
• Communication
• Social or Emotional
• Adaptive
• Condition which may result in severe delays

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Special Education / Early ChildhoodChildrens
Social Workers Role

• If you or the caregiver suspect the child
  qualifies for Early Intervention Services make a
  referral to the local school district or regional
  center for an assessment
• Best to make the referral in writing
• Holder of educational rights must sign consent to
  authorize the assessment
• An Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) is the
  document describing what is needed

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Non Public School (NPS)
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Non Public School (NPS)Definition

• Non Public Schools (NPS) are private, special
  education schools certified and regulated by the
  State, with oversight by the referring school
  district for full compliance with education
  codes.
• The local school districts facilitates the psycho
  educational assessments and IEP meetings, not the
  NPS.
• NPS are often affiliated with a group home. They
  are designed to meet the needs of a very small
  population of students when no appropriate public
  school is available.

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Non Public SchoolAssessment and Collaboration
Prior to any Placement in a NPS

• Per federal education law, a child placed in a
  group home affiliated with a NPS, cannot attend
  the NPS without a current IEP which specifically
  states the childs needs can only be met in a
  NPS.
• If an IEP does not exist, the local school
  district must provide educational services.
• The decision to place a child in a NPS is a
  collaboration of the holder of education rights
  and the local school district, not the group home
  or CSW.

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Non Public SchoolCSWs Role

• Report to the court the childs academic
  progress.
• Attach to the court report
• Grades
• Attendance record
• IEP
• BEST PRACTICE -
• Attend the IEP meeting for a student
  attending a NPS
• Participate to develop a plan to transition the
  child back to a public school.
• Advocate for dual enrollment. Students can be
  enrolled in a combination of public and nonpublic
  school classes.

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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (504 Plan)
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Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act (504
Plan)Definition

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
  protects persons from discrimination based upon
  their disability status. The law provides for
  accommodations to students who meet specific
  criteria.
• This Civil Rights law protects individuals who
  have a physical or mental impairment, which
  substantially limits one or more life activities.
  
• Funding is not allotted for Section 504
  accommodations, which may relate to building and
  program accessibility.

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Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act (504 Plan)
Holder of Education Rights

• Unlike Special Education, 504 Plans do not
  require the school to provide an IEP designed to
  meet the childs unique needs and provides for
  the childs educational benefit.
• The law requires notice to the Holder of
  Education Rights with respect to identification,
  evaluation and/or placement.

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Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act (504 Plan)
Criteria for Services

• The following are examples of qualifying
  conditions to meet the 504 Plan criteria
• Asthma
• Behavior Problems
• Tourettes Syndrome
• Emotional Problems
• Obesity
• Drug and Alcohol Addiction

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Summary
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Summary

• IEP brings together a multidisciplinary team to
  assess the childs needs and develop a plan to
  address educational services.
• Special Education is the program system that
  provides the educational services specific to the
  child in the least restrictive environment.
• Non Public Schools are specialized schools with
  services identified in an IEP as essential to the
  childs learning.

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Summary

• Only the holder of the education rights can
  authorize the assessment of the child for special
  education services and sign the IEP document.
• CSW has a support role in the process and reports
  decisions, services, and results to the court.

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Resources

• Internet link to Educational Liaisons for foster
  youth in local school districts
• Internet link to 18 Tips for Getting Quality
  Special Education Services for Your Child
• Internet link to Los Angeles County SELPA
  directors
• Internet link to DCFS public website - Health and
  Education icon