Special Education Referral Process
Two questions must be answered:
1. Is there a reason to suspect the child has a disability?
AND
2. Is there reason to suspect that because of that disability, the child needs special education and related services?
Some Factors to Consider in SpEd Referral Decisions:
- Parental concerns regarding student’s struggles
- Outside support/tutoring
- Gap between expected and actual academic growth
- Outside eval/diagnosis
- Increased supports necessary
- Lack of expected gains during progress monitoring
Prior to Referral for Special Ed Testing:
Students having trouble in the General Education Classroom should be considered for all support services available to all students such as:
Tutorials, Remedial services, Compensatory services, RTI, Dyslexia general Education Services, Accommodations under 504.
DO NOT DELAY
Cedars will not delay or deny an initial evaluation because pre-referral interventions have not been implemented. If there is a basis for suspecting that a student has a disability and needs special education, the student must be referred for an evaluation regardless of whether they have participated in an intervention program.
Start The Process:
If a teacher or parent makes a verbal or written request for a Full and Individual Evaluation for a student, Ms. Reichenneau will provide parents and current teachers with a questionnaire to fill out.This form must be completed within 7 days. Please fill it out thoroughly. This form guides us in making decisions about what types of testing are needed and which tests to order from our sources.
As a part of this process, an observation must be conducted. The teacher questionnaire has a small section for the observer to complete. Observations can be conducted by any staff member other than the student’s classroom teacher. Teachers please coordinate with Reichenneau to schedule the observation.
When Cedars receives a request for testing from a parent or teacher our school will respond within 15 school days. Within the first 7 days of this 15 day timeline, teachers will be instructed to thoroughly fill out their part of the questionnaire, which provides us with information that guides us in selecting types of testing and ordering these from our sources. Parents will be contacted to complete their part as well. Within 15 school days Cedars will either:
1. Provide the parent with prior written notice proposing to conduct the evaluation, a copy of the procedural safeguards notice, and an opportunity to provide written consent for the evaluation;
OR
2. Provide the parent with prior written notice of its refusal to conduct an evaluation with a copy of the procedural safeguards notice.
The Rest of the Process:
If Cedars refuses to conduct an evaluation, Cedars will hold an ARD meeting with the parent and teacher present to discuss the reasoning behind the decision within 30 days.
When Cedars proposes to conduct an evaluation and receives informed parental consent in writing, a 45 school day timeline begins. Within 45 school days, Cedars will complete testing and produce a Full and Individual Evaluation Report. Student absences within this period will extend this deadline.
When Cedars proposes to conduct an evaluation and receives informed parental consent in writing, a 45 school day timeline begins. Within 45 school days, Cedars will complete testing and produce a Full and Individual Evaluation Report. Student absences within this period will extend this deadline.
After the Evaluation Report has been completed, Cedars has 30 days to hold an ARD meeting to discuss the results with parents and teachers.
The end of the school year can interfere with this timeline.
For more information on these details, contact:
Kim Coffin [email protected] or Dr. Jonathan Hoyle [email protected].