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111

Handbook

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(Special Education)

South Sanpete School District

Six Principles of IDEA

ZERO REJECT

  • All children with disabilities will be provided with a free, appropriate, public education.
    • Disabilities - to include children who have been evaluated and classified under one of the following categories: autism, Communication disorder, Deaf, blindness, Developmental delay, Emotional disturbance, Hearing impairment/Deafness, Intellectual disability, Multiple disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, other health impairment, Specific learning disabilities, Traumatic brain Injury, Visual impairment.
    • Free, appropriate public education - Special education and related services which (a) have been provided at public expense, under public supervision, without charge to parent or guardian. (b)meets the standards of the State educational agency, (c) includes an appropriate preschool, elementary, or secondary school education (d) follows the students Individualized Education Program
    • An annual child-find program will be conducted to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with suspected disabilities within district boundaries.

NONDISCRIMINATORY EVALUATION

A student must receive a full individual evaluation prior to placement in special education services

               (a) Evaluations will be:

  • conducted in the child's native language or other mode of communication, unless that is clearly not feasible to do so.
  • validated for the purpose for which they are being used.
  • administrated by trained personnel

(b) Will test specific areas of concern

(c) Test are administered in a way that will test their aptitude or achievement level or whatever other factors the test purports to measure, not the students impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills.

(d) No single test is used as the determining criteria and

(e) The evaluation is done by a team of specialists

(f) The child is evaluated in all areas of concern.

All evaluation data is to be considered by the multidisciplinary team.

INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS (IEP)

Once a student has been determined eligible for special education services, the IEP team writes the IEP. It is the vehicle by which all resources and services are provided.

IEP Meeting Participants

  1. One or both of the child's parents
  2. The child, when appropriate
  3. A representative of the school who can commit resources and services, other than the teacher
  4. The child's regular education teacher(s)
  5. The child's special education teacher(s)
  6. Other agencies involved in students program
  7. Other individuals at the request of the parents or school
  • The IEP meeting serves as a communication forum.
  • The IEP process is a time for conflict resolution
  • The IEP commits educational resources to meet the students individual needs
  • The IEP is a management tool
  • The IEP is a compliance/monitoring document
  • The IEP serves as an evaluation device

LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT

To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities should be educated with children who do not have disabilities.

  • A continuum of educational services from less restrictive placements to more restrictive placements is provided by the school
  • Placement is determined based on the IEP goals and objectives. What is the least restrictive environment that these goals and objectives can be met.
  • Students will be educated in their neighborhood school unless otherwise determined by the IEP team.

DUE PROCESS

Due process is a procedure tries to ensure fairness in education decisions, and the accountability of both the professionals and the parents.

Due process safeguards

  1. due process hearing (lets try to settle it at the district level first)
  2. independent educational evaluations
  3. parent notice
  4. parent consent
  5. surrogate parents

PARENT PARTICIPATION

The principles of IDEA has either direct or indirect implications for parental involvement. Primarily, access to educational records and information and involvement in the development of educational policy

  • Access to educational records

-          parents may review educational records

-          parents may request that educational records be amended

-          parents must consent before records are released to other agencies

  • Development of educational policy

-          Participation at public hearings and membership on advisory panels

-          Parent participation can greatly enhance the services available to our district

 

Any person having inquiries concerning IDEA, please contact the special education department in your school.