F.A.Q.'S

1. Referral of student
2. Evaluation of student
3. Recommendation of program for student
4. Implementation of program

Students believed to be educationally disabled are REFERRED to a multidisciplinary team called the CSE. The CSE EVALUATES students' abilities. The CSE RECOMMENDS an appropriate Individualized Education Program (IEP) based on evaluation results. The program is IMPLEMENTED based upon Board of Education and parental approval. The IEP is MODIFIED or adjusted by the CSE at an Annual Review. The student has a Triennial Evaluation at least every third year to assure that the student continues to require special education programs and services. 

Required member of the committee include a district representative (chair), the child's parents and teacher, a special education teacher or provider, a school psychologist and a parent representative (a parent of a different child in the district who receives special education services). Other members may include: the student, a physician, or any others that the parent or school district request. 

• Social history  
• Observation in the classroom  
• Academic achievement  
• Psychological assessment  
• Physical examination  
• Other assessment in all areas related to the suspected disability Specific other   assessments may include:  Social - emotional development, communication skills, and motor abilities. 

Multiple professionals must evaluate, including, but not be limited to: school psychologist, social worker, school nurse, physician, school administrator, guidance counselor, teachers (special education, regular education. reading, etc.), and service providers (Speech/Language Therapist, Audiologist, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist). 

Special education means specially designed individualized or group instruction or special services or programs and special transportation, provided at no cost to the parent, to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities.

1. Such instruction includes but is not limited to that conducted in classrooms, homes, hospitals, institutions and in other settings.

2. Such instruction includes specially designed instruction in physical education, including adapted physical education.

Specially-designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible student, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address the unique needs that result from the student's disability; and to ensure access of the student to the general curriculum, so that he or she can meet the educational standards that apply to all students. 

The continuum of special education services for school-age students with disabilities is an array of services to meet individual students' needs that includes:

- consultant teacher services

- resource room services

- related services

- integrated co-teaching services  

- special class  

Children with disabilities must be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate based on their individual needs. The CSE must determine that a student cannot be educated even with supports before changing the student's placement to a more restrictive setting (outside of general education). 

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is the guiding document when working with a child with a disability. An IEP must include present levels of performance, educational needs (including how the disability affects the student's participation in the general education curriculum), student's placement, goals and objectives for the school year, specific programs and services to be provided, program modification and test accommodations (if needed), evaluation procedures to monitor student's progress, and projected date of review of the IEP. 

The special education teacher has a copy of each student's IEP. General education teachers, special area teachers, related service providers, nurses, bus drivers and other support staff responsible for implementation of the IEP must have ACCESS to the document through the special education teacher.

The student must meet the qualifications for at least one of the 13 classifications established by the state (Autistic, Deaf, Deaf/Blind, Emotionally Disturbed [ED], Hard of Hearing [HH], Learning Disabled [LD], Intellectual Disability [ID], Multiply Disabled [MD], Orthopedically Impaired [OI], Other Health Impaired [OHI], Speech Impaired [SI], or Visually Impaired [VI]). 

Either the student's teacher or parent may refer the student back to the CSE for review of the IEP at any time. 

An annual review is a yearly review of a student’s program. It is usually a CSE meeting with the child’s classroom teacher, parent, related service personnel and other professionals that work with the student. Sometimes the CSE includes the student as well. The CSE meets to determine if the student’s program is effective, this is where services can be added or deleted or changed in a student’s program. 

Test accommodations are changes in typical testing procedures or a format that enables students with disabilities to participate in state and district testing programs. The CSE determines if a student’s disability needs to be accommodated during testing and indicates the accommodations on the student's IEP. Some examples of accommodations include: extended time, administering test in a separate location, directions clarified, and others.

What is a sub-committee?

A sub-committee is an extension of the full CSE. It must include a district representative (chair), the child’s teacher (special education and regular education), and the child’s parents. It may include related service providers and others who have pertinent information. The subcommittee is authorized to make IEP revisions, conduct annual reviews, and review triennial evaluation results.