Plumas Lake Elementary School District

State and Federal Law ensures "all individuals with exceptional needs have available to them a free, appropriate public education and related services to meet their unique needs." 

 

The Plumas Lake Elementary School District is committed to providing a full continuum of special education services responsive to the needs of our students and community.  Evaluation of students for eligibility and need for special education services is provided at each of the school sites. 

 

For additional information regarding evaluation for Special Education please contact your school site administrator or, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Special Education, Toni Vernier at tvernier@plusd.org.

Federal education codes require community participation in the development of local plans and budgets for Special Education.  The Community Advisory Committees (CAC) is a means for parents/guardians to fully participate in the Special Education programs and services within a local area.  The CAC is hosted and facilitated by the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA).  

 

The CAC is also a forum in which parents may learn about Special Education in general and network with local educators and other parents of students with special needs.  

 

The Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) provides special education services in cooperation with the school districts. The SELPA continues to ensure that eligible children, birth through age twenty-two, with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in programs and receive appropriate special education services. The SELPA also supports districts with various issues of compliance as detmerine by state and federal mandates.  

 

Evaluation for eligibility and need for Special Education is completed by a multidisciplinary team.  This team is comprised of an education specialist, a school psychologist, school nurse, and often a speech/language therapist, and at times speciality staff such as an Occupational Therapist, Vision specialist, or a teacher for students with hearing impairments.  The parent is a key member of this team and provides a great deal of information regarding health, development, behavior, and skills in the home and community.  

 

The evaluation process is best begun as an outcome of the Student Study Team (SST) process.  The district procedures for the Student Study Team process can be found in the Student Services section of the website.  This format of study around a student's learning and progress is the ideal conversation in which to gather information regarding intervention and response to intervention and ultimately to determine if an evaluation for special education is warrented.  Often times, interventions may be desinged for a student to occur during the evaluation process.

 

Referrals for Special Education evaluation may come from various sources, including teachers, parents, doctors, social workers, administrators, and other school personal.  Only a parent/legal guardian may provide consent for the evaluation to begin.  A school district may also deny the provision of an evaluation if there is adequate evidence the student displays typical academic achievement and appropraite development in all areas, including the ability to attend school and social/emotional functioning.  

 

The assessment process will only begin after written parent consent is recieved.  A parent should expect to obtain a final written multidisciplinary evaluation report within 50 calendar days of the district recieving written consent on an assessment plan.  The IEP team should then meet within the next 10 calendar days to review and discuss results, as well as make a plan and possibly design an IEP.  

If the team determines a student to display evidence of a disability and to require special education services, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be designed to meet the child's unique needs. This will take place at a meeting attended by parents and school personnel.

If an IEP is developed at the meeting, team members should expect:

• Introductions and presentation of procedural safeguards
• A discussion of a student's strengths and talents
• A summary of the assessment findings
• A summary of the student's identified areas of need
• Proposal of annual goal areas to address the identified needs
• A recommendation of services and supports in order to meet the annual goals

Parent participation and consent are important aspects to effective IEP development.  Parents and staff should both be comfortable asking questions and assisting with the design of the plan.  A parent is not required to consent to the IEP at the initial meeting.  A parent may take time to consider the offer of services and provide consent at a later time.  Services are not able to begin until a parent provides consent.

The IEP is reviewed no less than annually.  A parent may request an IEP meeting at any time and the district is obligated to schedule a meeting within 15 calendar days.  Academic assessment is completed to gather sufficient evidence of a student's annual progress on the IEP goals.  The annual goals are reviewed.  If a student is not making adequate progress, adjustments to the plan should be discussed in order for the student to achieve educational benefit.  If a student has met all academic goals, is performing at grade level in the general classroom, a team may recommend they no longer require Special Education and they may be dismissed from the IEP.  

Procedural safeguards are presented at each IEP meeting and upon request  Parents are encouaged to fully participate in the IEP process and to ask questions regarding procedural safeguards at any time.