Lincoln Public Schools

1
Lincoln Public Schools

• SPECIAL EDUCATION
• REGULATIONS,
• POLICIES
• PROCEDURES
• Summer 2009

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Examination of Special Education Policy and
Procedures

• Topics included in this Presentation are
• Pre-referral Intervention
• Instructional Support Teams
• Special Education Referral
• Special Education Eligibility Determination
• Evaluations/Reports
• Accommodations (504 plans)
• Extended Evaluation and Independent Evaluations
• Re-evaluation
• IEP Development
• Placement
• IEP Timelines/Service Delivery
• Progress Reports

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Topic 1Pre-referral Interventions

• Each school has an Instructional Support Team
  (IST)
• IST is
• A general education team approach to problem
  solving
• An informal, school-based process
• It is the professional standard that all schools
  have an Instructional Support Team (IST)
• Each IST meeting results in documented strategies
  that are implemented in general education
• IST is not a special education function however,
  the pre-referral process is required when school
  personnel make a request for a child to have a
  special education evaluation

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Where do I find out more information about the
IST?

• Obtain a copy of the Lincoln IST Process Guide
• View the IST powerpoint
• Ask your school principal
• Ask your school social worker
• Ask your student services coordinator

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Topic 2Special Education Referral

• Parent(s) May Make a Request for Evaluation
• Special Education staff consult with the
  parent(s)
• Ask parents to identify their questions and
  concerns in writing
• School starts the evaluation process
• Develop an Evaluation Consent Form
• Obtain parental consent via signature
• Non-Parental Referral for Evaluation
• Any caregiver or professional
• Document the request
• Record when it is received
• When the referral is received, the parent is
  notified
• Parent consent is still obtained for evaluation

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Topic 3Special Education Evaluation and
Eligibility Determination

• Evaluations completed within 30 school days of
  signed parent consent
• Comprehensive
• Avoid relying on sub-tests or single tests
• Includes formal and Informal sources
• Parent information
• Observation
• Work Samples
• Interviews
• Cumulative record review
• Address impact of the disability on learning as
  well as social/emotional progress

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Evaluating Students with Limited English
Proficiency

• Bilingual assessments are conducted for students
  whose home language is not English
• Assess proficiency in English and Native Language
• Reading, writing, speaking, understanding
• Provide translated special education forms to
  families
• Provide translators at IEP meetings

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Evaluating students with a suspected Specific
Learning Disability (SLD)

• Conduct an observation and document it using the
  new SLD forms
• Look at the students current and pattern of
  academic achievement
• Answer questions about determining the presence
  of a learning disability as a team
• Signed by the team
• Disagreement among the members requires a written
  statement

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Evaluation Reports

• Clear, jargon-free
• Discuss the presence or absence of a disability
• Describes student needs
• Describes strategies for teachers
• Includes educationally relevant recommendations
• When suspecting a learning disability, includes
  an observation form

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Eligibility Determination

• Determined at a Team meeting collectively by all
  members
• Distribute the Special Education Eligibility
  Flow Chart to Team Members at the meeting (ED1)
  to facilitate discussion
• 3 Steps to determining eligibility

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Three-part Process to Determining Eligibility
Step 1

• 1st STEP Determine the type of disability
• AUTISM
• INTELLECTUAL
• EMOTIONAL
• PHYSICAL
• HEALTH
• DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY
• NEUROLOGICAL
• COMMUNICATION
• SPECIFIC LEARNING
• SENSORY HEARING, VISION, DEAF-BLIND

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Three-part Process to Determining Eligibility
Step 2

• 2nd STEP Determine whether the lack of progress
  is a result of the disability
• Decide whether the student is making effective
  progress
• Team decision
• Consider
• Knowledge, skill acquisition
• State and district learning standards
• Age and grade
• Social and emotional well being

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Three-part Process to Determining Eligibility
Step 3

• 3rd STEP Is there a need for specially designed
  instruction?
• Does the student need the support of a related
  service to access the general education
  curriculum?
• Does the student require special education in
  order to make progress?
• Is there a need to adapt the content,
  methodology, delivery of instruction and/or
  performance criteria?
• Is there a need for modifications?

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Eligibility for students with a suspected
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)

• Answer questions about determining the presence
  of a learning disability as a team
• Written report signed by the team
• Disagreement requires a written statement

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Finding of No Eligibility

• Conditions under which this happens
• Student does not have a disability
• Student does not show a lack of progress
• Student shows a lack of progress, but its not
  due to a disability
• Student does not require special education
• Special education team sends A Notice of School
  District Refusal to Act to parents (N2)

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Accommodations

• If a student only needs accommodations, then the
  student IS NOT eligible for special education
• Accommodations adaptations to presentation or
  setting that can typically and easily occur in
  general education
• Not used when making modifications to the content

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Topic 4504 Accommodation Plan

• Not the same as an IEP
• This is a function of General Education
• Students qualify when the student has an
  impairment and needs accommodations to make
  progress
• The disability substantially limits one or more
  major life activity
• Includes caring for ones self, performing
  manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking,
  breathing, learning, working, eating, sleeping,
  standing, lifting, bending, reading,
  concentrating, thinking, and communicating.
• This list is not exhaustive.

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Where do I find out more information about 504?

