Preschool Special Education
2009-2010
Coordinator: Ann Medlock
(404) 763-5600 ext. 127
Medlock@fultonschools.org
Information Only for 3P Principals’ Program Participants
1. How are students referred to Preschool Special Education (PSE)?
Students are referred to PSE from several sources, including Babies Can’t Wait, parents,
private daycare providers, as well as private and public agencies.
(1) Babies Can’t Wait (BCW) is the state agency responsible for providing services for
eligible infants and toddlers from birth through age 3. School districts are required to evaluate
and have an Individual Education Program (IEP) in place for eligible students by their 3rd
birthday. The transition process from BCW is scheduled to start 90 days prior to the child’s
3rd birthday.
(2) Parents can call the PSE office at Jo Wells to request an evaluation. A referral
packet will be mailed to them. Upon receipt of the referral, the district has 60 to 90 days to
put RTI strategies in place in an existing educational setting and to evaluate the child to
determine eligibility.
(3) Private preschools, doctors, Georgia Pre K (the state program for four year olds)
personnel as well as private and public agencies may contact the PSE office to refer children
for evaluation. Parents must sign the referral and the Consent for Evaluation forms prior to
evaluation.
2. What district procedures are followed once a referral is received?
Parents are required to submit copies of their child’s birth certificate and Social Security card
with the referral. Students are entered into the district’s student information system using Jo
Wells as the school. Copies of the referral are sent to a team of preschool special education
diagnosticians. If the student has had no preintervention strategies, RTI strategies are
provided to the parent based on screening results. Appropriate evaluations and eligibilities are
completed, and when appropriate, an IEP meeting is held within 60-90 days from the receipt
of the referral. The exception to this timeline is when the student is referred from Babies Can’t
Wait.
Prior to beginning services, eligible students must be registered by parents at either the school
they will be attending when served through a PSE class, or their home school (when the
student is served in the community- Pre K, day care, Head Start, etc.). Upon enrollment, the
data clerk should contact the PSE office so the student can be withdrawn from Jo Wells.
3. What placement options are available for PSE students?
Eligible three and four year olds have a full continuum of services available to them including
self contained PSE classes, inclusion classes, community services or Skill Builder groups.
(1) PSE classes are available for students who typically require multiple services. PSE
SLPs are assigned to each class for six hours every week, which is typically two mornings a
week. During this time the SLP and teacher team teach for whole class activities and the SLP
works on IEP goals and objectives. If a child requires other services such as Occupational or
Physical therapy, those services are also delivered in the classroom setting. The IEP
committee determines the amount of special education time for each service area.
786 Cleveland Avenue, SW  Atlanta, Georgia 30315-7299  404-768-3600  www.fultonschools.org
Preschool Special Education (continued)
(2) There are a limited number of inclusion Preschool Special Education classes that are
paired with Fulton County Schools GA Pre K classes. We strive for a ratio of 12 typical
students and 8 PSE students. The classes are staffed with the regular Pre K teacher, the PSE
teacher and two paraprofessionals. The SLP support described in #1 above is also provided.
The PSE students must be capable of following the regular Pre K curriculum with the support
of the PSE teacher and have minimal behavioral difficulties.
(3) An eligible student is considered a community student if they require a lesser degree of
service, such as speech therapy or teacher support. PSE SLPs often serve community
students in the afternoon. Services are delivered at a Fulton County elementary school or at a
daycare site.
(4) Skill Builder groups are four to five community students that require educational, speech
and/or OT or PT services. Students are brought in for a two hour block of time once a week
and the teacher, SLP and other therapists work on each student’s IEP goals and objectives
through small group and individualized instruction.
4. What placement options are available to PSE students when they enter Kindergarten?
Kindergarten Special Education services are based on the needs of the student and
determined by the IEP committee. Possible options include attending the home school and
receiving IRR support, Kindergarten Special Education (KSE), or a “speciality” self contained
class such as autism transition or hearing impaired. Students placed in a KSE class should be
able to follow the regular Kindergarten curriculum with appropriate modifications and/or
accommodations. Students may be mainstreamed into a regular Kindergarten class from a
KSE class for part of the day when appropriate.
5. Do PSE students earn FTE and are they counted for the December 1 count?
PSE students do not earn FTE funds but are reported for the October and March FTE counts.
PSE students are counted for the December 1 count. They are funded through state and
federal grant funds.
Revised 1/4/10
786 Cleveland Avenue, SW  Atlanta, Georgia 30315-7299  404-768-3600  www.fultonschools.org