Special Education Services

Purpose

This policy relates to special education services at ANCS.

Duration

This policy is permanent but subject to revision based upon state and federal requirements.

Policy

ANCS complies with all requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Parents/guardians have special rights related to special education. For more information, please see Special Education Parent Rights.

Section 1. Goal of the Program

The goal is to build a program based on inclusion, as research shows that inclusion/keeping students in the main classroom is the method most beneficial for students.

Section 2. Types of Services Offered

Section 3. Determining Level of Intervention

1. The IEP Team determines the appropriate level of intervention and support required to meet the student's needs.
2. The appropriate level of intervention is the level at which the student performs successfully in the least restrictive environment (LRE).

Section 4. Special Education Evaluation and Procedures

ANCS uses the following procedures in accordance with state and federal laws for locating, identifying, and evaluating students who may require specialized services:

1. ANCS conducts screenings of children for hearing and visual acuity when requested by a parent or teacher. Children who are part of the SST receive routine screenings.
2. MAP screening is administered three times a year to assist in identifying students who may need additional academic support and interventions.
   1. The AIMSWeb literacy screener is administered to Kindergarten and 1^st grade students who are flagged by MAP.
3. Gross motor, fine motor, speech and language, academic, and social/emotional skills are monitored and assessed by classroom teachers on an ongoing basis. The child's teacher and any other team member involved in the screening share any concerns with parents/guardians.
4. A student that is experiencing difficulty may be referred to the Student Support Team (SST) in order to develop a plan for further classroom support. See Student Support Team (SST).
5. Parents/guardians who have concerns regarding their child may contact the Campus Principal at any time to request in writing that a screening or evaluation of their child be conducted as part of their due process rights.
6. Special education determination is made by the eligibility team utilizing state and federal regulations under IDEA.

Section 5. Factors That Determine Eligibility

1. In order to be eligible to receive special education services, the student must meet the requirements of one or more of the following categories:
   1. Autism Spectrum Disorder (AUT)
   2. Deaf-Blind (D/B)
   3. Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH)
   4. Emotional/Behavioral Disorder (EBD)
   5. Mild, Moderate, Severe, or Profound Intellectual Disability (MID, MOID, SID, PID)
   6. Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
   7. Other Health Impairment (OUI)
   8. Significant Development Delay (SDD)
   9. Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
   10. Speech-Language Impairment (SI)
   11. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
   12. Visual Impairment, including Blindness (VI)
2. Eligibility Requirements can be found in the State Education Rules.
3. Once a student is found eligible for special education services, parents/guardians are then invited to participate in a meeting where the results of the eligibility will be reviewed and the Individual Education Program (IEP) will be developed. See Section 6 below.

Section 6. Parent/Guardian and School Coordination

1. After an evaluation is completed, a comprehensive evaluation report will be developed with parent/guardian involvement.
2. This report will include:
   1. Evaluation findings
   2. Specific recommendations for education strategies and techniques for helping the student.
3. The evaluation report becomes part of the student file. See Records for information about how records are kept.

Section 7. If Additional Support Is Needed

1. As an integral team member, parents/guardians are always included as a part of the process with their child.
2. If a child requires additional services, the Student Support Team (SST) will provide a support/intervention plan to support and monitor the area of need.
3. If a student does not progress with interventions developed by the SST, parents/guardians will be asked to consider granting their written permission for an educational evaluation of their child.
4. Once permission to evaluate is obtained, the evaluation must be completed within a 60-school-day timeline.
5. The SST coordinator and a school psychologist will coordinate the evaluation. As part of initiating a multidisciplinary evaluation, parents/guardians will receive a written document outlining Parent Rights.

Section 8. Independent Educational Evaluation

1. If a parent/guardian disagrees with the results of a completed evaluation done by ANCS, the parent/guardian may request an outside independent educational evaluation (IEE) paid for by ANCS.
2. ANCS must agree to pay for the IEE or begin due process procedures to show that the district's evaluation is adequate.
3. A parent/guardian does not have the right to an IEE at public expense until he or she has allowed ANCS to conduct its own evaluation.
4. Once the evaluation is completed, the eligibility team, including the parent/guardian, will decide whether the student is eligible for special education services. This involves meeting eligibility requirements per the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Section 9. Reevaluation and Renewal

1. Students are reevaluated every three years to determine eligibility with the date of each eligibility meeting beginning the next three-year evaluation cycle.
2. If parents/guardians and educators have concerns, students can be reevaluated one year after their previous evaluation.
3. IEPs are developed and reviewed annually and are in effect at the beginning of each school year.
4. The IEP may be reviewed more than once a year if any member of the student's team, including parent/guardian, requests a review.

Section 10. Terms and Acronyms

• IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• IEP: Individualized Education Program
• BIP: Behavior Intervention Plan
• FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education
• LRE: Least Restrictive Environment
• OT: Occupational Therapy
• SLT: Speech and Language Therapy
• RTI: Response to Intervention
• AT: Assistive Technology
• IEE: Independent Educational Evaluation

Resources

• Special Education Parent Rights
• State Education Rules
• Student Support Team (SST)

Approval and Review

Approved	Effective	Last Review	Next Review
06/16/15	07/01/15	06/2023	06/2026