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USD 261
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST
HANDBOOK
2008-2009
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Table of Contents
-08-09 Psycholo
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-Job Description - School Psychologist
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-Building Programs and Working with Teachers and Administrators
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-Working with Parents
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-Case Management ...……………………………………
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-School Initiated Referrals
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-Parent Initiated Referrals
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-PT/OT Referral Process
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-Initial Evaluations
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-Reevaluations
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-Reevaluation Staffings
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-Change in Placement
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-ECD/DD Reevaluations
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-Individual Education Program
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-Parental Rights in Special Education
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-Move-in Students from Kansas
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-Move-in Students from Out of State
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-Screenings
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-Extended School Year
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-State/Local Assessments
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-Homebound Services
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-Discipline of Special Education Students
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-Graduation of Special Education Students
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-Working Files
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-School Psychologist Report
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School Psychologist Assignments 2007/2008
Jesse Tyson
Campus High School/Alternative High School/ Chisholm
Crystal Winters
Nelson Elementary/Early Childhood
Brad Johnson
Haysville Middle School
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Nicole Petersen
Freeman Elementary
Judith Picard
Oatville Elementary/Prairie Elementary
Jessica Quinn
Haysville West Middle School
Linda Sullivan
Rex Elementary
Diana Bidwell
Ruth Clark Elementary
Psychologist Paraprofessionals:
Sandy Harper
Haysville Middle School/Haysville West Middle School
Natalie Page
Prairie Elementary/Oatville Elementary/Campus High School
Terri Nicolas
Nelson Elementary
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I.
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST
School Psychologist tailor their services to the particular needs of each child and
each situation. School psychologists use many different approaches, but most
provide these core services:
A. Consultation
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give healthy and effective alternatives to teachers, parents, and
administrators about problems in learning and behavior
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help others understand child development and how it affects learning and
behavior
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strengthen working relationships between educators, parents and
community services
B. Assessment
- use a wide variety of techniques at an individual, group, and
systems level to evaluate:
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academic skills
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learning aptitudes
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personality and emotional development
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behavior
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social skills
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learning environments and school climate
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eligibility for special education
C. Intervention
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work face-to-face with children and families
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help solve conflicts and problems in learning and adjustment
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provide psychological counseling for children and families
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provide social skills training, behavior management, and other strategies
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monitor treatment integrity of interventions as appropriate
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data documentation and progress monitoring of interventions for students
in special education
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help families and schools deal with crises, such as separation and loss
D. Prevention
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identify potential learning difficulties
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design programs for children at risk of failure
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provide parents and teachers with the skills to cope with disruptive
behavior
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help foster tolerance, understanding, and appreciation of diversity in the
school community
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develop school-wide initiatives to make school safer and more effective
E. Education
- develop programs on topics such as:
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teaching and learning strategies
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classroom management techniques
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working with students who have disabilities or unusual talents
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substance abuse
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crisis management
F. Research and Planning
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evaluate the effectiveness of academic programs, behavior management
systems, and other services
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generate new knowledge about learning and behavior
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contribute to planning and evaluating school-wide reform and
restructuring
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interpret school-wide assessment data
G. Health Care Provision
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collaborate with school and community-based personnel to provide a
comprehensive model of school-linked health services
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work with children and families to provide integrated community services
focusing on psychosocial wellness and health-related issues
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developing partnerships with parents and teachers to create healthy school
environments
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II.
BUILDING PROGRAMS AND WORKING WITH TEACHERS AND
ADMINISTRATORS
A. Each school psychologist is responsible for case management of all
exceptional children and services in their buildings. The school psychologist
shall provide effective consultation with special education staff, general
education staff, administration and paraprofessionals regarding a variety of
special education issues. Additionally, the school psychologist shall ensure
that procedural requirements are followed including obtaining parental
consent for changes in placement, services, and eligibility when necessary.
B. The school psychologist shall work with special education teachers, general
education teachers, and administrators to improve program effectiveness,
including classroom visitations, consultations, participation on building teams,
presentations at building inservices, etc.
C. The services of the school psychologist shall be available to all special
programs including self-contained special education classrooms. The school
psychologist may be li
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if it is
appropriate and necessary to enable a student to benefit from their educational
program, and if the student is seen on a regular schedule.
III. WORKING WITH PARENTS
A. The school psychologist should schedule feedback, eligibility, placement,
move-in and other conferences with parents according to reasonable and
established timelines. The school psychologist should ensure the parents are
fully informed of ongoing intervention strategies and should encourage
parents to participate in staffing conferences in an active and meaningful
manner.
B. The school psychologist is expected to appropriately address parent complaints
and concerns within their assigned buildings and to effectively participate in
resolution of these situations. School psychologists are encouraged to discuss
difficult cases with special education coordinators and administrators.
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IV. CASE MANAGEMENT
A. The school psychologist is responsible for the coordination and completion of
all comprehensive evaluations and reevaluations in their assigned buildings.
,
from referral to closure including the completion of all appropriate procedural
paperwork and follow-up support. The school psychologist shall gather intake
information, conduct their part of the evaluation and provide feedback to the
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psychologist must ensure that the evaluation is appropriate as specified by the
Kansas Regulations for Special Education and Kansas Special Education Law.
