Promoting Positive Partnerships with Parents

1. Promoting Positive Partnerships with Parents 2011 - 2012 Highland Park Independent School District Special Education Parent Advisory Committee

2. Introductions • District Presenter • SEPAC Presenter • Respect Confidentiality of Audience

3. Agenda • Suggestions for Establishing Positive Partnerships • Definition of Notice of Procedural Safeguards Rights of Parents of Students with Disabilities • Highlights of A Guide to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal Process • Service Snapshot • Bridging Efforts

4. Suggestions for Establishing Positive Partnerships

5. Procedural Safeguards & ARD Guide • http://framework.esc18.net/ (comprehensive) • Dissemination: One time a year, except upon: initial referral or on request for evaluation; the first occurrence of the filing of a due process hearing complaint; a disciplinary change of placement; or upon request by a parent

6. Procedural Safeguards • Explains the specific rights and responsibilities of the parent in the special education process • Clarifies for parents their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

7. ARD Guide • Companion document to the Procedural Safeguards • Information parents need to effectively participate in an ARD committee meeting for their child • Encourages common understanding for parents, school personnel, and communities

8. Dear Parent (i) • IDEA of 2004 is the federal law that governs the special education process • Special education is specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability • Describes various activities for the development of a child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) and dismissal from special education

9. Acknowledgements (ii) • Developed by the Statewide Leadership for the Legal Framework Project Team in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) • Responds to Texas Education Code (TEC) 26.0081, Right to Information Concerning Special Education • Table of Contents (iii, iv)

10. Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) (1) • Early Childhood Intervention provides services for qualifying infants and toddlers and their families • Services include screening and evaluation, programming, service coordination and transition services, as needed Contact Information: The Warren Center 320 Custer Road Richardson, TX 75080 www.thewarrencenter.org

11. How to Get Help (1) • Lists points of contact • Before a referral for a special education evaluation, State law requires that your child be considered for all support services available to all children

12. Response to Intervention (RtI) (1, 2) • The goal of the process is to identify children who are at-risk for not meeting grade-level standards and to intervene early • A child does not need to advance through the multi-tiers of the RtI system before a referral for an evaluation is made • Parents, teachers, or anyone else can request a referral at any time

13. Referral for a Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE) for Special Education Services (2, 3) • Once parent consent is given for an FIE, the school will conduct an FIE of your child in all areas of suspected disability The child between the ages of 3 through 21 must meet the criteria for one or more of the disability categories to be eligible for special education services: • Auditory impairment • Autism • Deaf-blindness • Emotional Disturbance • Intellectual Disability • Multiple Disabilities • Noncategorical Early Childhood (ages 3-5) • Orthopedic Impairment • Other Health Impairment • Specific Learning Disability • Speech or Language Impairment • Traumatic Brain Injury • Visual Impairment

14. Referral for a Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE) for Special Education Services, Continued (3) • FIE and resulting report must be completed no later than 60 calendar days from the day the school receives signed, written parent consent

15. Prior Written Notice (PWN) (3) The parent has a right to receive written notice about a school’s actions concerning your child’s special education prior to: • Proposals or refusals to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, educational program, or educational placement • Given at least five school days in advance of action(s) • Parent may waive the five school days

16. Parental Consent (3) • Certain activities cannot take place without parent consent • Consent means you understand and agree in writing • Consent is voluntary and may be revoked at any time prior to the activity taking place • Revocation of consent is not retroactive Consent for Initial Evaluation (3, 4) • The school may not evaluate your child for special education services without your consent

17. Eligibility (4) • ARD committee decision Two part test: • 1) your child must have a disability (see ARD Guide page 3) and, • 2) as a result of the disability, your child must need special education services to benefit from education • Within 30 calendar days of FIE completion, the ARD committee must meet to review the report and determine if your child meets eligibility

18. Consent for the Initial Provision of Services (4) • If your child qualifies for special education and related services, the campus must obtain parental consent to initiate special education and related services

19. Revocation of Consent for Services (4, 5) • Parents have the authority to revoke your consent for services • Must be in writing • Upon revocation, records will not be amended Services that will no longer be provided as a result of revocation of consent: • Services designated on the Schedule of Services page of the ARD document • ARD meetings and an IEP that might include instructional accommodations, modified curriculum, special instruction or related services • The parent and student will not be entitled to any of the provisions set forth in the Procedural Safeguards document or the district’s liability for providing a Free Appropriate Public Education

