Menlo Park City School District Special Education Self-Review (SESR) Parent Input Meeting October 2012

SESR Process The Special Education Self-Review (SESR) is required every four years by the California Department of Education (CDE). The SESR is a year-long process designed to answer several broad questions: 1. Does the District provide services & programs which are reasonably calculated to result in Educational Benefit, using the Rowley standard? The Rowley standard comes from a Supreme Court decision (1982) that stated in determining whether an IEP provides FAPE for a particular student, the IEP must be reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational benefits. The amount of benefit is not clearly spelled out by the Supreme Court except that schools are not required to provide the best program or one that maximizes the benefit to the child.

2. Does the District comply with procedural guarantees that are known to be frequent non-compliance items in other school districts? 3. Does the District fulfill its responsibilities when other school districts and programs serve its students? 4. Does the SELPA, of which the District is a part, fulfill its responsibilities for monitoring the procedural elements of the Local Plan for Special Education? 5. Does the CDE provide effective general supervision in accordance with the State Performance Plan?

Gathering Data for the SESR Parent Input gathered via: Parent Input Meetings or Parent Surveys or Parent Interviews Review of Student Records Review of Special Education Policies and Procedures Review of IEP Implementation Educational Benefit Review

Outcomes of the SESR Process The District will use parent input to identify strengths, challenges and trends in the Special Education Program. After completion of information-gathering steps, if there are any areas of noncompliance, the District will address the areas by developing a Corrective Action Plan that will be reviewed, approved and monitored by the CDE.

Focus of this Meeting Gather parent/guardian input regarding District services and programs provided to students with disabilities using the CDE Parent Survey Any concerns specific to an individual student shall be addressed outside of this meeting with appropriate District personnel.

CDE Parent Survey Questions Questions 1-5 apply to all parents. Does the District make a good faith effort to assist your child with achieving the goals and objectives listed in his/her Individualized Education Program (IEP)? Do you receive Progress Reports on how your child is meeting his/her IEP goals at least as often as the regular report card schedule? (i.e., at the end of each trimester)

Parent Survey Questions (Con’t) Are the services your child is receiving in accordance with his/her IEP? Do you receive a copy of your parental rights (procedural safeguards) at least one time per year? Did the school district facilitate parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for your child?

Parent Survey Questions (Con’t) Questions 6 & 7 are for the parents of infants and toddlers only. If your child is under three (3)-years of age, is his/her Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) reviewed with you at least every six (6) months? Were the transition services for your child from infant to preschool programs planned and implemented as written?

Parent Survey Questions (Con’t) Questions 8-21 are for parents of preschoolers – 8th graders. Do you understand the reasons why your child was referred for special education services? Were your child’s strengths considered during the IEP Meeting? Were the results of your child’s assessment used to plan IEP goals?

Parent Survey Questions (Con’t) Is your child re-evaluated for eligibility for special education every three (3) years? Does the District have an IEP meeting for your child at least once a year? Does a general education teacher attend your child’s IEP meeting, unless you and the District agree, under specified circumstances, to excuse him/her?

Parent Survey Questions (Con’t) Were information and any concerns you had about your child considered when planning and writing his/her IEP? At your child’s IEP meeting, did the team discuss your child’s program in terms of the least restrictive environment (e.g., general education classroom, resource, special class, etc.) for him/her?

Parent Survey Questions (Con’t) Are teachers and service providers informed of specific responsibilities related to implementing your child’s IEP, and the specific accommodations, program modifications and support for school personnel? Did you discuss a variety of program options for your child at the IEP meeting? Are IEP goals and objectives reviewed and revised at the IEP meeting, based on both progress and lack of progress?

Parent Survey Questions (Con’t) Does your child have the opportunity to participate in school and extra- curricular activities (such as, assemblies, field trips and afterschool activities)? Did the IEP team discuss how your child would participate in State and District testing? If your child will turn 16 years of age before his/her next IEP meeting, did the IEP team discuss transition services (e.g., career interests, employment, high school classes) at the most recent meeting?

Parent Survey Questions (Con’t) These are for parents who don’t speak English at home or parents of students who are learning English at school. Does your child’s IEP indicate that he/she is an English Learner? As an English Learner, does your child receive services to assist with progress in English language development?

Parent Survey Questions (Con’t) As an English learner, does your child receive the language support in Special Education classes necessary to learn subjects other than English, such as math or science? If you speak a language other than English, upon request, do you receive information from the school in your native language? Upon request, does the District provide a language interpreter for your child’s IEP meeting?

Parent Survey Questions (Con’t) Question 27 applies to all parents Do you have any other concerns or information about your child’s special education experience that you would like to share with us?

Thank you for attending our Parent Input Meeting.