Transcript Faculty and Staff Training Special Education Law

Faculty and Staff Training: Special Education, ELL,
Confidentiality, 504, De-Escalation/Restraint and Homeless
Education
Sharon Murphy Jones, Administrator of Special Education
August 2014
A Truth
•A diagnosis does
not mean a disability
•Children can have
a diagnosis but it
does not mean
that the child is
disabled
What is RTI
 RTI is Response to Intervention or otherwise
known as Response to Instruction
 Schools are now required to document regular
education interventions prior to a possible
special education referral: documented tiers of
instruction before special education possibly
intervenes: up to 1-2 years of documented
intervention before a child is referred for special
education.
Special Education Services are
meant to:
Supplement NOT supplant educational
activities
Support regular education teachers
Provide additional specialized instruction
Provide therapies the child needs in order
to access the general curriculum
Special Education Eligibility: ALL THREE
MUST BE TRUE:
Student has one or more disabilities
Student is not making effective progress
as a result of the disability(ies).
Student requires special education
services in order to make effective
progress, needs support services to
access general curriculum
Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973
 Under section 504: A person
may be considered disabled if
he/she has a mental or
physical impairment which
significantly limits one or more
major life function (ie. Walking,
speaking, learning, hearing or
breathing)
 Calls for auxiliary aids and
accommodations for people
with disabilities.
 All staff members are required
to implement the elements of a
504.(ie. teachers,esp,nurses,
administration) The principals
and guidance are the 504 reps.
504 or IEP???
An Individual Education Program is written
for a child when they meet all three
eligibility requirements and the student
requires modifications
A 504 is for students with disabilities that
require accommodations only
Both are legally binding documents and
must be followed exactly as written
What is an accommodation?

An accommodation does not alter the
curriculum standards, but assists the student
in ways to access the regular education
curriculum:
 Books on tape
 Enlarged print
 Scribe
 Read aloud
 Preferential seating
 FM system
 Hearing aide, cochlear implant
 Behavioral intervention plan
 Oral testing
 Extended time
 Testing in an alternate setting
 Use of a computer
Modifications will
 Modifications may
change the curriculum
standards
 Assignments that are changed
for content
 Attending less classes
 Assignments that are
significantly reduced in
content and/or presentation
 Courses taken as audits
12 Disability Classifications
 Autism
 Developmental Delay
(ages 3-9)
 Intellectual Impairment
 Hearing loss
 Visual Impairment
 Deaf-Blind
 Neurological Impairment
 Emotional Impairment
 Communication
Impairment
 Physical Impairment
 Health Impairment
 Specific Learning
Disability
What should happen in an IEP
meeting? 3 components!
 The Team must first determine if the student is
eligible for special education services, also
called Eligibility Determination (only when the
child has been evaluated)
 The Team must then decide what services are
warranted
 Final decision is placement: where will the
student receive these services?




In a regular education classroom
In a learning center
In a substantially separate setting
In a separate day or residential placement
An Individualized Education Program
 An IEP is no longer called an EdPlan
 Is a binding, legal document
 Must be reviewed at least yearly
 There must be a regular education teacher at an
IEP meeting. Otherwise the IEP is invalid.
 Is a confidential document
 Must be read, reviewed and referred to by all
service providers, this includes regular
education teachers and support staff.
Special Education Timelines
 Upon receipt of a parentally signed permission to test,
special education has 30 school days to complete the
evaluation and 45 school days to hold a meeting with the
parents.
 If a determination of eligibility is found, the special
education department has 10 calendar days to put an
IEP in the hands of the parent.
 The parent has 30 school days to either reject or accept
the proposed IEP.
 Once the IEP is signed the services must begin
immediately
Restraint Training
*Never hold a child in a restraining position
unless you have been trained.
*The only exception would be if the child is
in imminent danger of hurting himself or
hurting another child.
De-escalation strategies must be used
prior to physical restraint
Physical Restraint is the last option.
Confidentiality
 Only parents, eligible students
and school personnel working
directly with the student are
allowed access to records
without informed written
consent by the parent or
eligible student.
 You must lock up all
information that is special
education or 504 related. If you
do not have a lockable file
cabinet or drawer, you must
contact your building
administrator immediately.
Confidentiality Continued
 **PLEASE always
remember where you
are when you consult
on students. The
teacher’s room is not
a confidential setting
for discussions
around specific
children.
 You should only be
discussing your
students with other
staff working with the
child, administrators,
specialists, or coteachers…AND
always in a
confidential setting.
Bullying
 The Pioneer Valley Regional
School District has formed a
comprehensive process
protocol.
 Any incidence of bullying must
be reported to the Principal or
Assistant Principal.
 The full document regarding
bullying is posted on the
school district website.
English Language Learners
 If you think you have a
student in your classroom
for whom English is not
their native language you
are required to contact
Sharon Jones (the ELL
Coordinator) or your
building administrator
immediately.
Homeless Children
and Youth in Transition
 McKinney-Vento Law
 Students who lack a fixed,
regular and adequate
residence.
 If you feel or have
identified a student as
being homeless.
 Notify your Principal or
 Homeless liaison:
 Sharon Jones
Thank you! Have a great year!