Special Education
Procedures Manual
Atkinson County School SystemPearson, GA
Special Education
Procedures Manual
Our Mission Statement
Our Mission is to promote the value of learning, self-worth, and quality performance among all students and staff. A seamless transition will exist as the student moves into society to become a productive and responsible person.
Table of Contents Page Number
PURPOSE 5
IMPORTANT DATES 6
STATE AND SYSTEM-WIDE ASSESSMENTS: 6
JOB DESCRIPTIONS 7
Lead Special Education Teacher 7
Special Education Teacher 10
Special Education Para-Professional 12
Bus Monitors 15
SPECIAL EDUCATION FORMS 17
STUDENT FILES 17
CONFIDENTIALITY 18
STUDENT REFERRAL PROCEDURE 19
EVALUATION PROCESS 20
INDEPENDENT EVALUATIONS 21
PARENTAL RIGHTS at a GLANCE 22
IEP MEETINGS 24
Excusal From The Meeting 25
Changes To The IEP 25
Suggested Agenda for IEP Meetings 26
Initial Eligibility/Re-evaluation Meeting 26
Annual Review Meeting 28
Special Situations 30
Important Meeting Reminders 30
MEETING CHECKLIST 31
ABSENT PARENT PROCEDURES 32
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IEP 32
QUICK GUIDE TO THE IEP 33
TRANSFER STUDENTS 35
DISMISSAL FROM SPECIAL EDUCATION 36
INACTIVE FILE 36
LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT (LRE) 37
DISCIPLINE 42
BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLANS (BIP) 45
Suggestions For Minimizing Behavior 46
CHILD FIND 48
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR SERVICES 49
Definition of Key Terms 51
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION 53
SURROGATE PARENT (S) 56
TRANSFER OF PARENTAL RIGHTS AT AGE OF MAJORITY 57
HEARING AID MAINTENANCE 58
ANNUAL AUDIOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS 58
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY MAINTENANCE 59
FULL TIME EQUIVALENCY REPORTS (FTE) 60
MEDICAID REPORTING 61
STATE AND SYSTEM-WIDE ASSESSMENTS 62
GAA 63
Guidelines for Participation in the GAA 64
It is the goal of the Atkinson County School System to ensure that all students with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Special Education Procedure manual is to serve as a general resource guide regarding students with disabilities and to inform school personnel of:
· the educational rights of students with disabilities
· the educator’s duties and responsibilities regarding students with disabilities
· the special education referral procedures
· the Individual Education Program (IEP) process
This handbook is designed for in-system use and is not intended to be a comprehensive legal guide. School level personnel should continue to consult with their building principals, the Director of Special Education, and the Superintendent with regard to specific questions or situations, which arise as a result of the provision of special education services.
This manual is to be returned to the building level lead special education teacher at the end of the school year.
IMPORTANT DATES
Annual Review Start Date: January
Target Date for Completion of ALL IEP Annual Reviews: Last school day in April
FTE Dates: October December March
Special Education In-Service: August, January, May
STATE AND SYSTEM-WIDE ASSESSMENTS:
See your school’s test coordinator for dates
GKIDS (Kindergarten)
CRCT (grades 1-2) Reading, Lang. Arts, Math
CRCT (grades 3–8) Reading, Lang. Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies
Writing Assessments (grades 3, 5, 8)
End Of Course Test (grades 9-12)
GA High School Graduation Test
GA High School Writing Assessment
GA Alternative Assessment
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
The role of Lead Special Education Teacher, Special Education Teacher, and Special Education Para-professional encompasses a broad range of responsibilities, extending from the individual students, to the classrooms, to the school as a faculty member, to the central office, and into the community. Use the following lists as a guide for fulfilling your responsibilities.
Lead Special Education Teacher
· Beginning of Each School Year
o schedule and facilitate orientation for special education teachers in their school during pre-planning. Orientations may include information and updates on federal and state regulations, Due Process, services available and how to access, system special education procedures, etc.
· Electronic Special Education Student Information
o ensure that Special Education Teachers maintain correct and current data on all special education students (FTE, SASI, IEPOnline, AIMSweb, etc.)
