The issues and laws that govern services for students with disabilities

1
Understanding Special education

• The issues and laws that govern services for
  students with disabilities
• Presented by Rebecca Strong, Program Specialist,
  HESD

2
Induction Program Standard 6 Universal Access

• To ensure academic achievement for special
  populations, participating teachers adhere to
  their legal and ethical obligations relative to
  the full range of special populations (students
  identified for special education, students with
  disabilities, advanced learners and students with
  a combination of special instructional needs)
  including the identification and referral process
  of students for special services. Participating
  teachers implement district policies regarding
  support services for special populations.
  Participating teachers communicate and
  collaborate with special services personnel to
  ensure that instruction and support services for
  special populations are provided according to the
  students assessed levels of academic, behavioral
  and social needs.
• Based on assessed student needs, participating
  teachers provide accommodations and implement
  modifications. Participating teachers recognize
  student strengths and needs, use positive
  behavior support strategies and employ a
  strengths-based approach to meet the needs of all
  students, including the full range of special
  populations.
• Participating teachers instruct special
  populations using adopted standards-aligned
  instructional materials and resources.

3
Three levels of services

• General Education accommodations and
  modifications should be made as needed for all
  students.
• Section 504 accommodations and modifications
  that are legally required once indicated on an
  accommodation plan.
• Special Education - accommodations,
  modifications and special services that are
  legally required once indicated on the students
  Individual Education Program (IEP)

4
Entering the World of Special Education
5
What is Special Education?

• Defined by California Education Code 56031
  Special education means specially designed
  instruction, at no cost to the parent, to meet
  the unique needs of individuals with exceptional
  needs, whose educational needs cannot be met with
  modification of the regular instruction program,
  and related services, at no cost to the parent,
  that may be needed to assist these individuals to
  benefit from specially designed instruction.

6
IDE(i)A

• Individuals with Disabilities Education
  (Improvement) Act (2004).
• Federal Laws, Federal Regulations, State Laws and
  State Regulations
• These laws require
• Provision of Free Appropriate Public Education
  (FAPE)
• In the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

7
When do we refer?

• IDEA and California Law require districts to
  engage in child find, locating, identifying,
  and assessing students with disabilities.
• Therefore, when we suspect a disability we begin
  the referral process.

8
The referral process

• Classroom based interventions, implemented with
  fidelity.
• Interventions are not the things you do for all
  children.
• One, unsuccessful intervention is not enough.
• Still not seeing success, refer for a Student
  Study Team meeting.

9
Why SST first? Because Ed Code says

• EC 56302 Identification procedures for special
  education shall be coordinated with school site
  procedures for referral of pupils with needs that
  CANNOT BE MET WITH MODIFICATION OF THE REGULAR
  INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM.
• EC 56303 A pupil shall be referred for special
  educational instruction and services only after
  the resources of the regular education program
  have been considered and, where appropriate,
  utilized.
• This is documented on the SST forms.

10
The Student Study Team

• A team meets to discuss concerns, present levels
  and what interventions have been tried.
• Allows for many educators to look at the
  information and create a new plan to try to
  address the concerns. Two (or three, or four)
  heads are better than one.
• Helps to identify new ways to differentiate
  instruction for that particular student
• The team will re-meet at a designated time to
  assess how well the new interventions/techniques
  are working.

11
(No Transcript)
12
Times when assessment might happen right away

• Student is suspected of having a medical or
  health condition that is impacting school
  (hearing loss, leukemia, etc.)
• Student has suffered some form of head trauma
  with detrimental effects.
• Student is suspected of having a developmental
  disability (Intellectually Disabled, Autistic,
  etc.).

13
Times when assessment will wait

• Student is showing academic struggles and is in
  the early grades.
• Student is showing academic struggles and has
  missed significant portions of school.
• Student is showing academic struggles and is an
  English Language Learner.

14
Assessment for Special Education

• Assessment team is assigned to conduct the
  assessment and determine if the child is eligible
  for Special Education services.
• The team is made up of
• School Psychologist
• Special Education Teacher
• School Nurse
• SELPA DIS service staff

15
Eligibility for Special Education 13
Handicapping Conditions

1. Hard of Hearing
2. Deafness
3. Visual Impairment
4. Hearing and Visual Impairments
5. Language or Speech Disorder
6. Orthopedic Impairment
7. Intellectually Disabled

• Emotional Disturbance
• Other Health Impairment
• Established Medical Disability (0-5 years)
• Autistic-Like Behaviors
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Specific Learning Disability
• California Code of Regulations Title 5 CCR 3030

16
Eligibility Criteria

• Each disability has specific criteria that must
  be met in order for a child to be eligible for
  special education under that category.
• For Example
• Speech/Language Impairment Student must show
  articulation errors that are not age appropriate
  and impact intelligibility or perform below the
  7th percentile on two standardized assessments in
  order to be eligible for speech/language
  services.

17
Specific Learning Disability Criteria

• A pupil has a disorder in one or more of the
  basic psychological processes involved in
  understanding or in using language, spoken or
  written, which may manifest itself in an impaired
  ability to listen, think, speak, read, write,
  spell, or do mathematical calculations, and has a
  severe discrepancy between intellectual ability
  and achievement in one or more of the academic
  areas. (Title 5 CCR 3030(j))
• The discrepancy shall not be primarily the result
  of limited school experience or poor school
  attendance.

18
Qualified as Learning Disabled
19
Did Not Qualify Academics in the Average Range
20
Eligibility Determination

• Assessment is completed
• IEP team meeting is held
• Based upon assessment information, the team
  members determine eligibility for special
  education
• If eligible an Individual Education Program is
  created by the team to meet that students needs.

21
What is an IEP?

• Defined by California Education Code 56032
  Individualized education program means a
  written document for an individual with
  exceptional needs that is developed, reviewed and
  revised in a meeting.
• The document outlines
• Present levels, including needs
• Goals
• Placement
• Services
• Supplementary aides and services

22
IEP Meetings

• Required participants at the meeting, EC 36341
  
• One or more parent, or a representative of the
  parent
• Not less than one regular education teacher of
  the pupil, if the pupil is or may be
  participating in the regular education
  environment.
• Not less than one special education teacher of
  the pupil
• A representative of the Local Educational Agency
  (LEA) who is qualified to supervise specially
  designed instruction, is knowledgeable about the
  general curriculum, is knowledgeable about the
  availability of resources of the LEA
  (Administrator).

23
The Continuum of Services

• Not a comprehensive list of services

24
The Gen Ed Teachers Role for Sp. Ed.

• Provide information about the students present
  levels of performance.
• Be a participant in the IEP meeting.
• Implement any and all services agreed to in the
  IEP.
• Provide work samples to the special education
  teacher that are required for goal monitoring.
• Collaborate with the special education staff to
  help meet the students needs (RSP, Speech,
  etc.).
• Confidentiality information shared on a need to
  know basis.

25
Low Performing Students

• Why is it that there are times when low
  performing students do not qualify?
• Some students have low ability level, which is
  the cause of their low academic skills.
• This indicates that the student is performing up
  to his or her ability level.
• Continue to have high expectations for these
  students, but recognize that he or she may not be
  able to make progress at the same speed as your
  other students
• This is why differentiation of instruction is so
  vital!

26
Did Not Qualify Academics Below the Average
Range
27
Differentiation - Know your students

• Know learning strengths and weaknesses
• Know your students learning style
• Know your students interests

28
Differentiation What your students know

• Pre-lesson assessment to identify previous
  knowledge
• Identify what you want them to learn
• Pre-teach necessary information for the student
  to be successful

29
Differentiation How you teach

• Use a variety of teaching styles
• Utilize direct instruction teacher driven
  instruction
• Inquiry based learning student driven
  investigation
• Cooperative learning heterogeneous groups

30
Differentiation What students do

• Offer a variety of instructional activities
• Variety should help to address differences in
  learning style, skill level, interest

31
Differentiation - Assessment

• Throughout the process
• Pre-test
• Testing throughout
• Post-test
• Should drive the need for additional small group
  instruction
• Offer a variety of assessment methods which will
  help address learning style, skill level, interest

32
Accommodations vs. Modifications

• Accommodations
• A change to the way you approach a task
• allow student extra time and to circle the answer
  in the test, rather than filling in the scantron
  bubbles .

• Modifications
• A change in the task itself
• allowing a student to take a test from a lower
  grade level and throwing out one of the four
  multiple choice answers.

33
Contact Information
For further information

• rstrong_at_hesd.k12.ca.us Extension 3640