Special Education Services

CHILD FIND/REFERRALS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

In accordance with federal and state law, TPS is responsible for identifying, locating and evaluating all children ages 3-21 residing within its district who are suspected of an educational disability. This obligation is called Child Find. Child Find is required by The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and by The Operating Standards for Ohio Educational Agencies serving Children with Disabilities. 

Teachers, administrators, counselors and other school staff who suspect a child might have a disability may refer the student for a special education evaluation . A parent  may also request an ETR be completed on their child.  Reasons to suspect a disability could include:

• The student has been held back or assigned to a grade level one or more times
• The student has failed the same subject for multiple years or has failed many subjects repeatedly
• The student has been provided academic and/or behavioral intervention and is still not making adequate gainsThe student has been removed from school for behaviors or disciplinary reasons more than ten days in a school year
• The student has a diagnosis of a medical or mental health condition that may impact learning and the student's academic performance  appears to be negatively impacted by the medical diagnosis.

SPECIAL EDUCATION EVALUATION PROCESS

Before a child can be found eligible for  special education or related services, an evaluation called an Evaluation Team Report “ETR” must be completed. The ETR is a comprehensive assessment of the child. An ETR can only be initiated when the district has secured the  parents’ informed written consent. Before starting the evaluation, school staff will  meet with the parent to talk about the different types of tests, observations and record reviews that need to be completed. The input and participation of parents is encouraged, welcomed and necessary to completing a full evaluation. ETRs may include assessment in the following areas: cognitive, vision and hearing, academic and achievement, social and emotional, and observations. Assessments are conducted by teachers, school psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, or speech pathologists. Information from parents is critical, as are any outside medical and mental health providers that know the student. Each evaluation should be individualized to the child so all issues of concern can be addressed.

 The ETR team must consist of  a school psychologist, the legal parent or guardian, the general education teacher, the district representative, and any related service providers  who conducted evaluations or assessments. The parent is welcome to invite an advocate or others they believe would help them fully participate in the meeting. If an attorney is included by the parent, TPS must be made aware so an attorney for the district can be present. If a parent disagrees with the results of the ETR,  the parent can provide a statement of  disagreement. If a parent does not think the ETR was comprehensive enough to identify the needs of their child accurately, they may request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense. Parents may also utilize a variety of dispute resolution options provided for under state and federal law. For more information on these dispute resolution options, see A Guide to Parent’s Rights in Special Education. 

https://filecabinet9.eschoolview.com/21DD6721-F6A5-43B5-A5D1-EC1ABB8F0D64/ODE_Guide_to_Parent_Rights_in_Special_Education.pdf

If the child is identified as a student eligible for special education services, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be in place within 30 days of the ETR meeting. This IEP document must be developed by the IEP team and must outline all services and supports that are needed by the child.

TIMELINES

If a parent requests a Special Education evaluation, verbally or in writing, the school district must respond to the request within 30 days. If the district suspects a disability, a planning meeting will be held with the parent. At that meeting, the planning form will be completed by the team. The planning form documents the assessments which will be used to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the child. The parents' informed written consent will be obtained at that time. A PR 01 will be written to document the start of the ETR.  If the district does not suspect a disability after reviewing the parents’ request, a PR-01 will be sent stating the requested evaluation will not be completed and  the reasons the district does not suspect the child has a disability.

 Following obtaining informed written consent from the parent, the planned assessments must be completed within 60 days. This includes the ETR meeting to review and address the results of the assessments. If the student is found eligible for specially designed instruction, an IEP must be written and services provided to the students within 30 days.