,
role to provide support on a variety of issues regarding special education
students and the provision of appropriate services within their assigned
buildings.
B. Each evaluation/reevaluation shall begin with a review of existing information
and data on the student (evaluations from outside agencies, information from
parents, results of previous evaluations conducted by the district). From this
review, the team must determine what additional information is needed to
determine whether the student is eligible as a student with an exceptionality,
the
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performance, whether the student needs special
education and related services, and (in the case of reevaluations) whether
additions/modifications to special education/relate services are needed to
enable the students to meet the IEP annual goals or to participate, as
appropriate, in the general curriculum.
Once the determination regarding additional data has been made, the special
education office will send the
PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE FOR
EVALUATION OR REEVALUATION AND REQUEST FOR
CONSENT
and
PARENTAL RIGHTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
to the
parents for their written consent. The written notice must fully inform the
parents regarding the scope of the evaluation or reevaluation procedures being
proposed and parental consent must be obtained prior to conducting the
action. If the team determines that no additional information is necessary, the
parents must be provided with notification of this decision with the
PRIOR
WRITTEN NOTICE FOR EVALUATION OR REEVALUATION AND
REQUEST FOR CONSENT
as well as the rationale and notification of their
right to request an evaluation. The
PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE FOR
EVALUATION OR REEVALUATION AND REQUEST FOR
CONSENT must
be signed and returned by the parent to proceed with the
proposed action even if the team determines that no additional data is needed.
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reevaluations on time.
C. Complete Initial Evaluations within 60 school days (excluding holidays and
when school is not in session) of receiving parental consent.
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Complete the evaluation. The evaluation is complete when the multi-
disciplinary team, including parents, determines the eligibility status and
anticipated special education needs.
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Conduct a meeting to determine whether the student is a child with
exceptionality.
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, if the child is a student with
exceptionality.
*The evaluation and implementation of the IEP must be completed within
60 school days.
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Collect and organize appropriate evaluation documentation and ensure that
it arrives in the Special Education Office no more than 10 working days
following the staffing. All appropriate reevaluation documentation should
be submitted to the Special Education Office within 10 working days of
the triennial reevaluation due date. If the reevaluation is completed
substantially earlier than the triennial reevaluation due date, submit all
appropriate documentation to the Special Education Office within 10
working days of the actual staffing date.
*The Days of the Year Calendar can be used to assist in the calculation of
the due dates.
If extenuating circumstances occur which are expected to result in an
evaluation or reevaluation exceeding the established guidelines, the school
psychologist shall: notify the building administrator and the Director of
Special Education and contact parent to obtain their written permission for
reasonable extension of the evaluation timelines. Include documentation of
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reevaluation records as well as
a memo from the school psychologist indicating the reasons why the
established timelines were exceeded and the results of any parent contacts.
V. GENERAL EDUCATION INTERVENTIONS
An initial special education comprehensive evaluation can occur only after all
general education possibilities have been exhausted. The building level general
education intervention team must document at least two meetings before an initial
evaluation can take place.
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A. SCHOOL INITIATED REFERRALS
1. The
GENERAL EDUCATION INTERVENTION FORM
will be used
to document the general education intervention process.
2. The referring teacher completes all relevant sections of the form, including
interventions that have been implemented along with data corresponding
to the duration and outcomes of those interventions.
3. First Meeting: Review the referral information, generate hypotheses
regarding probable causes, and develop an intervention plan using
research based interventions with evaluation procedures.
Interventions must be implemented for at least 15 school days.
Many research based interventions may need to be implemented
for longer periods of time
4. Second Meeting: Evaluate the success of the interventions. The general
education intervention team determines that either:
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The student should remain in general education with or without
continued interventions, or
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The student should remain in general education with different
interventions implemented and documented for at least 15 school days.
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The student should be referred for a special education evaluation.
5. A referral for an evaluation may be made by the team even when the
interventions are successful, if the team determines that the nature of the
interventions require continued and substantial support greater than the
general education resources can provide.
6. For a formal referral to take place, the
GENERAL EDUCATION
INTERVENTION
form must be completed and be signed by all team
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signatures.
B. PARENT INITIATED REFERRALS
1. In cases where a request has been made by the parent for an initial
evaluation, the general education intervention team should contact the parents
to explain the general education process and to encourage parents to allow this
process to proceed prior to conducting an evaluation.
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If parents will allow the general education intervention team to
implement strategies to address the concern, this may result in the
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general education curriculum, or a comprehensive evaluation may be
recommended.
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If parents want immediate testing, the comprehensive evaluation can
begin while the general education team simultaneously implements
and documents intervention effectiveness. This data will be needed
when the evaluation team meets to determine special education
eligibility.
VI.
PHYSICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY REFERRAL PROCESS
A. Physical and Occupational Therapy services are available only to those
students who qualify for placement in special education programs. If a
student has an identifiable physical or occupational therapy need that does not
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special educational
experiences, therapy is not the responsibility of the local education agency.
B. Referral Process for Initial Evaluations
1. To obtain a physical or occupational therapy evaluation on a student
who is not currently identified as needing special education services, the
student must first go through the referral process for General Education
Interventions.