· Psychological Reports
o receive psychological reports from the central office
o distribute to the appropriate Special Education Teacher
o follow-up on distributed reports to ensure procedures are correctly followed
· Lead Teacher Meetings
o attend regularly scheduled team meetings with the Special Education Director.
· RTI Coordinator
o provide consultative support to the school RTI Coordinator on an as needed basis.
· School Level Special Education Team Meetings
o schedule and facilitate regularly scheduled special education team meetings to address issues and provide updates.
· School Administrators & Scheduling of Special Education Students
o assist school administrators with scheduling of special education students to assure that all students are served in the appropriate LRE as documented in the student's IEP
· Act as Liaison between General Education and Special Education
o work with all staff to assure that students have access to and participate in the general curriculum
· Be Available to Teachers for Consultation
o provide consultation to teachers regarding students who learn differently and the use of modifications, techniques, and materials, which may be useful for the student.
· Special Education Budget and Staff Development
o review all special education budget requisitions and staff development requests for appropriateness.
· Check Paperwork
o check student folders to assure that procedures are being followed and implemented consistently
o provide staff development for teachers whose folders are inadequate, in conjunction with other system personnel
· Special Education Equipment
o in conjunction with school and system administrators, Lead Teachers will assure that Special Education Teachers keep an inventory of all equipment, test materials, and supplies
· Transfer of Student Folders
o coordinate the transfer of student special education records to and from other schools as appropriate.
o assure that students, at a minimum, have an IEP and Permission to Place prior to receiving special education services in the Atkinson County School System and turned in to the county office within seven days.
· Information/Knowledge from Workshops, Meetings, etc.
o disseminate information/knowledge from workshops, meetings, etc. with school special education staff and other appropriate personnel
Special Education Teacher
· Develop and Maintain IEPs
o follow procedures for writing IEPs
o review IEPs on an on-going basis
o report progress on goals & objectives at the end of each grading period ( at a minimum)
o maintain a current IEP for each child on teacher’s caseload
· Maintain Student Records (it is imperative to adhere to specific due dates for reporting information)
o maintain student records in an uniform order
o maintain a current roster to be turned in at the end of each month by e-mail
o report request student data (FTE, rosters, etc.)
· Document Parent/Guardian Contacts
o record all parental contacts on the parent contact form
· Complete Referrals for Re-evaluations
o gather needed referral information for all students in need of a re-evaluation
o send referral information to Special Education Office
· Attend Due Process Meetings
o attend all placement and IEP meetings for students currently served and prospective students
o bring appropriate paperwork and documentation to meetings
· Attend Special Education Meetings
o attend school departmental meetings and system-wide meetings
· Inventory Materials and Equipment
· Supervise Para-Professionals
o discuss with para-pros the department goals
o provide para-pro with students’ classroom accommodations and modifications, assessment accommodations, goals & objectives
· Provide General Education Support Services
o work closely with general education teachers
o be available to address concerns
o promote and increase understanding and acceptance of students with disabilities
o be available to teachers for consultation
· Continue Professional Growth
o keep informed about changes in local and state guidelines
Special Education Para-Professional
· Model a positive attitude
o no yelling
o use a quiet voice with students at all times
· Model adequate etiquette and good manners
· Provide support to assigned students and, as appropriate, to other students in the class
o modifications & accommodations per IEP should being provided
· Reinforce previously introduced material (initiated by the teacher)
o Listen to oral readings by students
o Assist students with assignments
o Work with small groups or individuals in order to accelerate, summarize, extend, and differentiate learning activities
o Monitor, assist, and check students’ seatwork
· The various approaches of co-teaching should be being used:
o Station teaching- centers, students rotate, different content
o Parallel teaching- split class, same content, content presented in different manners
o Alternative teaching- large group & small group, different content, remediate, don’t pull same students consistently
o Team teaching- teach together, same content
· Provide support, suggestions and feedback regarding the strategies and instruction that have been implemented
· Participate in ongoing communication with the general education teacher and support teacher
· Serve as liaison between the classroom and special education teacher
· Be familiar with the student’s IEP modifications and accommodations
· Be flexible and unobtrusive
· Implement assigned activities in a thorough and enthusiastic manner
· Maintain confidentiality for all students (it’s the law)
· Students with significant disabilities
o Remind them to seat in their seat just like the other students are doing- they are not allowed to roam the room unless that is what the entire class is doing at that time
o Assist them in doing as much as they can, as independently as they can- they are not working on the same skills as the other students in the room
o Allow them to assist in any activity that they will need in life- they are working on life skills & those the objectives listed in their IEPs
· Collect data to document student progress
o A Special Education Progress Notebook is to be maintained
o Complete an observation on each special ed. student served weekly
o Notebook is to be turned in to Lead Special Education Teacher every Friday to be reviewed
o Notebook can be picked up on Monday mornings
· Maintain folders of representative students’ work by collecting and organizing items
· Assist in preparing for instruction
o Arrange instructional materials for accessibility
o Prepare instructional materials such as flash cards, charts, graphs, transparencies, power points, etc.
