WELCOME The intent of this web page is to enhance the involvement of parents of students identified as having special educational needs during those years that prepare them for their high school experience. It is extremely important that parents are able to work as equal partners with school personnel regarding special education decision-making.
Special education is specially designed instruction and related services that meet the unique needs of an eligible student with a disability or a specific service need that is necessary to allow the student with a disability to access the general curriculum. The purpose of special education is to allow the student to successfully develop his or her individual educational potential.
Special Education Law is organized around the following six principles:
Parent and Student Participation
Parents and students are partners with the school district throughout the entire special
education process, and students are the focus. The TEAM should consistently consider the interests and concerns of the student, no matter what their age.
Appropriate Evaluation
If your child is having difficulty in school, you may want to talk with the appropriate school personnel currently working with him or her prior to making a referral to special education. One of the first steps should be to observe the student in the classroom or other areas of the school to see if changes might be made that will help him or her to do better. Other changes may include trying new ways to teach your child or finding different ways your child can express what has been learned. If some type of change has been made, it should be reviewed within four to six weeks to see if that change has been helpful. If not, a referral to special education could be considered.
Some Types of Evaluations
Cognition (Intelligence)
Achievement of Acadedmic Skills
Social/Emotional Functioning
Speech and Language
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
Behavioral
Individualized Education Program
Your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed at the TEAM meeting and represents a formal agreement about the services that the school will provide for your child's special education needs. The IEP is a contract between you and the school. Services will not be implemented until a parent/guardian has completed the response section of that IEP.
Free and Appropriate Public Education
A child who is eligible for special education services is entitled by federal law to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education(FAPE). FAPE ensures that all students with disabilities receive an appropriate public education at no expense to the family. FAPE also means that students receiving special education services have access to and make meaningful progress in the general curriculum (i.e. the same curriculum as students without disabilities) and the right to be full participants in the life of the school.
Least Restrictive Environment
The federal law, IDEA, mandates that students with disabilities must be educated with their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate based on the student's needs. This is known as the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The TEAM, including the parent(s) or legal guardian, determines the placement that the student needs to provide the services on the student's IEP and the TEAM must choose the least restrictive environment able to provide those services. Determination of the LRE is based upon the student's IEP and not on a diagnosis or disability label.
Procedurals Safeguards
Specific procedures that protect the rights of students and parents with disabilities are meant to help make the complicated special education process more predicatable and dependable. A Parent's Rights Brochure is made available to parents at any time upon request to the school district and is always provided by the school when an initial request for an evaluation is received and at other times during the IEP process.
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