An Overview of Special
Education Regulations and
Services in City of Salem
Schools
This presentation was adapted
from Welcome to the
“Special Education Tour”
An overview of the special education process for parents and
professionals assisting children with disabilities
developed by
PEATC
Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center
www.peatc.org
What is Special Education?
Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA)
• Specifically designed instruction
• At no cost to parents
• To meet the unique needs of a child with
disabilities
The Legal Foundations for
Special Education in Virginia
• The Individuals with Disabilities
Education Improvement Act
(IDEA) 2004
• The Virginia Special Education
Regulations (2009)
IDEA Guarantee:
• A free, appropriate education for all children
(FAPE)
• Placement in the least restrictive environment
• Protection for the rights of children and their
parents
• Parent participation in educational
planning
The Special Education Cycle
Referral
Evaluation
Annual Review
Instruction &
Monitoring
Eligibility
IEP
From the beginning, there are steps to getting a program for a
child with disabilities.
Referral
• The Referral is a formal (oral or written)
notification to the local school system that a child
is experiencing learning or developmental
difficulties and may require a full evaluation for
early intervention or special education and
related services.
• A referral may be made by a family, teacher or
other individual.
• A written request documents
the referral and starts a timeline.
Referral Decision
• In Virginia, a school-based team will meet within
10 business days following the receipt of the
referral.
• If the referral information suggests that the child
should be evaluated for special education and
related services, the team
must refer the child to the
special education administrator
within 3 business days.
Evaluation
• An Evaluation is the process of collecting information about a
referred student’s learning needs through a series of individual tests,
observations, and talks with the student, the family and others.
• This information is used to determine whether the child has a
disability as well as the nature and extent of the special education
and related services that the child needs.
• The evaluation is conducted at no cost to parents.
• Parents are members of the team reviewing
the evaluation data and deciding whether
more information is needed.
Eligibility
Referral
Evaluation
Eligibility
Annual Review
Instruction &
Monitoring
•
•
IEP
Based on the results of the evaluation, a team decides if a child is
Eligible to receive early intervention or special education and related
services.
Parents are members of the eligibility team and receive documentation of
the determination of eligibility at no cost.
Who is Eligible?
Children with:
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Autism
Deafness
Deaf-blindness
Development delay
Emotional disability
Hearing impairment, including deafness
Intellectual disability
Multiple disability
Orthopedic impairment
Other health impairment, including ADHD
Specific learning disability
Speech or language impairment
Traumatic brain injury
Visual impairment, including blindness
Eligibility Timeframe
• Eligibility for special education and related
services must be determined within 65
business days after the special education
administrator receives the referral for
evaluation.
• The parent and the eligibility
group may agree in writing to
extend the 65 day timeline to
obtain additional data.
Individualized Education
Program (IEP)
Referral
Evaluation
Annual Review
Instruction &
Monitoring
Eligibility
IEP
Every child in special education must have an
Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Individualized Educational
Program
(IEP)
• The IEP is a written statement describing the specially
designed program developed to meet the needs of the
individual child.
• Parents are to be members of
the IEP team and participate
with school personnel in the
development of the IEP.
• The child should also participate in the IEP decision
making process as early as possible.
IEP Timelines
• IEP is in effect before special education and related
services are provided to an eligible child;
• Is developed within 30 calendar days of the date of the
initial determination that the child needs special
education and related services;
IEP Timelines, continued
• Is developed within 30 calendar days of the date the
eligibility group determines that the child remains eligible
for special education and related services following
reevaluation, if the IEP team determines that changes
are needed to the child’s IEP, or if the parent requests it;
IEP Timelines, continued
• Each local education agency shall ensure that the IEP
team reviews the child’s IEP periodically, but not less
than annually, to determine whether the annual goals are
being achieved and to revise its provisions, as
appropriate.
What is on the IEP?
• Present levels of academic achievement and functional performance
• Measurable annual goals
• Plans for measuring progress
• Participation in state and division-wide assessments
• Special education, modifications and related services to be provided
including dates and locations
• Participation with children without disabilities
• Secondary transition services including rights at age of majority
Related Services
partial list of developmental, corrective, or supportive services required
for the child to benefit from special education, including:
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Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Transportation
Counseling
Speech and language
therapy
Audiology services
Interpreting services
Early identification
Diagnostic services
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School health/nurse services
Social work services
Crisis Intervention
Assistive technology
Non-academic services
Extra curricular activities
Orientation/mobility training
Rehabilitation counseling
Psychological services
Parent counseling and training
Decisions
About Related Services
• Which services are needed and why?
• How often are they needed?
• What length of time?
• Who will provide the
services?
Instruction and Monitoring
Referral
Evaluation
Annual Review
Instruction &
Monitoring
Eligibility
IEP
After the IEP is written and a child is placed in
a school setting, learning activities begin in
the classroom.
Instruction and Monitoring
• Parents and school personnel must work
together to make the IEP and placement
work for the child.
• Parents are to be kept
regularly informed of
their child’s progress
as defined in the IEP.
Annual Review
Referral
Evaluation
Annual Review
Eligibility
IEP
Instruction &
Monitoring
• The Annual Review is a meeting held at least once a
year to look at, talk about, and study a student’s IEP.
Annual Review
The purpose of the Annual Review is to
make decisions about changes in the IEP,
review the placement, and develop a new
IEP for the year ahead.
Transition Planning
• Transition planning is careful preparation
by the student, parents, educators, and
other service providers, for the time when
the student leaves high school.
• Required by age 14 in Virginia – or
younger if appropriate
Transition Services
• The IEP Transition goals should relate to:
- Education
- Training
- Employment
- Independent living skills (if appropriate)
• The transition services must take into account a
student’s strengths, preferences and interests.
• By age 16, the IEP must include a statement of
interagency responsibilities and linkages.
Triennial and Reevaluation
Referral
Evaluation
Annual Review
Reevaluation
Instruction &
Monitoring
Eligibility
IEP
Re-evaluation occurs
•at least every three years, (unless the parent and school personnel
agree that it is not necessary).
Special Education Advisory
Committee
•
Serves as an advisory function to the City of Salem School Board through
Dr. Alan Seibert, Superintendent, on matters related to the education and
training of school-aged children with disabilities
•
Membership consists of parents of children with disabilities, agency
personnel responsible for service delivery to children with disabilities, and
Salem School Division personnel.
Special Education Advisory
Committee
•
Meetings are open to the public. Remaining meeting dates for this school
year are February 17, April 21, and May 19, and are held at 3:30 pm at the
School Board Office.
•
2010-2011 Current Members
Ms. Lisa Cain
Ms. Paige Callahan
Ms. Bonnie Carpenter
Ms. Maxine Casey
Dr. Darryl Helems
Ms. Artice Ledbetter
Ms. Terri Lewis
Ms. Pat Macdonald
Ms. Patty Maynard
Ms. Chris Moses
Ms. Sharon Paisley, Chairperson
Ms. Tristan Robertson
Ms. Kristyn Shepherd
Ms. Laurel Soderberg
Ms. Terry Thomas
Mr. Tom Willett
Contact information
• Dr. Darryl Helems, Director of Student Services, 389-0130,
dhelems@salem.k12.va.us
• Ms. Pat Macdonald, Parent Resource Center Coordinator,
389-0130, pmacdonald@salem.k12.va.us