Referring a Student for Special Education Services

 

The Special Education Department offers many services to help students reach their educational potential. Services include help for students with cognitive, behavioral, mental, and/or physical disabilities as well as for gifted and talented students. Through the Special Education Department, students can receive academic assistance; enrichment activities; speech and language services; physical and occupational therapy; adapted physical education; behavior plans; and school-based counseling.

 

The SAT (Student Assistance Team)

 

The SAT is a group of school-based professionals consisting of teachers, administrators, and pupil appraisal staff. Their primary function is to provide assistance to help students achieve their educational potential.

 

How can a student be referred for Special Education services?

 

• Teachers, parents/guardians, or other agencies may refer a student to the SAT for consideration of the need for Special Education services. Regardless of who makes the referral, the parent/guardian must be given the opportunity to participate in all decisions pertaining to their child's education planning.

 

• The SAT committee meets to review concerns related to the referral. The person making the referral must attend the initial meeting as well as any other meetings related to the referral process (unless the SAT chairman determines that it is unnecessary).

 

• Existing data is reviewed at the initial SAT meeting. The team will review the child's grades, universal screening, statewide assessments, vision and hearing testing results, and any additional information such as medical issues or teacher observations. Reviewing this data will help the team rule out anything that could be interfering with the child's educational progress.

 

• Additional screenings may be needed at this time such as the need for assistive technology, sensory processing, speech, psycho-social, etc. Information concerning previous and/or ongoing interventions will also be reviewed.

 

• At a follow-up meeting, screening checklists will be reviewed to determine the scope of concerns, as well as any other areas that need to be addressed.

 

• At the next meeting, the team reviews data of the student's performance and response to interventions at the current and previous levels. The team decides if changes need to be made to the current interventions and determine if the student is making adequate progress toward achieving target goals. The parent/guardian is notified of the student's progress or lack of progress as well as the team's proposal at this stage. A follow-up meeting is also scheduled at this time.

The SAT continues to monitor the student's performance until either the goals are achieved or until it is determined that an evaluation is needed. The parent is to be notified at each step (through documented phone calls or written correspondence) of their child's progress and the team's recommendations.

 

• If SAT determines that an evaluation is needed, the Pupil Appraisal team will begin the evaluation process with the parent/guardian's permission. The process and timelines will be explained to the parent/guardian by a Pupil Appraisal representative.

 

If you have any questions regarding the referral process, please contact your child's principal or the the Special Education Department at 982-5318.