Exceptional Education Training for Principals/Administrators

1. Exceptional Education Training for Principals/Administrators Child Find Evaluation/Placement Adult Support Key TIENet Features

2. CHILD FIND: What is it? • Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), “the State must have in effect policies and procedures to ensure the locating, identification, and evaluation of children who have or may have disabilities.

3. CHILD FIND: Required Activities 1. Screen all new students 2. Disseminate Child Find procedures to parents annually (brochure) 3. Review Child Find procedures with staff annually (PowerPoint slides 3 – 14 & website) 4. Complete the staff Verification/Sign-up form, keep a copy, and turn in the original to the Exceptional Education Department

4. New Student Screening

5. ALL students NEW to TUSD MUST be screened within 45 days of enrollment. • Completed screening forms should be placed in cumulative folder.

7. Key Personnel The Office Manager/Designee is the KEY to ensuring COMPLIANCE!

8. Basic Instructions – Section A • Office Manager/Designee runs the Mojave Report Generator every Monday morning. • Section A will be generated automatically by Mojave except for “Screening Date”.

9. Basic Instructions – Section A • Once the report is printed, the Office Manager/Designee gives the form to the assigned teacher for each student who has enrolled and is NEW to TUSD.

10. Basic Instructions – Section B • Homeroom or Main Teacher • Fills in the “Screening Date” on Section A • Completes Section B • This is a screening, not an assessment. If the teacher believes the concern is greater than most students at that age, s/he should mark it. A more thorough assessment will occur during follow-up. • Returns it to the Office Manager/Designee who then gives it to the Principal.

11. Basic Instructions – Section C • Administrative Section • If no concerns are noted, the Principal • marks the form “No problem noted at this time” • signs and dates the form • files the form in the cumulative folder. • If concerns are noted, the Principal • marks the form “Problem noted……” • marks the appropriate actions to be taken • dates the action as of the date the appropriate staff member was alerted • signs and dates the form • files the form in the cumulative folder

12. Parent Notification • Notify parent within 10 days after the concern is noted • Inform the parent of intended course of action, which may include: • checking vision/hearing • discussing concerns with parent to gain more information • consideration of referral to Child Study Team (include parent)

14. Web Support • Intranet Administrator Resource Centerhttp://intranet/adminresources.asp

15. Evaluations • Initial Evaluation begins with a MET 1: • Referral from Child Study Team • Parent request (verbal or written) • Review and Considerations • Interventions done in general education • Language, Cultural factors • Environmental, Economic, Educational Disadvantage • Health & medical factors

16. Parental Consent: • Informed parent consent required before the initial evaluation or providing special education and related services

17. Timeline: • Once parental consent is obtained the evaluation must be conducted within 60 calendar days. • Exceptions: • When a child transfers from out of district and TUSD is making progress on the evaluation and the parent and TUSD agree to a specific time for completion • Parent fails to make child available for evaluation

18. Evaluation • Use a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant functional, developmental and academic information. • No single measure or assessment as sole criterion for eligibility. • Assessment and other evaluation materials are provided and administered in the language and form most likely to yield accurate information.

19. Reevaluation: • At least once every 3 years. • The team determines that the educational or related service needs of the child warrant a reevaluation; • Parent or teacher request a reevaluation; and • Shall not be conducted more frequently than once a year unless parent and LEA agree to do so.

20. Eligibility • Based on consideration of all available and relevant information the evaluation team determines that:

21. The student meets all of the criteria for any category of disability according to federal, state, and local regulations; • The student’s needs cannot be met in general education setting; • The school has attempted to address the student’s needs through both informal and formal interventions; and • The determination of a disability is not based on a lack of instruction in reading, math or limited English proficiency.

22. IEP • An IEP MUST be developed within 30 days of determining the student’s eligibility AND before any services are provided. • The annual IEP must be completed within 364 days of the previous IEP. • The IEP must be revised if the student is not making expected progress or upon parent request.

23. Placement vs. Location of Services • Placement: type and amount of services • Is determined by the IEP Team and considers the Least Restrictive Environment for the student. • Is based on the student’s needs, not the category of eligibility. • Specifies the specific services that the student will receive.

24. Location: where the services will be received • At the home school unless the required services are not available at that site. • If the location of required services must be at a site different from the home school, the district (not the IEP team) will designate the location.

25. Support Staff (teacher assistant, 1:1, paraprofessional, programmatic aide, additional adult support) • Overarching goal of IDEA: Encourage, promote, and maximize independence for students with disabilities Supports provided within the context of this goal

26. Consideration for Parapro • The team must review the IEP to determine if it is appropriate • accommodations & modifications • goals & objectives, related services • Consider less intrusive alternatives • consultants, schedule changes, curriculum & assistive technology • Meet the student’s needs with current staff and/or peers

27. Support is needed • Determined on basis of student need • information & data is significantly conclusive • Determine the level of support that is needed -continuous, partial, decreasing • What can the student do without assistance?

28. Parapro Positives • Align to goals of independence • Bridge the student into a less restrictive environment • Use of a fade plan can lead to increased student independence

29. Parapro Negatives • More restrictive • May create an unnatural environment • Isolation from classmates • Dependence on adults • Failure to develop self-regulating behavior

30. How to proceed • Gather data beforehand • Contact the assigned Assistant Director to review the data collection process before scheduling the IEP teammeeting.

31. How to log in to TIENET • TUSD Home page • Departments • Exceptional Education • Click on Login to TIENet • Click on Login • Use your TUSD User ID and Password. • Login to -TUSD

32. Thank you If you have additional questions, please contact your assigned Assistant Director or the Exceptional Education Office at 225-6410