Special Education
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The Pre-Referral Meeting

The classroom teacher requests a Child Study Team Meeting when an academic, emotional, or behavioral concern is observed in a student. The teachers gather data to document how the child's problem impacts his/her education. At a scheduled weekly meeting, the Team's responsibility is to problem solve and recommend interventions to attempt to remediate the problem. The classroom teacher has several weeks to implement intervention strategies recommended by the Team, and document progress. If the interventions are unsuccessful in meeting the student's needs, the Team may decide to refer the student to the Special Education Evaluation Team.

Special Education Referral Meeting

Parents receive a meeting notice to attend a referral meeting. (A copy of Parent's Rights is attached to the meeting notice.) At the referral meeting the teacher describes the concerns about the child. The Team has a discussion and sharing of ideas. The parent will be asked to share with the Team any observations from home. The Team members engage in problem-solving and determine if additional information is needed. The Team may recommend that the child be evaluated to determine if he/she is eligible for special education. The parent signs a permission to conduct an evaluation. The Evaluation Team has 45 days to complete the evaluation. The Team will reconvene at that time to review the evaluations.

The Evaluation Meeting

Parents receive a meeting notice to attend the evaluation meeting with the Classroom Teacher, Special Educator, and Principal. Additional participants may include the Occupational Therapist, Speech/Language Pathologist, School Psychologist, Paraeducator, Physical Therapist, and Guidance Counselor. Evaluation results are presented and the Team determines if the child is eligible for special education services. If there is evidence of an educational handicap, the Team will meet within 30 days to develop an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan).