The Collaborative Relationship Between General and Special Education

1. The Collaborative Relationship Between General and Special Education What the Administrative Rules of Special Education Say About Meeting the Needs of Struggling Learners

4. The Relationship of General and Special Education • Iowa Administrative Code 281 • Chapter 41: Iowa Administrative Rules of Special Education • Last amended January of 2010

5. Who Does Chapter IAC 281-41 Apply To? • 281—41.2(256B,34CFR300) Applicability of this chapter. The provisions of this chapter are binding on each public agency in the state that provides special education and related services to children with disabilities, regardless of whether that agency is receiving funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Act).

6. Who Does Chapter IAC 281-41 Apply To? • 41.2(1) General. The provisions of this chapter apply to all political subdivisions of the state that are involved in the education of children with disabilities, including: • a. The state educational agency (SEA). • b. Local educational agencies (LEAs), area education agencies (AEAs), and public charter schools that are not otherwise included as LEAs or educational service agencies (ESAs) and are not a school of an LEA or ESA. • c. Other state agencies and schools, including but not limited to the departments of human services and public health and state schools and programs for children with deafness or children with blindness. • d. State and local juvenile and adult correctional facilities.

7. Shared Responsibility • 41.400(2) Shared responsibility between general education and special education. General education and special education personnel share responsibility in providing appropriate educational programs for eligible individuals and in providing intervention and prevention services to individuals who are experiencing learning or adjustment problems.

8. General Education Interventions Defined • 41.51(9) General education interventions. “General education interventions” means attempts to resolve presenting problems or behaviors of concern in the general education environment prior to conducting a full and individual evaluation as described in rule 281 41.312(256B,34CFR300).

9. General Education Instruction and General Education Interventions • 41.111(2) High-quality general education instruction; general education interventions. • a. As a component of efficient and effective, high-quality general education instruction, it shall be the responsibility of the general education program of each LEA to provide additional support and assistance to all students who may need such additional support and assistance to attain the educational standards of the LEA applicable to all children. Receipt of such additional support and assistance, when considered alone, does not create a suspicion that a child is an eligible individual under this chapter. Activities under this paragraph shall be provided by general education personnel, with occasional or incidental assistance from special education instructional and support personnel. • b. General education interventions involving activities described in rule 281—41.312(256B,34CFR300) are a recognized component of an AEA’s child find policy pursuant to the policies set forth in subrule 41.407(1) and the procedures set forth in subrule 41.407(2).

10. General Education Requirements • 281—41.312(256B,34CFR300) General education interventions. Each LEA, in conjunction with the AEA, shall attempt to resolve the presenting problem or behaviors of concern in the general education environment prior to conducting a full and individual evaluation. In circumstances when there is a suspicion that a child is an eligible individual under this chapter, the AEA or AEA in collaboration with the LEA shall conduct a full and individual initial evaluation. Documentation of the rationale for such action shall be included in the individual’s educational record.

11. General Education Requirements • 41.312(1) Notice to parents. Each LEA shall provide general notice to parents on an annual basis about the provision of general education interventions that occur as a part of the agency’s general program and that may occur at any time throughout the school year.

12. General Education Requirements • 41.312(2) Nature of general education interventions. General education interventions shall include consultation with special education support and instructional personnel. General education intervention activities shall be documented and shall include measurable and goal-directed attempts to resolve the presenting problem or behaviors of concern, communication with parents, collection of data related to the presenting problem or behaviors of concern, intervention design and implementation, and systematic progress monitoring to measure the effects of interventions.

13. Progress Monitoring • 41.314(1) Evidence of progress in general education instruction. Each public agency shall establish standards, consistent with those the department may establish, by which the adequacy of general education instruction, including the quality and quantity of data gathered, is assessed, and whether such data are sufficient in quantity and quality to make decisions under Part B of the Act and this chapter.

14. Considering the Full and Individual Initial Evaluation • 41.312(3) Referral for full and individual initial evaluation. If the referring problem or behaviors of concern are shown to be resistant to general education interventions or if interventions are demonstrated to be effective but require continued and substantial effort that may include the provision of special education and related services, the agency shall then conduct a full and individual initial evaluation.

15. Parent Requests for Evaluation • 41.312(4) Parent may request evaluation at any time. The parent of a child receiving general education interventions may request that the agency conduct a full and individual initial evaluation at any time during the implementation of such interventions. [ARC 8387B, IAB 12/16/09, effective 1/20/10]

16. Non-Categorical is not the Same as Non-Disabled • 41.111(4) Classification based on disability not required. Nothing in the Act requires that children be classified by their disability so long as each child who has a disability that is listed in 34 CFR Section 300.8 and who, by reason of that disability, needs special education and related services is regarded as a child with a disability under Part B of the Act.

17. Suspicion of a Disability • 41.111(5) Evaluation required when disability is suspected. At the point when a public agency suspects a child is a child with a disability under this chapter, the public agency must seek parental consent for an initial evaluation of that child, pursuant to subrule 41.300(1).

18. Consideration of Suspicion • 41.111(6) Rule of construction—suspicion of a disability. As a general rule, a public agency suspects a child is a child with a disability when the public agency is aware of facts and circumstances that, when considered as a whole, would cause a reasonably prudent public agency to believe that the child’s performance might be explained because the child is an eligible individual under this chapter. [ARC 8387B, IAB 12/16/09, effective 1/20/10]