o Distribute materials to students
o Set up and operate resources and materials as needed by the teacher (overhead projector, graphic organizers, tape recorder, television, language master, learning centers, etc.)
· Assist students who miss instruction due to absence
· Supervise students in the library
o Provide assistance locating reference materials and AR books
· Supervise students on the playground
· Monitor assigned students during special programs and field trips
· Supervise the loading and unloading of schools buses (especially the special bus)
· Assist the teacher during the lunch period
· Accompany students to the office, nurse, counselor, etc.
· Assist students in restroom activities as needed
· Assist students as needed during fire drills
· Assist with physical education activities (especially adapted PE)
· Supervise student laboratory work
o Instruct in the safe and proper use of tools and supplies
· Monitor the administration of tests
o Provide approved accommodations
· Assist with daily reports that are sent to the office, such as those for lunch and attendance
· Collect notes sent to parents and returned
· Duplicate students’ writings and other work
· Supervise students in housekeeping duties (ex- cleanup of work area)
· Help children with their outer clothing as needed
· Monitor, monitor, monitor
· Monitor the classroom when the teacher has to leave for brief periods
· Assist substitute teachers in following planned learning tasks
Bus Monitors
· Be on time each morning. Failure to do so can result in replacement
· Know the needs of the students that you are monitoring
· Report any irregularities to the Lead Special Education Teacher
· Know safety procedures
· Maintain a safe environment at all times
IDEA CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBILITY
A student or youth from 3 through the end of the semester of their 21st birthday is considered to have a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) if the student or youth meets the eligibility criteria in any of the following areas.
· Autism Spectrum Disorder (AUT)
· Deaf-Blind (D/B)
· Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH)
· Emotional and Behavioral Disorder (EBD)
· Intellectual Disability (mild, moderate, severe, profound) (MIID, MOID, SID, PID)
· Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
· Other Health Impaired (OHI)
· Significant Developmental Delay (ages 3-8) (SDD)
· Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
· Speech-Language Impairment (SI)
· Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
· Visual Impairment/Blindness (VI)
Complete categorical definitions are found in the Georgia Rules and Regulations.
SPECIAL EDUCATION FORMS
Complete and accurate documentation is a critical responsibility of all special education personnel. For every activity connected with the Special Education Process, there is a form. All forms must be completely and accurately filled out. Attention to detail is mandated. All paperwork must be completed online using the IEPonline program. Do not leave sections blank.
STUDENT FILES
All data related to a student's special education services is confidential. Every effort must be made to ensure the confidentiality of records. At no time should a file be left where unauthorized personnel or other students may access it. Files must include a student record access sheet to document when and by whom the file was reviewed or accessed.
The primary file for the student is maintained at the board office. This file contains any psychologicals, medical or private evaluations, eligibility reports, meeting minutes (along with meeting notice), hearing and vision screening results, and the IEP.
In addition, the primary Special Education Teacher will maintain a working individual file on all assigned students. These files contain the IEP, work samples, parent communication records, and end-of-year test data. These files must be kept in a secure, locked file cabinet.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality is one of the rights afforded to parents in the Parent Rights document. Confidentiality of educational records is a basic right shared by all children in public schools and their parents. These fundamental rights are described in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, which applies to all students, not only those with disabilities.