2015-16 SY updated
Transition to Elementary School from Preschools for
Special Education Students
1) Determine whether reevaluation is necessary:
a) If current school placement is Autism – No reevaluation necessary, unless the team
wants updated information prior to making a placement decision.
b) If current school placement is Developmentally Delay –
i) Reevaluation is not necessary if the student needs a Resource setting.
ii) Reevaluation is necessary if the student needs a Self-contained setting
Note: Determining eligibility for learning disabled services and emotionally
disabled services prior to a student’s kindergarten year is typically quite
difficult. Please see your school psychologist for questions regarding eligibility
for these services.
2) Hold reevaluation meetings as early as possible.
3) Evaluate children. If possible, it will make transition planning easier if the testing is
completed ASAP.
4) Submit a list of children transitioning to elementary schools from preschool, along with
proposed placements, to the Elementary Special Education Coordinator and the Lead
School Psychologist. If there are still students whose placements are not yet determined
(i.e., whose reevaluations have not yet been completed), then please include these
students’ names, indicating what the most likely placement option(s) will be.
a) The preschool teacher should let the psychologist know which school each student
is zoned for. The teacher should be sure that the address information that they
have is accurate in order to be sure that they are assigning the child to the correct
elementary school.
b) Self-contained class placements are generally determined as follows: Children living
in the South Fant area go to Midway. Children living in the West Market zone go to
McLees (or Centerville if LD). The classroom for students with Severe Intellectual
Disabilities is at Concord. The classrooms for students with Emotional Disabilities will
be at North Pointe.
5) Hold transition meetings with elementary school representatives in late April/May.
Children who are receiving only speech services do not need a transition meeting.
6) Resource students do not need transition meetings unless there are extenuating
circumstances that require face-to-face discussion. If you determine that a transition
meeting is not needed for a tentative Resource placement, it is still best practice to
collaborate with the elementary case manager to get specific information about the
elementary schedule (service hours, length of periods, etc.).
7) When possible, try to coordinate these meetings for one day at each
receiving elementary school. Be sure to plan these meetings well in
advance.
8) The special education case manager from the preschool is in charge
of doing the meeting paperwork. She should work with the
proposed/probable elementary school teacher in order to be sure that
necessary changes are made to the IEP. In general, students going to
mild and moderately intellectually disabled classrooms will need goals
and objectives on their IEPs.
9) The preschool school psychologist will coordinate meeting dates and
times and will notify participants (as there are potentially children from
several different special educators to coordinate with receiving
schools). One exception is that the receiving school (the elementary
school) has the responsibility of providing the regular education
teacher.
10) Persons to invite include:
 The sending and receiving special educator (i.e. preschool
teacher and proposed/probable elementary school teacher);

The receiving speech/language therapist. If speech is a major
concern, the sending speech/language therapist should attend.

The principal from the receiving school (the principal may
designate someone else to be the LEA, but you should always
invite the principal first)

Elementary Special Education Coordinator (may not need to
attend all meetings, but should be involved)

Preschool psychologist (may not need to attend all meetings, but
should be involved) . The preschool psychologist will contact the
designated contact person listed below at the elementary school,
with a list of students potentially attending their school (if at all
possible), with proposed placements, DOBs, and disability labels,
as well as a list of staff members/positions to invite (principal,
speech, etc.).
Calhoun – Samantha Hembree (resource)
Centerville – Rebecca Marsengill (LD/SC)
Concord – Katie Newton (resource)
Homeland Park- Ruby Wooten (resource)
McLees – Coral Magner (school psychologist)
Midway – Lisa Lipscomb (school psychologist)
Nevitt Forest – Pamela Ritterling (resource)
New Prospect – Nick Davis (resource)
North Pointe- Rachel Cary (ED/SC)
Varennes – Craig Pate (resource)
Whitehall – Trisha Wray (resource)