• School Age (5-21) Special Education Process

    Referral


    A referral is the first step in the special education process. Persistent learning and/or behavioral difficulties may be an indication that a child may need special education and/or related services. A referral can be submitted by any number of sources, but usually the child's teacher or parent is the referral source.

    First, interventions and strategies for improving student performance will be implemented at the classroom level. At school, strategies can range from changing where the student sits to providing structured study guides to assist in independent reading assignments. At home, strategies can range from having the parent sign all completed homework to transcribing assignments. The classroom teacher and various school staff develop both classroom and at-home strategies to assist the student in becoming successful in school.

    After a period of time, if the alternative strategies in the classroom and at home are not successful, the classroom teacher should ask for the assistance of the building Instructional Support Team (IST). The IST is located in each school and meets as needed to discuss and plan for students in that school. The following staff may be members of the Instructional Support Team: Psychologist, Resource Room Teacher, Speech/Language Teacher, Learning Center Teacher, Social Worker, Guidance Counselor, Nurse, and School Administrator. Together the classroom teacher and the IST may recommend other remedial services and building level support that can be utilized in the regular education setting.

    If the child’s difficulties persist after the strategies and/or services have been implemented, a referral to the Committee on Special Education (CSE) may be made. A referral is made in written form and should be dated. This makes it official and provides a start date since there are time lines involved. Written consent for evaluations is required by the parent/guardian. The consent for evaluation will be mailed to the parent/ guardian.


    Evaluation

    Upon completion of the evaluations, a committee meeting is scheduled by certified and/or licensed professionals who will review the results of their testing. At minimum a child who has been initially referred must have the following evaluations:
    Psychological
    Educational
    Social History
    Classroom observation
    Medical
    Other areas where information can be gathered include:
    Speech and Language Evaluation
    Occupational/Physical Therapy Evaluation
    Psychiatric Evaluation
    Visual Evaluation
    Audio logical
    The tests may be conducted by the members of the Cornwall Central School District or by practitioners contracted by the school district. The evaluations recommended by the school district are deemed to be in the child's best interest; however, the parent /guardian has the right to refuse consent or withdraw consent at any time. If the school district disagrees with this action, it may invoke a due process hearing.

    When the evaluations are completed, the professional staff will provide the parent/ guardian with copies of the evaluation results. The evaluations will help the CSE determine if the child possesses an educational disability and whether special education services are required. The evaluations should be multidisciplinary and should not interfere with the child’s ability to demonstrate skills or knowledge.

    Parent(s)/Guardian have the right to conduct private evaluations at their own expense. If the parent(s)/guardian wish to share this information with the school personnel and the CSE, it will be taken into consideration in identifying the child as being eligible for special education and, if appropriate, in planning the program. Independent educational evaluations (IEE) may be requested if the parent (s)/guardian are in disagreement with the district's evaluations. Upon completion of the evaluation conducted by the school district, the parent(s)/guardian will have 45 calendar days from the date of receipt of the school district's evaluation within which to request an IEE ( see district procedure for full process).

    Initial CSE Meeting

    Upon completion of the evaluations, a CSE meeting will be scheduled. Parent(s)/Guardian will be notified of the meeting in writing, with a list of anticipated attendees. All initial CSE meetings are held in the Special Education Office. The meeting should include the CSE chairperson, a school psychologist, a special education teacher, a parent member, the child’s teacher, and the parent(s). The parent(s) may bring any individual(s) to the meeting. The general outline of a meeting is as follows: introductions, an overview, and a summary of the evaluations, description of the student’s classroom performance, other relevant comments, CSE recommendations, and further processes.

    a) The parent/guardian may waive their right to have a parent member present at a CSE meeting (see Due Process)


    Recommendations

    In developing recommendations, the CSE, parent(s)/guardian, and any others present will discuss the evaluations and any other pertinent information on the child. The first decision is whether the child possesses an educational disability that adversely affects his/her educational performance. There are 13 classifications from which the committee draws. If the child is determined to possess an educational disability, a determination must be made as to the least restrictive educational setting in which the child can receive educational benefit from special education services. In order to accomplish this task the CSE has a variety of placements from which to choose. These placements range in levels of restriction, including class size, student-teacher ratio, and degree of mainstreaming. The progression of services is as follows:
    Related Services Only
    Consultant Teacher
    Resource Room
    Special Class – In District
    BOCES or Local Public School
    Special Day School Program
    Residential School Program
    Home/Hospital Instruction
    In addition to recommending placement, the CSE will review related services, goals/ objectives, testing access, alternative testing techniques, second language instruction, transportation, high school credentials, and transition planning, as appropriate.

    It may be determined that a student is not eligible to receive special education services. In this case, he/she may be referred to the 504 Chairperson located in building for review, to determine if he he/she is eligible to receive any accommodations.