The Special Education Process

Nondiscriminatory Evaluation

Screening

Pre-referral

Referral

NondiscriminatoryEvaluation Procedures

All Students

Some Students

Students in need of special

Education and related services

IDEA Procedures• Screening 3x per year• Pre-referral - consultation with instructional support team (IST)• Document current levels of student performance (academic, social,

& behavioral)• Implement academic interventions (2 minimum) - document

results• Referral (identification)• Notice of procedural safeguards & due process rights• Parental consent• Evaluation • Eligibility determination (within 60 school days of referral)• IEP development• Placement decision (LRE)• Annual review • Triennial reevaluation• Transition planning

A well-written pre-referral includes a description of:

• The student’s physical, social, and behavioral characteristics and interests

• Your interactions with the parents including times and dates• The current area of study (e.g., water cycle)• A timeline of events• At least 3 types of instructional and assessment strategies, including

accommodations, or modifications you have tried with the student• At least three assessment types and outcomes including both

quantitative and qualitative examples related to the class expectations

• Questions for the Instructional Support Team• Your belief that the student can be successful!

Referral & Evaluation• Someone refers the student for evaluation (usually

the parent or teacher). • Parent must consent to evaluation.• School must complete initial evaluation within 60

school days of parental consent.• The evaluation must be unbiased, reliable, and

provide meaningful information regarding the student’s strengths, weaknesses, and behavior. • Parent has the right to an independent evaluation

at public expense.

Evaluation Procedures

• Review existing data on the student including classroom-based, local, state assessments, and classroom observations.• Use a variety of assessment tools and strategies

to gather relevant functional, developmental, and academic information about the student.• Provide assessments in the student’s native

language.

IEP Development - Who’s involved?

• The student (when appropriate)• Local educational agency (LEA) - who will oversee

implementation of the child’s plan.• General classroom teachers (at least 1)• Special education teacher• Therapist• Parents• Others at the discretion of the parents or LEA • Evaluator if other than the special education

teacher

Contents of the IEP

• Child’s present levels of performance (e.g., educational, social, behavioral).• Specific measurable annual goals, objectives,

expected levels of performance, timelines.• Information regarding the students placement

and related services.• Modifications to the general education

curriculum.• Dates & times for delivery of services.• Means to assess AYP. • Transition plan (16 and up).

Continuum of Sped Services - LRE

General Education (Gen Ed) Curriculum

Gen Ed w/ consultative services

Gen Ed & instruction & services

Gen Ed & resource room

Full time Sped classroom

Special school

Special facilities, day or

residential

Most Inclusive

Most intensive

Defining SLD• Sometimes called the “invisible disability”• Unexpected difficulty / low performance• Inefficient processing in the area of disability –

most commonly in reading• “… 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 the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical computations.”

NOT SLD ifThe deficit is primarily the result of:• Hearing, visual, or motor disability• MR (mental retardation) or ID (Intellectual Disability)• SBD (serious behavioral disorder)• Environmental, cultural, economic disadvantage• LACK OF APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION

SLD Determination

• School districts have two means to determine if a student qualifies as having a learning disability:• Severe discrepancy model (Classic)• Response to Intervention (IDEA 2004)

Schools are increasingly using both!