20. Consent for Reevaluation (5) • Once your child begins receiving special education and related services, periodic reevaluations are required • The school must make reasonable efforts to obtain parent consent but may conduct a reevaluation without consent

21. Reevaluation (5) • Reevaluations are similar to the FIE • Used to determine if your child continues to be a child with a disability and needs special education services • Completed at least every three years (unless parent and school agree otherwise) and no more than one reevaluation may occur in a year (unless parent and school agree)

22. Review of Existing Evaluation Data (REED) (5) • Takes place as part of an initial evaluation, if appropriate, and as part of any reevaluation of a child under the IDEA • ARD committee members decide what additional assessment, if any, is needed

23. Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) (6) • You are entitled to only one IEE at public expense each time the school conducts an evaluation • IEE request are made to the Director for Special Programs

24. ARD Committee (6) • Meets at least once a year to review your child’s IEP • May meet more often to revise your child’s IEP • Parents may request an ARD committee meeting (at a mutually agreeable time) • Parents should seek assistance from a Special Education Campus Coordinator or Special Educator if he or she is unsure if the ARD committee needs to convene or if a parent-teacher conference better serves the purpose of the meeting

25. Amendment to the IEP Without a Meeting (6) • The parent and school may agree to make changes to the IEP without a meeting • Eligibility determination, changes in placement, and manifestation determination review may not be made without an ARD committee meeting

26. Membership (7) The ARD committee members include the following: • You, the parent • At least one regular education teacher of the child, • At least one special education teacher or provider of the child, • A representative of the district, • A person who can interpret the instructional implications of the evaluation results, • The student, if appropriate including whenever transition services will be addressed, • Other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child and are invited by either you or the school, and if applicable: • A certified teacher for the child with a suspected or documented Auditory Impairment (AI) • A certified teacher for the child with a suspected or documented Visual Impairment (VI) • A Career and Technology Education (CTE) representative for the child who is being considered for initial or continued placement, or • A Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) representative for a child who is Limited English Proficient (LEP) • To the extent appropriate, a representative of any participating agencies

27. Adult Student (7) • At least one year before your child reaches the age of majority (age 18), the IEP must include a statement that your child has been informed of his or her rights under the IDEA, if any, that will transfer to him or her on reaching the age of majority • Your rights under the IDEA will transfer to your adult child at age 18 unless your child is determined to be incompetent under State law and you are appointed as the guardian

28. Excusing Members from Attending the Meeting (7, 8) Members of the ARD committee may be excused from attending part or all of the meeting if: • You and the District consent to the excusal, • The consent is in writing, • The person being excused submits written input into the development of the IEP to you and the rest of the ARD committee, and • The written input is submitted before the meeting

29. Scheduling the Meeting (8) • Written notice of the meeting must be given to you at least five school days before the ARD committee meeting, unless you agree otherwise • Written notice must include the purpose, time and location of the meeting, and must list representatives attending the meeting • The school must make reasonable efforts for a mutually agreeable time • Parent(s) may participate through alternative means (telephone) • If the school is unable to convince you to attend, then the school can conduct the meeting without you (reminder: District is responsible to the student for a Free and Appropriate Public Education and must adhere to timelines)

30. Nonconsensus/Disagreement (8) • Mutual agreement of the required members concerning the required elements of the IEP • District has the ultimate responsibility to ensure that the IEP includes the services that your child needs • If the meeting ends in disagreement, you will be offered the opportunity for the ARD committee to meet again • During the reconvene meeting, additional information, further documentation, and additional resource persons may be accessed to resolve the disagreement

31. Individualized Education Program (IEP) (9) • The school is required to provide a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) ARD committee must consider: • Strengths of your child • Your concerns for enhancing the education of your child • Results of the most recent evaluation of your child, and • Academic, developmental and functional needs of your child

32. Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) (9) • IEP must contain a statement of PLAAFP of your child • Website with further information: http://texasprojectfirst.org/PLAAFP!.html

33. Annual Goals (9, 10) • The IEP must contain measurable annual goals

34. Statewide Assessment (10) • All assessments are based on grade level content as required by federal law • For children who take alternate assessments (STAAR-Modified or STAAR-Alternate), the IEP must contain a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives as part of the child’s annual goals • If the child does not meet the expectations set by the ARD committee on the statewide assessment, an accelerated instruction program or intensive program of instruction will be included in the IEP