• Obtain a copy of the Lincoln 504 Process Guide
• View the 504 powerpoint
• Ask your school principal
• Ask your school 504 committee

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Topic 5IEP Extended Evaluation Independent
Evaluations

• Secure Parent Agreement with the IEP Evaluation
  Findings
• Ask parents about their
• Understanding of the reports
• Agreement with the findings
• If parents are not satisfied, then
• Propose an extended evaluation or
• Parents can request an Independent Educational
  Evaluation (IEE)

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Extended Evaluations

• When the evaluation information is inconclusive
  the IEP team may propose and extended evaluation
• An extended evaluation can be used when the Team
  determines that the student in eligible for
  special education under a partial IEP
• The extended evaluation is used to gather more
  information
• The extended evaluation CAN NOT be used to
• Extend the IEP timeline
• Deny programs/services
• Put the student in a temporary placement
• Must be completed within 1-8 weeks
• Conducted with parent consent

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Topic 6Re-evaluation of Students with IEPs

• Must be completed at least every 3 years
• Review existing information
• Conduct additional assessments if more info is
  needed to determine eligibility
• Parent can request or waive the assessment
• Parent written documentation must be obtained

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Removal of Special Education Eligibility

• Must have a current and complete evaluation
• Requires parent consent for evaluation
• Requires discussion of results and eligibility at
  the Team meeting
• Requires parent notification of termination of
  services

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Topic 7Developing the IEP

• Annual IEP Development Meeting
• Must have an Agenda such as
• Introductions
• Discussions of any evaluations completed
• Description of the Present Levels of Educational
  Performance
• Discussion of areas of strength/need
• Discussion of vision statement
• Identification of necessary specially designed
  instruction
• Identification of necessary accommodations
• Development of goals

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Student Participation at IEP meetings

• Beginning at age 14 or younger
• When transition services are going to be
  discussed
• If the student does not attend, then the school
  is obligated to learn his/her preferences and
  interests

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General Educators Participation at IEP meetings

• Need a general education teacher at the meeting
  if the student participates, or may participate
  in general education

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Specially Designed Instruction

• Modification of
• Content
• Delivery of instruction
• Methodology
• Performance criteria
• Designed by a special educator or related service
  provider

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Transportation

• If the student is placed by the IEP team in a
  special education program away from home school
  then the student gets transportation
• IEP Team shall determine whether the student
  requires transportation because of his or her
  disability in order to benefit from special
  education.

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Extended Day or Year

• IEP must reflect why the longer day or year is
  required
• Students must meet the requirements for extended
  day/year
• substantial regression or substantial difficulty
  re-learning 4-6 week recoup period

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Shortened Day or Year

• Typically a Physician recommendation
• Exercise extreme caution in recommending this

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Students with disabilities whose behavior affects
their learning or the learning of others

• Be pro-active
• Complete a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)
  during an initial or a reevaluation.
• If the behavior affects progress in the general
  curriculum, write a behavior plan and behavior
  IEP goals

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Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)

• Required by IDEA (Federal Law)
• Required for students with disabilities that have
  behavioral issues that result in
• Suspension or removal for more than 10 days in a
  school year
• In response to certain disciplinary actions by
  school personnel, the IEP team must, within 10
  days, meet to formulate a functional behavioral
  assessment plan to collect data for developing a
  behavior intervention plan, or if a behavior
  intervention plan already exists, the team must
  review and revise it (as necessary), to ensure
  that it addresses the behavior upon which
  disciplinary action is predicated (615(k)(1)(B))

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Behavior Plans

• If a student needs a behavior plan as a result of
  their disability then it should be documented in
  the IEP
• Include need in narrative
• Document behavior plan in accommodations /
  modifications section of the IEP (depending on
  nature)
• Write goal related to plan
• Include behavior plan within IEP

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Topic 8Special Education Placement
Determination

• Placement type determination
• The placement is decided after the IEP is
  developed
• The IEP IS written to match the student, not the
  program

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Topic 9IEP Timelines/Service Delivery

• IEP is developed at the meeting
• Immediately following the development of the
  IEP, the district shall provide the parent with a
  summary of the proposed IEP along with the
  required notice.
• Give parent a completed Summary of the Proposed
  IEP or updated Draft IEP at the meeting
• Place a copy in the students SpEd file
• Proposed copy to parents within the next 3-5
  school days

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Parents response to IEP

• Parents have 30 calendar days to respond
• Parents can accept or reject IEP in whole or part
• Parents can request a meeting
• Always remember Always need to have written
  Parent Consent to start any special education
  services. Verbal consent does not suffice.

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Topic 10IEP Progress Reports

• Progress reports as often as report cards
• This is regardless of when we hold IEP meetings
• The reports answers questions for each goal
• What is the students progress toward the goal?
• Is the progress sufficient to enable the student
  to reach the goal before the end of the IEP
  period?

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The End

• Thank you so much for viewing this presentation
• Please contact the following people with any
  questions you have
• Karen Kanter is the Special Education Coordinator
  at the Hanscom Schools and can be reached at
  kanterk_at_lincnet.org by phone at 781.274.6178
  extension 272.
• Virginia Flaherty is the Special Education
  Coordinator at the Lincoln School and can be
  reached at vflaherty_at_lincnet.org or by phone at
  781.259.9404 extension 2209.
• Lynn Fagan is the Lincoln Preschool Coordinator,
  serving preschool students from both Lincoln and
  Hanscom. She can be reached at lfagan_at_lincnet.org
  or by phone at 781.259.9889.
• Stephanie Powers is the district Administrator
  for Student Services and can be reached at
  spowers_at_lincnet.org or by phone at 781.259.9403.

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Acknowledgements

• Thank you to Stephanie Powers, Administrator for
  Student Services, for creating this power point
  presentation.
• Thank you to Kathleen Browning, Administrative
  Intern, for editing and formatting this power
  point presentation.