Dr. Clifford Janey, Superintendent
Dr. Don Marinaro, Assistant Superintendent
Newark Public Schools
Office of Special Education’s
Professional Development Center
OUR GOAL IS
BEST PRACTICES IN NEWARK’S
SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Professional Development Center
For Code & Procedure Questions call:
Mitchel Gerry (973-733- 6959)
Mary Hart (973-792-6506)
Sakinah Springs (973-792-6059)
Sandy Bruno (973-792 -6006 )
For Technology Questions emaill Joe Fonseca
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This Presentation will focus
on the Process involved in
Special Education Referrals through to
Eligibility and Placement while
meeting the Code Mandated Timelines
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Topics to be Covered in this Presentation:
Special Education Referrals
Identification Meetings
Legal-Mandated Timeframes
Disabling Conditions
Programs
Placements
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When Should Students be Classified & Placed
in Special Education Programs?
Only when a student meets the criteria for one of the 14
disabling conditions specified in state and federal
regulations are they eligible to be classified and placed
in special education programs!
The need for extra help or the inability of general education
interventions to meet a student’s education needs are not
sufficient reasons to classify students and place them in special
education programs!
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Code Mandated Timelines
 Before every meeting a parent must be given written
notice 15 days before the meeting at least three times
 After every meeting a parent always has 15 days to
consider giving their consent
 Referral to ID meeting is 20 calendar days
 Consent to placement is 90 calendar days including
holding the Eligibility and IEP meetings
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When Should Students be Referred for
Special Education Evaluations?
When general education interventions, classroom
strategies, curriculum modifications, I & RS /504 school
interventions including counseling, tutoring, teacher
coaches, and accommodations have been tried,
documented and shown to be unsuccessful
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How Can a Student be Referred for a
Special Education Evaluation?
There are two ways a student can be referred for a
special education evaluation:
1. A staff member can completely fill out the appropriate
referral form
2. A parent and/or agency concerned with the welfare of
children can refer students directly for a special education
evaluation
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What Happens After a
Special Education Referral is Made?
The school nurse must submit all medical
information to the child study team
The complete child study team must convene
an “identification meeting” with the parent(s) &
the student’s teacher within 20 calendar days of
the completed referral
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What Happens at the
Identification Meeting?
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Participants review all available data (e.g. cumulative record,
medical report, standardized test scores, current work samples,
documented interventions etc.)
Decide whether the student is suspected on meeting the criteria for
one of the 14 disabling conditions delineated in the code and should
be evaluated
If the decision is to evaluate the student, the types of evaluations that
are required must be delineated on the “notice” form & the parent
must give written consent
If the decision is not to evaluate the student, the reasons why
& recommendations must be specified on the “notice” form.
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What Happens Next ?
Within 90 days
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All evaluations must be completed
Reports written and sent to parents 10 days before eligibility
meeting
The eligibility decision is made and if eligible
The IEP must be developed and implemented through
placement
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What Happens at the Eligibility Meeting?
The case manager, at least one CST member who evaluated
the student, the current teacher, and the parent must decide
whether to classify the student
There are only two classifications in New Jersey:
1.
Eligible for Special Education and Related Services
2.
Eligible for Speech-Language Services
Only students who have one the 14 disabling conditions
listed in the code can be classified Eligible for
Special education and related services.
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What are the 14 Disabling Conditions that
can result in a Student being Classified?
Auditorily Impaired
Multiply Disabled
Autistic
Orthopedically
Impaired
Specific Learning
Disability
Traumatic Brain
Injury
Cognitively Impaired
Other Health Impaired
Visually Impaired
Communication
Impaired
Preschool Child
with a Disability
Deaf/Blindness
Emotionally Disturbed
Social Maladjustment
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What Dictates a
Student’s Special Education Program/Placement?
Students are placed in special education programs/placements
according to their educational needs
Students with a variety of disabilities can be placed in the same
program/placement
The student’s disabling condition does not dictate the type of
program/placement
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Placements
After a Student is Classified,
When & Where will they be Placed?
The IEP team: case manager, general education teacher, special
education teacher, the parent(s) & the student (if appropriate) meets
to develop an IEP
The IEP delineates all services and supports the classified student
needs, including the special education program – LRE mandates
that student’s receive services in the least restrictive environment
Once the IEP is developed the case manager contacts their Regional
and/or Office of Special Education’s Placement Officer for an
appropriate placement.
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Parental Refusal
What Happens if the Parent Refuses the
Program/Placement?
The U.S. Department of Education has ruled that a parent can not
be brought to a due process hearing to force a special education
placement if the parent refuses to sign consent to implement the
initial IEP
Parental Refusal form can only be used at the time of the initial IEP
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Least Restrictive Environment
(LRE)
IEP Teams Should Capitalize on NCLB, IDEA, & Corresponding
Code- Mandates, as well as NPS’s Priority to Increase Programs &
Placements in Neighborhood Schools!
● Neighborhood schools are responsible for all their special needs
students’ test scores
● State data supports the idea that special needs students do better
on state tests when they are educated in the gen ed classroom
● Students have the right to be educated with their nondisabled peers
in their neighborhood schools
● Only students with severe or unique needs should be placed in
programs outside of their neighborhood school
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Least Restrictive Environment
(LRE)
First consideration, by federal and state law, must
always be given to placing a special needs student
within a general class
● General education with supplementary aids and services:
school programs such as Read 180, Reading Recovery,
tutoring, counseling, classroom aide, modifications staff does not have to be certified in special education
● Resource – In class support: can be delivered with
a variety of in-class model support teacher needs to be
certified in special education
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The Continuum to More
Restrictive Placements
● Resource Center: pull out replacement / support
● Self-Contained Classes: auditory, autism, behavioral disabilities,
cognitive (mild/ moderate/ severe), learning/ language disabilities
(mild-moderate / severe), multiple disabilities,
preschool disabilities, visual impairements
● Out of District Placement
● Residential Placement
● Home Instruction
Placement Location
Once a Location is Found for the Student to
Receive a Special Education Program &
Services, When Does he/she Start Attending?
The parent and school must receive a placement letter from the
Office of Special Education before the student can be enrolled in
the special education program
If the student requires transportation to get to the special
education program it must be arranged at the time placement
is made
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Summary of the Process if
Evaluations & Placement are
Warranted
1. Documented general education
interventions;
6. Eligibility meeting to determine
if student is classifiable
2. Referral to CST by staff or
parents
7. Parents have 15 days to
consider that decision
3. Within 20 days of the
completed referral, an ID
meeting must occur.
8. An IEP is developed
4. Parents have 15 days to
consider that decision
9. Parents have 15 days to
consider that decision
5. All evaluations must be
completed
10. Placement letter must arrive
and transportation arranged.
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