Kentucky Parent Guide for special education

KENTUCKY PARENT GUIDE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION

University of Kentucky Human Development Institute November 2016

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pages

CHAPTER 1: Introduction

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? State Performance Plan (SPP) and State Systemic Improvement plan (SSIP)

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? State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG)

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o Institution of Higher Education Consortium

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o Teaching Academic and Age-appropriate Learning via

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Communication (TAALC)

o College and Career Readiness

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o SPLASH

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o Co-teaching for Gap Closure (CT4GC)

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o Parent Involvement

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o Evaluation Unit

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CHAPTER 2: Who is eligible for services under IDEA?

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? Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

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? Child Find

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? Eligibility and Disability Categories

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CHAPTER 3: Does my child need special education services?

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? Referral

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? Response to Intervention (RtI)

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? Admission and Release Committee (ARC)

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? Evaluation

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? Transition from Early Intervention (First Steps)

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? Independent Education Evaluation (IEE)

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? Determination of Eligibility

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CHAPTER 4: What services are available to my child?

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? Individualized Education Program (IEP)

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? Contents of IEP

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o Present Levels of Academic Achievement / Functional Performance

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o Consideration of Special Factors

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o Annual Measurable Goals-Progress Monitoring

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o Specially Designed Instruction

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o Supplemental Aids and Services

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o Accommodation Determination

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o Participation in the Alternate Assessment Program

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o Least Restrictive Environment and Determination of Educational Setting 14

o Related Services

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o Extended School Year Services

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o Secondary Transition

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? College and Career Readiness

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CHAPTER 5: What are the school district's responsibilities to me and my child?

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? Implementation and continuation of your child's special education services

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o Initial evaluation

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o Placement

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o Annual review

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o Re-evaluation

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o Procedural Safeguards

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o Confidentiality of your child's school records

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CHAPTER 6: What happens if my child displays behavioral concerns?

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? Discipline for students receiving special education services

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o Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)

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o Behavior Intervention Plan

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? What happens when a child with a disability is suspended or expelled?

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o Suspension of a child identified with a disability

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o Manifestation Determination

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o Interim Alternative Setting

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CHAPTER 7: What if I don't agree with my child's program?

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? Mediation

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? KDE Complaints

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? Due Process Hearing

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CONCLUSION

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RESOURCES

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GLOSSARY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION TERMS

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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CHAPTER 1: Introduction

Parents play many important roles in raising their children, including participating in the educational process. As parents of students identified with disabilities, you not only know your child better than others, you are your child's greatest advocate. You have valuable information to contribute in determining the programs and services that will lead to your child's school success. You know your child's strengths, preferences and challenges. You are not only concerned about how your child is doing academically, socially and emotionally today, but how they will fare in the future. To assist parents, this handbook has been written to answer questions you may have with regard to educating a child whom you suspect may have a disability and for those already identified with a disability.

Federal and state laws have been enacted that provide services for children whose disabilities adversely affect their educational performance and/or ability to benefit from the general education program. Kentucky provides school age children and youth (ages 3 to 21), supplemental special education and related services through the public school district. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that clearly spells out the procedures both schools and parents must follow when students need special education and related services. The state's special education regulations describe in detail the special education process and the procedural safeguards that apply to both you and your child. You may access the Kentucky Administrative Regulations for Special Education Programs at . Being knowledgeable about the special education process and terminology used may increase your comfort level in participating in educational decision making for your child.

Traditionally, special education programs have been monitored by both federal and state agencies to ensure compliance with laws. While it is important to make sure public schools are following the legal mandates and protecting the rights of parents and students identified with disabilities, compliance monitoring alone falls short of ensuring successful outcomes for students. Kentucky has made much improvement in providing meaningful access to special education and related services for students identified with disabilities, yet educational outcomes in reading and math, as well as high school graduation rates for these students continue to lag behind their classmates without disabilities.

Over the past several years the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has worked with State Education Agencies (including the Kentucky Department of Education) to promote and support changes to education that will improve results for children with disabilities. This national focus, referred to as Results Driven Accountability (RDA), aims to move from a system focused on compliance to one that emphasizes results. It places an importance on partnering with parents and other community members, providing school, district and state assessment results in understandable terms to educators, parents and community members, and using intervention and instructional programs that are based on research.

State Performance Plan (SPP) and State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP)

When the IDEA was reauthorized in 2004, the law was amended to require that each state develop a State Performance Plan (SPP). The SPP helps the state evaluate its efforts in implementing the requirements and purposes of the IDEA and it describes how it will improve its implementation over a period of time. For special education, this plan includes a focus on improving outcomes for students identified with disabilities in areas such as graduation rate, dropout rate, participation and performance

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