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Hopkinton School Board. Tuesday, October 16, 2012 MSS Room #1. Hopkinton School District IN FOCUS: SPECIAL EDUCATION. Background.
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Hopkinton School Board Tuesday, October 16, 2012 MSS Room #1
Background • 1975—the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), previously called the Education of the Handicapped Act and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, was enacted to meet the educational needs of children with disabilities. • 2004—the IDEA was reauthorized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004). This was meant to coordinate with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also known as No Child Left Behind-NCLB) of 2001
Categories of Service • Special Education is defined as “specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.” • Related services do not consist of instruction. The term is broadly used to address “transportation and developmental, corrective, and other supportive services required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education” • The term “supplementary aids and services” includes supports such as assistive technology and personnel and relates to placement in the least restrictive environment.
Basic Concepts • Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) FAPE implies that special education and related services are provided to the student without charge to the parent or guardian. • Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Federal Regulations of IDEA 2004state that to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are educated with children who are non-disabled. Children with disabilities may be removed from regular educational classrooms only if the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
Child with a Disability Defined Child with a disability means a child evaluated in accordance with §§300.304 through 300.311 as having: • a developmental delay (ages three through nine) • intellectual disability, • hearing impairment (including deafness), • speech or language impairment, • visual impairment (including blindness), • serious emotional disturbance, • orthopedic impairment, • autism, • traumatic or acquired brain injury, • an other health impairment, • specific learning disability, • deaf-blindness, or • multiple disabilities, and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services.
CHILD FIND • The Hopkinton School District ensures that all children who have disabilities, from age 2.5 to 21, who reside in the District, and who are in need of special education and related services are identified, located and evaluated. • This responsibility extends to highly mobile children with disabilities as well as all such children who are parentally placed in an approved, non-public private school within the geographic boundaries of the District.
CHILD FIND—ESS The Hopkinton School District: • coordinates with the Early Supports and Services (ESS) agency serving children with disabilities ages birth to three in referring them to the school-based Special Education Team, and • has participated in the development of and is in compliance with all protocols and procedures delineated in the Area Agency Region 4—Greater Concord Area Interagency Agreement for Early Childhood Transitions
FLOW CHART OF SPECIAL EDUCATION—Individual Education Program
PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS • Federally mandated in the 2004 reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) • Included and expanded in the New Hampshire Rules for the Education of Children with Disabilities (Dated June 30, 2008; as amended December 1, 2010) • Delineated in the New Hampshire Special Education Procedural Safeguards Handbook (December 2011) which is given to parents on at least an annual basis.
PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS Includes regulations regarding areas such as: • Parental Consent • Written Prior Notice • Confidentiality • Timelines (Calendar, School, or Business Days Allowed) • Disciplining Students with Disabilities • State Complaint Procedures • Due Process Complaint Procedures
INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP) Developed by the IEP Team, the IEP includes: • Student and Disability information • Consideration of Special Factors • Statements regarding Nonparticipation Justification, Extended School Services, Transportation • Measurable Annual Goals • Accommodations/Modifications • Services (Providers and Frequency)
INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP) The IEP Team for each child consists of: • Parents, guardian, or surrogate parent of the child • At least one regular education teacher • At least one special education teacher • A representative of the Local Education Agency (LEA) with knowledge of resources and programs • Whenever appropriate, the child/young adult • Other qualified persons or agency representatives as appropriate to the meeting purpose (evaluators, specialists, related service providers, etc.)
PLACEMENT • Placement of students with disabilities is determined by the IEP Team in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). • The District shall ensure that, to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities shall be educated with children who do not have disabilities. • Special classes, separate classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment shall occur only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the uses of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS In the Hopkinton School District we have developed and continue to improve specialized programs to serve: • Students with significant Language-Based Learning Disabilities • Students who require instruction in the Activities of Daily Living • Students with Behavioral challenges These programs often balance participation in the regular classroom with instruction in other settings according to student needs.
CHARTER SCHOOLS Charter schools are public schools. • Only parents can choose to enroll their child in a public charter school. • Regardless of where the charter school is located, the school district of residence remains the LEA responsible for child find, creation and implementation of the IEP, Special Education services, and the provision of FAPE to children with disabilities.
