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Transition to Elementary School from Preschools
for Special Education Students
1) Determine whether reevaluation is necessary:
a) Current school placement as autism – No reevaluation necessary, unless the
team wants updated information prior to making a placement decision
b) Current school placement as developmentally delayed –
i) Reevaluation is not necessary if the student will be:
(1)
Resource
ii) Reevaluation is necessary if the student is:
(1)
A possible candidate for a intellectually disabled, multiply
disabled, or learning disabled or emotionally disabled class (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 (where permission to reevaluate is obtained) 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 Mary Kay, David Hendricks, and Lisa
Lipscomb. 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 Multiple Disabilities is at McLees. 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 speech services only do not need these
transition meetings. Resource students do not need transition meetings unless
there are extenuating circumstances that require face-to-face discussion. If you
2012-13 SY
determine that a resource transition meeting is not needed, don’t forget to
conduct a special review to change the minutes to reflect appropriate
elementary service hours. This can be done through the amendment process if
parent approves.
a) If a student was reevaluated, this will be a reevaluation meeting to report
results as well.
b) When possible, try to coordinate these meetings for one day at each
receiving elementary school. Be sure to plan these meetings well in advance.
c) The special educator 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 classrooms for moderately intellectually
disabled and mildly intellectually disabled children will need goals and
objectives on their IEPs.
d) The preschool psychologist will coordinate meeting dates and times and
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.
i) Persons to invite include:
(1)
The sending and receiving special educator (i.e., preschool
teacher and proposed/probable elementary school teacher)
(2)
The receiving speech/language pathologist; if speech is a major
concern, then also invite the sending speech/language pathologist
(your speech/language pathologists at the preschool can help you
determine this information)
(3)
The principal from the receiving school (the principal may
designate someone else to be the LEA, but you should always invite the
principal first)
(4)
Mary Kay and/or David Hendricks (if neither can attend, unless
they tell you otherwise, the meeting should be rescheduled)
(5)
Preschool psychologist (may not need to attend all meetings, but
should be involved)
(6)
Receiving psychologist (may not need to attend all meetings, but
should be notified)
ii) The preschool psychologist will contact the designated contact person 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.). You will work with this designated contact person to set up
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the date and times for the meeting. The contact person at each
elementary school will be:
(1)
Calhoun – Mary Lou Gambrell (resource)
(2)
Centerville – Allyson Sanders (resource)
(3)
Concord – Diane Gurley (resource)
(4)
Homeland Park- Tara Wilson (resource)
(5)
McLees – Coral Magner (school psychologist)
(6)
Midway – Lisa Lipscomb (school psychologist)
(7)
Nevitt Forest – Ruby Wooten (resource)
(8)
New Prospect – Carrie Boyce (resource)
(9)
North Pointe- Jennifer Roper (ED/SC)
(10)
Varennes – Sandra Altman (resource)
(11)
Whitehall – Nick Davis (resource)