35. Supplementary Aids and Services, Related Services, Special Education (10, 11) The ARD committee decides what services are needed to: • Enable the child to advance appropriate toward attaining the annual goals • Be involved and make progress in the general curriculum (including participation in extracurricular and nonacademic activities) • Be educated and participate with nondisabled children

36. Supplemental Areas to be Addressed for Children with Autism (11) • For a child with autism, there are eleven strategies that must be considered (Autism Supplement) • Website for further information: http://www.txautism.net/

37. Extended School Year (ESY) (11, 12) • Individualized instructional programs beyond the regular school year • For eligible students with disabilities • ARD Committee determination • Can not limit to particular categories of disability • Can not unilaterally limit the type, amount, or duration of ESY services

38. Transition (12) • Coordinated set of activities designed to help the child move from school to post-school activities • Begin by age 14 (age changed in 2011) • Website for further information: http://www.transitionintexas.org

39. Placement (12) • To the maximum extent appropriate, your child with a disability must be educated with children who do not have disabilities • The ARD committee determines the educational placement based on the child’s IEP

40. Graduation (12, 13) • ARD committee decides whether a student has met graduation criteria • In certain situations your child may be able to return to school and receive services through the end of the school year in which he or she reaches age 22 (seek information from Special Education Campus Coordinator or Transition Specialist) • Website for further information: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/guidance/graduation.html

41. Discipline (13, 14) • As a general rule, the consequences set out in the school’s code of conduct apply to all students • Unique circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis

42. Removal from Placement (14) • School officials may remove your child from the placement if your child violates the code of conduct • Removal is limited to no more than ten consecutive school days The First Ten Days of Removal (14) • No requirement to hold an ARD committee meeting or conduct a manifestation determination for the first ten days of such removals Beyond the First Ten Days (14) • School officials may order a short-term removal (up to ten school days) of your child with a disability after the first ten days of removal in response to separate incidents of misconduct, provided that these removals do not constitute a change of placement

43. Change of Placement (14, 15) • Removal from current educational placement is a change of placement if: • The removal is for more than ten school days in a row; or • The child’s behavior is largely similar to the child’s behavior in past incidents that resulted in the series of removals, and • Other factors like the length of the removals, the total amount of time the child has been removed, and the proximity of the removals to one another.

44. Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) (15) • Within ten school days of any decision to change the placement of your child due to a violation of the code of conduct • Review relevant information to determine whether your child’s conduct is a manifestation of your child’s disability ARD committee must answer: • Was the conduct in question caused by or did it have a direct and substantial relationship to your child’s disability? • Was the conduct in question the direct result of the school’s failure to implement the IEP?

45. When Conduct is a Manifestation (15, 16) The committee must either: • Conduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA); or • If a BIP is already in place, review the BIP and modify it as necessary to address the behavior When Conduct is Not a Manifestation (16) • School personnel may discipline your child in the same manner as other children, except appropriate educational services must continue

46. Special Circumstances (16) • School personnel may remove your child to Interim Alternative Educational Setting (IAES) for up to 45 school days without regard to whether the behavior is a manifestation of his or her disability in certain circumstances Expedited Due Process Hearing (16) • Due Process Hearing concerning disciplinary placements • Shortened timelines

47. Child Not Yet Eligible (16) • Protections provided under IDEA if the school had knowledge that your child had a disability before the behavior occurred

48. Confinement, Seclusion, Restraint and Time Out (17) The rules do not apply to: • Peace officers who are performing law enforcement duties; • Juvenile probation, detention, or correction personnel; or • Educational service providers with whom a child is placed by a judicial authority, unless those services are provided in an educational program of a school district

49. Confinement and Seclusion (17) • May not place a child in a locked room of any kind if that room is designed solely to seclude a person • May not contain less than 50 square feet of space Restraint (17, 18) • Defines limitations of using restraint • Campus must provide written notice of the restraint • School personnel called upon to use restraint and have not received prior training must receive training within 30 school days following the restraint

50. Time-Out (18) • May be used with an array of positive behavior interventions • Must be included in the child’s IEP or BIP if used on a recurring basis