The Pre-Referral: Before making a referral, interventions should be implemented to help students and avoid a referral, if possible. In 2004, IDEA made if possible for schools to use Response to Intervention (RTI) to determine a student's eligibility for services. RTI is used to identify interventions that can accelerate student learning.
Referral: A formal referral to special education services is generally made by the student's parents or teacher in the elementary grades. When a referral is made, the parents must be notified and invited to a meeting to discuss options. The result of the meeting may be further intervention, or a comprehensive evaluation.
Comprehensive Evaluation: Before beginning an evaluation, parental consent must be given. If parents do not consent, the school can stop the process or request a due process hearing. Once consent is granted, the school has 60 days to complete the evaluation. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine eligibility for IDEA services and to collect information about the child in order to develop an individualized education program (IEP).
Assessment Procedures: IDEA allows states to determine their own testing procedures. However, multiple measures must be used, the assessments must not be culturally or racially biased, and they must be given in the language most likely to give accurate results if possible. Assessment must be administered by trained and knowledgable personnel and instructions must be followed. Students must be assessed in all areas of suspected disability.
Determination of Eligibility and Educational Need: The IEP team must determine if the child has a disability and if the child need special education. The team uses formal and informal evaluation information gathered through assessments and observations in this process.
Individual Education Programs: The IEP is an educational plan that allows the student to receive a free and appropriate education. It includes the student's current academic achievement and functioning levels, a statement of annual goals, how the goals will be measured, a statement of education and related services to be provided, frequency and location of services, percentage of time student will be in the regular education classroom, and accommodations. IEPs are written or updated annually.
Special Education Placement: In order to receive special education services, parents must consent. Without parental consent, a school should continue to implement different strategies to address the child's needs. Services include how much time is spent in special education, what type of interventions will be used, and where the interventions will take place.
Related Services: Related services are services that help students benefit from special education. Examples of related services include transportation, speech-language pathology, audio services, interpreting services, psychological services, occupational therapy, social services, and rehabilitation services.
Reevaluation: Reevaluations should be done not more than once a year, but at least every three years. Students need to be reevaluated before services are discontinued. Reevaluations are used to update and make changes to a student's IEP.
Role and Responsibilities of the Administrator:The principal must be knowledgable about the special education process in order to monitor the program, from referral to placement to carrying out the IEP. The principal must monitor the RTI process, ensure that teachers know the referral process, understand the nondiscriminatory assessment process, understand the how eligibility is determined, and always provide the least restrictive environment for students. Principals must support teachers and give them time to collaborate and work together on instructional strategies.
(Smith, 2016)
Referral: A formal referral to special education services is generally made by the student's parents or teacher in the elementary grades. When a referral is made, the parents must be notified and invited to a meeting to discuss options. The result of the meeting may be further intervention, or a comprehensive evaluation.
Comprehensive Evaluation: Before beginning an evaluation, parental consent must be given. If parents do not consent, the school can stop the process or request a due process hearing. Once consent is granted, the school has 60 days to complete the evaluation. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine eligibility for IDEA services and to collect information about the child in order to develop an individualized education program (IEP).
Assessment Procedures: IDEA allows states to determine their own testing procedures. However, multiple measures must be used, the assessments must not be culturally or racially biased, and they must be given in the language most likely to give accurate results if possible. Assessment must be administered by trained and knowledgable personnel and instructions must be followed. Students must be assessed in all areas of suspected disability.
Determination of Eligibility and Educational Need: The IEP team must determine if the child has a disability and if the child need special education. The team uses formal and informal evaluation information gathered through assessments and observations in this process.
Individual Education Programs: The IEP is an educational plan that allows the student to receive a free and appropriate education. It includes the student's current academic achievement and functioning levels, a statement of annual goals, how the goals will be measured, a statement of education and related services to be provided, frequency and location of services, percentage of time student will be in the regular education classroom, and accommodations. IEPs are written or updated annually.
Special Education Placement: In order to receive special education services, parents must consent. Without parental consent, a school should continue to implement different strategies to address the child's needs. Services include how much time is spent in special education, what type of interventions will be used, and where the interventions will take place.
Related Services: Related services are services that help students benefit from special education. Examples of related services include transportation, speech-language pathology, audio services, interpreting services, psychological services, occupational therapy, social services, and rehabilitation services.
Reevaluation: Reevaluations should be done not more than once a year, but at least every three years. Students need to be reevaluated before services are discontinued. Reevaluations are used to update and make changes to a student's IEP.
Role and Responsibilities of the Administrator:The principal must be knowledgable about the special education process in order to monitor the program, from referral to placement to carrying out the IEP. The principal must monitor the RTI process, ensure that teachers know the referral process, understand the nondiscriminatory assessment process, understand the how eligibility is determined, and always provide the least restrictive environment for students. Principals must support teachers and give them time to collaborate and work together on instructional strategies.
(Smith, 2016)