Downingtown Area School District Central Office April 4, 2018 Introduction to Special Education for Parents of Elementary School Students Downingtown Area School District Central Office  April 4, 2018

What Is Special Education? What Laws Govern Special Education? Who needs an IEP? How does the special education process begin? What is the role of the ER & IEP in Special Education?

Laws that Form Special Education Practice IDEA/IDEIA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act A law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children (U.S. Dept. of Ed, https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/) ESSA - Every Student Succeeds Act Replacement for NCLB passed in 2015. U.S. educational law. FERPA - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act A Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act protection against discrimination from state/local agencies (including public school)

SPECIAL EDUCATION -Specialized / Intensive Instruction research based goal directed -Individualized Assessment and planning frequent progress monitoring use of data to drive future instruction

Important Terminology Free Appropriate Public Education Appropriate Evaluation Individualized Education Plan Least Restrictive Environment Procedural Safeguards

Process Regular Education Interventions 13 Disability Categories MTSS Referral to special education by a school team (includes parent) What would the school team be referring for? Prior Written Notice Timeline for evaluation Evaluation Report -qualification (2 prongs) Timeline for IEP 13 Disability Categories Intellectual Disability Traumatic Brain Injury Hearing Impairment Other Health Impairment Speech & Language Specific Learning Disability Visual impairment (including blindness) Deafness Deaf-blindness Emotional Disturbance Multiple Disabilities Autism

Evaluation Report / Reevaluation Reports Reason for referral Sources of evaluation data Conditions of Assessment Determining Factors Summary of Findings / Interpretation of Evaluation

Individualized Education Plan Written after the Evaluation Report Based on needs identified in the evaluation The student’s IEP team develops the IEP Regular education and special education teacher Parents LEA - local educational agent other specialists: speech, counselor, etc. At the IEP meeting a draft will be presented and the team will discuss the needs of the student and changes are made to the draft

Parts of the IEP Demographics Team Signature Page Procedural Safeguards IEP meeting waiver agreement Medial Assistance Rest of the IEP broken into 7 parts

IEP Part I. Special Considerations the IEP Team Must Consider before developing the IEP Is the student: - Blind or Visually Impaired - Deaf or hard of hearing - have communication needs - need assistive technology devices and/ or services - have limited English Proficiency - exhibit behaviors that impede his/ her learning or that of other - other considerations

IEP- II. Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance Present levels of functional performance Present levels related to current postsecondary transition goals if the student’s age is 14 or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP team Parental concerns for enhancing the education of the student How the student’s disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum Strengths Academic, developmental, and functional NEEDS related to student’s disability

IEP III. Transition Services - Transition planning begins when a student turns 14 years of age

IEP IV. Participation in State and Local Assessments - Does the student require accommodations based on their needs to enable them to participate in standardized state assessments with appropriate support - Does the student meet the criteria for an alternative state assessment based on programming and individualized student needs - Does the student require accommodations based on their needs to enable them to participate in local assessments with appropriate support

IEP V. Measurable Annual Goals and Objectives What are the elements of measurable annual goals? A description of the CONDITIONS under which the behavior will be performed The specific observable BEHAVIOR to be performed The CRITERIA to indicate the level of performance at which the goal will be achieved A statement of GENERALIZATION indicating additional conditions under which the behavior will be performed to criterion A statement of MAINTENANCE for the student to perform the task to criterion for a specific period of time

IEP V. GOALS: Measurable and Objective How does the IEP team write goals that involve the family? Regular education teacher Special education teacher Related service provider LEA A person can interpret evaluation results Parents Student; when appropriate Other

IEP VI. Special Education/Related Services/ Supplementary Aides and Services What is it? Related to disability and needs identified in ER/RR A. Specially Designed Instruction dates for implementation, frequency, etc. B. Related Services C. Supports for School Personnel D. Gifted Support Services for students identified as Gifted E. Extended School Year Gifted Support

IEP VI. Special Education/Related Services/ Supplementary Aides and Services Extended School Year Based on: Regression Skills lost during a break Recoupment Amount of time to recoup skills after a break Mastery Progress in learning a new skill

VII. Educational Placement IDEA- LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT

IEP VII. Explain the Extent, if Any ,to which the students will not participate with Nondisabled Students in the Regular Classroom, Extracurricular and Non Academic Activities A. Concerns about excluding students Regular Classroom Extracurricular Activities/ Non Academic Activities B. Type of Support 1. Amount of special education support 2. Type of Support C. Location of the Student’s program

VIII. Penn Data Reporting A. For students educated in Regular School Buildings with Non Disabled Peers Equation- Total hours student spends in the regular classroom per day Divided by Total hours in a typical school day

IEP- Other Components Communication Plan - Required for students that are deaf or hard of hearing Language and communication needs, Opportunities for direct communication with peer and professional personnel in the child’s language and communication mode, Academic level, Full range of needs, and Assistive technology devices and services.

IEP- Other Components Positive Behavior Support Plan - Required for students that exhibit behaviors that impede their learning or the learning of others Functional Behavior Assessment is conducted to determine the function of the behaviors that are impeding learning- Antecedent, Behavior, Consequences are identified Positive Behavior Support Plan- Developed using the FBA and team input A- Antecedent (prevention) Strategies B- Replacement Behavior C- Consequence of (reinforcement) for when the student performs the replacement behavior - Links to goals, SDI, and modifications related to behavior needs

Progress Reporting Report progress Drive instruction Measuring Monitoring Reporting