When Things Aren’t
Going Well in School…
Dr. Charlene Myklebust, Psy.D.
Director on Special Assignment
Intermediate District 287
Andrea Lee
Transitions Project Director
NAMI Minnesota
Adele W. Ciriacy, Jr.
Due Process Specialist
Division of Compliance and Assistance
Minnesota Department of Education
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Students who have a Mental Health Disorder can be
Served in the School in Many Ways
GENERAL EDUCATION
504 ELIGIBLE
504 Plan
IEP
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Universal Intervention Pyramid
Response to Instruction and Intervention
Academic and Behavioral
• Customized
•
•
•
•
•
All students have access
Progress monitoring
Research-based
Collaboration
High-quality instruction
Tier Three
• Customized
Tier Two
• Targeted
• Additional Time and Intensity
• Students that
need
additional
targeted
interventions.
Tier One
•
•
•
•
Prevention
School-wide
All Students and Staff
Best First Instruction with Universal Access
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As a Parent You Always Have the Right to
ask the district (the school) to evaluate your
child to see if he or she is eligible for a 504 Plan
or an IEP to help him or her learn.
Special Education is
Specially designed educational services for
students who have a disability, implemented with
the help of an individualized educational program
(IEP), developed through a legally specified
process that changes district regularities.
Both the product (an IEP-defined education) and
the process are important.
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If your Child has an IEP, You Always have the Right to
request an IEP meeting be scheduled. The district (school)
must schedule and hold that meeting for you.
You may bring anyone to the meeting who has relevant
information about your child’s education.
When you go to an IEP meeting…
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The people key to your child’s education
must be there
You (parent or guardian)
General Education Teacher
Special education teacher
Administrator (or designee)
All the right people
to find all the right pieces
needed to develop an
appropriate IEP!
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How do I make sure I’m a significant part of
this process
without getting
totally lost
or run over
by the process
or the school
or the people
with whom
I’m dealing?
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Participate. Kindly. Firmly.
“This is why I’m concerned.”
“This is what I’ve seen.”
“I’m not
sure you heard what
I said. May I say
it again?”
“Could you please
repeat that?”
“Here’s what I’d like you to do.”
“How can I help?”
“Can you help?”
“Did you
mean:..?”
“I don’t understand.
Would you please
explain that again?”
This is a Collaborative Team DecisionMaking Process
The IEP is written at/from this meeting. Never before the meeting!
This is extremely important!!
Organization Helps!
Always keep
your papers!
Go to all the
meetings to
which you
are invited!
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The IEP Must be Internally Consistent
from
evaluation data
to needs
to goals
to objectives
to service
to placement.
(Never start with placement!)
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Special Education requires
Educational Benefit
The student must show
educational progress.
The district is accountable
to the parents through
progress reports.
The team determines how
and when progress reports
are given to the parent.
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There are Resources
The IEP Manager is your primary contact and
‘first line of defense.’
If your IEP manager can’t
help, call your Special
Education Director.
And advocates can help!
• National Alliance on Mental Health
(NAMI) 888-NAMI-Helps
(1-888-626-4435) or 651-645-2948
• MN Assoc. for Children’s Mental Health
(MACMH) 800-528-4511 or 651-644-7333
• PACER Center 1.800.537.2237 or
952.838.9000
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There are Built in Processes
And if disagreements happen
resolution is through…
Conciliation
Neutral Facilitation
Mediation
Due Process Hearing
Complaint Investigation
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There are People at MDE who Can Help
Adele Ciriacy
Due Process Specialist
Phone: 651.582.8249
Fax: 651-582-8725
Email: adele.ciriacy@state.mn.us
Patricia McGinnis
MNSEMS Coordinator
Phone: 651.582.8222
Fax: 651.582.8498
Email: patricia.mcginnis@state.mn.us
Pamela Hinze
Due Process Hearing
Phone: 651.582.8518
Fax: 651.582.8613
Email: pamela.hinze@state.mn.us
Division of Compliance and Assistance
1500 Hwy. 36 West, Roseville, MN 55113
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When Things Aren’t Going
Well in School…
there is help to work them out
Dr. Charlene Myklebust, Psy.D.
Director on Special Assignment
Intermediate District 287
Andrea Lee
Transitions Project Director
NAMI Minnesota
Adele W. Ciriacy, Jr.
Due Process Specialist
Division of Compliance and Assistance
Minnesota Department of Education
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