Understanding Special Education Services

Understanding Special Education Services

• November 10, 2015• Parent Education Training• FBISD Special Education Department

Legal guidelines

• NCLB (This is about to be reauthorized in Congress.. Stay tuned)

• IDEA 2004• IDEA Regulations • State Laws and Regulations• Local Policy and Administrative

Guidelines• Case Law

Case Law

• Federal Case Decisions (Supreme Court and 5th Circuit)

• Due Process Hearings in Texas• Other Important Due Process

avenues– TEA Complaints, TEA Mediation

NCLB

Major Goals• All students will reach high standards

(minimum proficiency) by 2013-2014• All limited English proficient students will

become skilled in English• By 2005-06 all students taught by HQ

teachers• All students will be educated in learning

environments that are safe and drug free• All students will graduate from high

schoolFederal Accountability -

AYP

IDEIA 2004

• Congress made it clear that students with disabilities are expected to reach the same academic goals and meet the same academic standards as their age-appropriate, non-disabled peers

IDEIA 2004

• Purpose – To ensure that ALL children with disabilities have available to them a free and appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for FURTHER education, employment and independent living.

IDEIA 2004

Ensures procedural safeguards (follow the rules or procedures)

• Timelines• ARD attendance• Notices (5 day prior to ARD)• IEP goals• Services provided per ARD• More

IDEIA 2004

• Ensures a FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education)– So what does FAPE mean…. – (targeted

high quality instruction, monitoring of student progress, student making progress)

Special Education Services

• Condition – Must meet 1 of 13 Disability Conditions as determined by a full individual evaluation

• Eligibility is established by ARD Committee – Must have a one of the 13 conditions AND Require “Specialized Designed Instruction”

Disability Categories

• Auditory Impairment• Visual Impairment• Speech Impairment• Learning Disability• Intellectual Disability• Orthopedic Impairment

• Other Health Impairment • Autism• Traumatic Brain Injury• Emotional Disturbance• Multiple Disabilities• Deaf/Blind• Non-Categorical Early Childhood

ARD Committee

• LPAC rep (if child is LEP)• CTE rep (if child is

currently in CTE classes or the ARD committee will discuss potential CTE courses)

• Required Members:• Parent/Guardian• Administrator• General Ed Teacher• Special Ed Teacher• Evaluation specialist who can

interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results (Diag/LSSP/SLP, etc.)

8 Components of the IEP

• Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFPs)

• Measurable Annual Goals• Least Restrictive Environment Consideration• Accommodations, Modifications and Services

8 Components of the IEP Cont.

• Frequency, Duration, and Location of Services• Transition Services• Reporting Progress• Participation in State and District Assessment

Specially Designed Instruction

• Adapting, as appropriate to the needs of a child, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction –

• To address the unique needs of the child that result from the child’s disability; and

• To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that he or she can meet the educational standards which apply to all children.

Specially Designed Instruction

• The development of an appropriate IEP– Standards Based IEP Goals

• The Implementation of the IEP– Delivery of Instruction based on a continuum of

services • Co-teach/In-Class Support services in the General

Education Setting• Resource, District Wide Programs, etc. (occurs in a special

education setting with special education teacher and only students who are eligible for special education services)

Individualized Education Program

• May Include:

• Academic and Functional IEP Goals/Objectives

• Behavior IEPs• Accommodations/Modifications• Related Services

Academic IEPS Goals/Objectives

• Developed collaboratively in ARD meeting (or prior to meeting in Draft form)

• State the specific objectives (benchmarks) and annual goal

• Student’s academic grades align with making progress on objectives and goals

• Student should master the IEP goal(s) or make meaningful progress toward mastery on an annual basis

• Must be “reasonably calculated to enable the student to receive educational benefit”

• IEPs must be implemented by special and general education staff members

Behavior IEP/Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)

• IDEA 2004 emphasis on “positive• behavioral interventions” for students with

behavioral difficulties• ARD Committee must explore strategies and

positive supports to address any behavior that is impeding the learning of the student or his/her peers

• Behavior IEPs/BIP must be followed by general and special education staff

Related Services•Must have an Evaluation to determine need and then ARD committee determines the frequency and setting for the services•Occupational Therapy•Physical Therapy•Counseling•Music Therapy•Special Transportation

Full Individual Evaluation (FIE) and Present Levels of

Academic and Functional Performance

Development of IEPs

Selection of appropriate Assessment and Placement during ARD

How to determine appropriate Assessment?

Continuum of educational placements in a LRE

•General Ed class (external support) •Gen Ed with modifications (external support or in-class support)• Co-teach (support facilitation)•Resource (specialized support)•Self Contained (specialized support)•Day School •24 hour Residential•Home

Most Restrictive

Least Restrictive

Always start with Least Restrictive

A Review of Texas State Assessment

Special Education Assessments for 15-16

• STAAR (with or without accommodations)• STAAR Accommodated• STAAR Alternative 2 • STAAR L

FBISD Special Education Leadership Team

• Deena Hill, Executive Director• Michelle LeBleu, Director• Nicole Roberts, Assistant Director, Christina Ritter,

Assistant Director• Tresha Hattar, Program Specialist (High School – LIFE

Skills, FLITE, 18+)• Dominion Southall, Program Coordinator– ABC, PPCD• Caroline Faison, Program Coordinator, LIFE skills, Flite

K-8

Campus Special Education Support staff

• Diagnostician• Licensed Specialist in School Psychology

(LSSP)• Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)• CCC (at elementary level• Department Head (at secondary)