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Reminders and common questions/issues regarding initials, re-evals, and testing

Initials From SST:

  1. WhenSST decides to refer the student for a special education evaluation, whogets the special educationparent consent for evaluation form signed by the parent?
  2. Special education consent for evaluation form will be signed at the SST meeting where referral is recommendedto avoid delay. Also, a copy of special education parental rights will be given.
  3. If the parent is not at the meeting, the SST Chair contacts parent to get signature
  4. Remember - Signed Consent to Evaluate begins 60 day timeline
  5. If ISC at SST meeting, immediately email Renea, Consultantand Maria that special education consent to evaluate has been signed.
  6. If ISC not at SST meeting, SST Chair emails ISC, Renea, Consultant and Maria that special education consent to evaluate has been signed.
  7. If parent didn’t attend (and paperwork is being sent home), email these people so they know to expect it
  1. What happens to the SST file after a special ed referral has been made?
  2. SST Chair:
  3. Completes special education referral form (electronically)
  4. Gives SST file with a copy of the referral form to ISC within 3 days
  5. Sends electronic copy of the special education referral form to Consultant
  6. SST continues with SST interventions and data collection. SST Chair makes copies of that information from the file before sending to sped so that data collection can continue
  7. If new strategies are implemented, keep copies and SST Chair, ISC, and Consultant coordinate collecting the additional strategies for the eligibility meeting
  8. Special Education ISC:
  9. ISC gathers required info using initial/reevaluation referral checklist (observations, work samples, 7 areas check list, rating scales, etc)
  10. ISC submits referral packet to CO asap.
  1. Please refer to Special Education Initial Referral Procedures posted on sped and SST websites for a complete list of procedures to be followed.

Initials From Parent Requests:

  1. What happens after committee review team which includes a special education consultant has approved a parent request for special education evaluation and eligibility consideration?
  2. SST Chair:
  3. The SST Chair must email Maria, ISC, Consultant, and Renea to be sure testing is scheduled in timely matter due to the 60 day timeline from date signed consent is received. Consultant and/or ISC may also email Maria as a safeguard to be sure she is aware of any approved evaluations required testing in 60 day timeline.
  4. SST Chair gives copy of theCommittee Review Form, strategy pages (if not in SST and new ones are developed) to ISC
  5. If student isn’t in SST, SST Chair builds a file
  6. SST Chair convenes a team to implement interventions
  • ISC:
  • ISC and/or consultant obtains Special Education Consent to Evaluate
  • ISC sends Committee Review Form, strategy pages, vision/hearing, andSpecial Ed Consent to Evaluateform to Renea Walton asap.
  • ISC Gathers required info using initial/reevaluation referral checklist (observations, work samples, 7 areas check list, rating scales, etc)
  • ISC submits referral packet to CO asap.
  • Leave the SST file at school for psychologist to use.
  • After testing is completed, SST file will need to be forwarded to the consultant for the eligibility meeting.
  • Remember to refer to Parental Requests for an Evaluation flowchart for full procedures

Re-evaluations:

  1. What do you write on the DOR for the section - Evaluation in the following area is recommended - if you are reevaluating and one of the suspected disability areas is Autism?
  2. Indicate concerns over social issues, behavior, and/or communication. It is ok to write “suspected disability area of Autism” if you don’t know what else to write. Do not write specific test names on the DOR.
  3. Testing services will then determine what assessments or screeners are needed.
  1. How does psychological services determine what test to administer for reevaluation?
  2. Testing is geared towards what is written in the DOR.
  3. Therefore, be clear on the DOR evaluation areas recommendation section that you list all areas of concern such as social, behavior, emotional, communication, language, academic, cognitive, adaptive, etc.
  4. Also, be sure summaries are complete and give a clear picture of the student and the areas of concerns, as well, to help psychologist and eligibility teamsunderstand the areas of concerns, deficits, suspected areas of disability or difficulties.
  5. Summaries should include a summary of the data reviewed
  6. Summaries should NOT be this:
  7. The team recommends reevaluation to determine if eligibility is continued.
  8. Or, the team recommends reevaluation because Johnny is SDD and about to be nine.
  1. If reevaluation is recommended to consider another eligibility area other thanprimary speech/language eligibility, should academic interventions be implemented prior to the reevaluation referral packet being submitted?
  2. Yes. The IEP team along with the psychologist should develop appropriate interventions to be tried in the academic area of difficulty prior to the packet being submitted.
  1. Will reevaluation referrals have a psychological report?
  2. No. The psychological report will be entered into the eligibility report unless there is a specific reason for a separate report.
  3. Once meeting has been held and a DOR completed recommending reevaluation, the case manager must start the reevaluation referral in Clarity (if not already started) for the psychologist to add testing information to the eligibility report.
  4. Elementary case manager/ISC will enter observations in eligibility reports in Clarity.
  1. What happens if a late reevaluation referral packet is submitted to central office?
  2. A letter from psychological services will be sent to the case manager who submitted the late packet, the ISC, consultant, and the principal.
  3. Remember that reevaluation referral packets are due at a minimum of 3 months prior to the eligibility due date. Therefore, the IEP team should address eligibility at least 6 to 12 months in advance through the DOR to allow the team enough time to gather the referral packet and to submit at least 3 months prior to the eligibility due date.
  1. Please refer to Special Education Reevaluation Referral Procedures posted on sped website for complete list of procedures to be followed.

Need Additional Information Only (not for eligibility):

  1. When, why, and what should be requested for additional data when it is not for eligibility purposes?
  2. This is a team decision but should have some purpose, as opposed to satisfying curiosity
  1. Who does the testing or completing of rating scales when data is requested only for information/IEP purposes and not for eligibility?
  2. ISC and/or case manager collects information
  3. Behavior rating scales – completed by ISC/case manager (can be scored by Psych Dept)
  4. Academic testing – completed by ISC/case manager

Dismissals:

  1. When a student is dismissed from special education, do we automatically refer them to SST?
  2. No, the student should be referred to the Pyramid of Interventions for support, not automatically to SST
  3. Complete the Special Education Removal Form for any dismissal
  4. Complete this form and submit a copy to SST Chair and to Special Ed Central Office.
  5. Central office must have this form to be sure the sped flag is removed and for state reporting purposes.
  6. Assure parent that the student will be supported through the Pyramid (without giving specific tiers)
  7. The SST chair and team will determine the appropriate Tier placement based on the student’s needs. SST Chair should contact the parent to discuss Tier placement and any required meetings.
  1. When a student is dismissed (no longer eligible for special education), how is the special ed flag removed in Infinite Campus?
  2. Special Education Removal Form must be completed and submitted to Renea Walton. Dismissals are given to Vickie Shepherd to remove the flags in IC.
  3. You may email Vickie of a dismissal to remove the flag; however, the Special Education Removal Form must be completed and submitted as well.

Coweta County Special Education Department

August 2011