2. For occupational therapy concerns, the classroom teacher should
complete the
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY CHECKLIST
as part of
the referral process. The
CLASSROOM ACCOMMODATIONS
CHECKLIST
should also be completed during the referral process,
keeping in mind that each appropriate adaptation should be given ample
time to determine if it is successful.
a. This checklist will also give the teacher(s) and the intervention
team a guideline regarding what needs are educationally relevant to
physical or occupational therapy.
3. Upon determining that the adaptations are unsuccessful, the child can
then be referred for a physical and/or occupational therapy evaluation as a
component of the initial comprehensive evaluation.
a. The case managing school psychologist should notify the physical
and/or occupational therapist of the comprehensive evaluation and
should send the completed Checklists to the therapist along with a
copy of the signed consent to evaluate form. The therapist will
review the Checklists, informally screen the child through
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observation and will determine whether a formal evaluation is
necessary.
4. Once the comprehensive initial evaluation is complete, the therapist
will report the evaluation findings to the team, including the parents. A
written report will be provided by the therapist of any formal or informal
assessments. If the child is found to qualify for and need these related
services, then therapy services will be indicated on the IEP as well as goal
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All paperwork will
be copied to the special education office with the appropriate checklist
within 10 days after the staffing conference.
C. Referral Process for Students Already Receiving Services
1. If a student is already receiving special education services and a
physical and/or occupational therapy concern arises, the appropriate IEP
team member should complete the
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
CHECKLIST
and the
CLASSROOM ACCOMMODATIONS
CHECKLIST
. The appropriate adaptations should be given ample time
to determine if they are successful or not.
2. If adaptations are unsuccessful, and the team determines that
physical and/or occupational therapy services may be needed; the
psychologist should meet with the IEP team as well as the physical
and/or occupational therapist to consider initiating a comprehensive
reevaluation.
a. If a reevaluation is deemed necessary, parent permission must be
obtained prior to the reevaluation. Once consent is received, the
therapist may perform an informal observation or complete a
formal evaluation.
b. When the reevaluation is completed, the results will be
reported to the team and parents and a written report of any
assessments and observations will be provided. Therapy services
will be added to the IEP with appropriate goals and benchmarks if
services are determined to be necessary.
3. Role of the Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist
a. The therapist is considered to be part of the IEP team on students
who are currently receiving these related services and should be
provided with a timely notification of reevaluations and IEP
meetings. Their input must be obtained so that present levels of
educational performance, annual goals, benchmarks, and service
times may be update and modified as necessary.
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b. For students currently receiving physical and/or occupational
therapy services, the school psychologist is responsible for
providing adequate notification to the therapist of any upcoming
reevaluations or special education meetings.
c. The primary service provider is responsible for providing
adequate notification to the therapist of all other typical IEP review
meetings.
VII. INITIAL EVALUATIONS
A. At the time the General Education Intervention team makes a formal referral, the
school psychologist must submit
GENERAL EDUCATION
INTERVENTIONS
to the Special Education Office for review to ensure
completeness of information. If extenuating circumstances exist resulting in the
school psychologist pursuing consent individually, the school psychologist shall
provide all of the referral information to the Special Education Office.
B. The Special Education Office will complete
PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE FOR
EVALUATION OR REEVALUATION AND REQUEST FOR CONSENT
.
NO EVALUATION SHALL BE INITIATED WITHOUT INFORMED,
WRITTEN CONSENT FROM THE PARENTS, GUARDIANS, OR
STUDENT IF OF LEGAL AGE. ONCE PARENT CONSENT IS RECEIVED
THE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
CALLING PARENTS AND INFORMING THEM OF THE EVALUATION
PROCESS
1. If parents do not return the consent form within 10 working days, a second
consent form will be mailed by the Special Education Office. Again, a third
consent form will be mailed by the Special Education Central Office if the
second consent form is note returned. Although the consent form is being sent
from the Special Education Central Office, it is the responsibility of the school
psychologist to initiate and continue contact with parent to obtain parental
cosent.
2. If parents do not respond within a reasonable time following the third mailing,
the case will be returned to the school psychologist.
a. The school psychologist is expected to make a personal contact with the
parents concerning the proposed evaluation.
b. Following that contact the school psychologist shall notify the Special
Education Office regarding the status of the proposed evaluation utilizing
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the
INITIAL EVALUATION STATUS REPORT FORM
or other
effective means.
c. Copies of all phone and other parent contacts should be summarized on
the PARENT
CONTACT LOG
and be available in the central office files
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documentation.
d. If a parent denies or otherwise does not consent for an initial evaluation:
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The school psychologist shall maintain the documentation of the
referral in their own files.
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The school psychologist will make an effort to obtain the
INITIAL
EVALUATION CONSENT FORM
with parental signature on the
DO NOT GIVE CONSENT
line.
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In a case where the parent denies consent, the school psychologist
may contact the director of Special Education concerning the
initiation of mediation procedures or a due process hearing.
C. Obtaining all the relevant information is imperative in an initial evaluation, and
as case manager, the school psychologist is expected to ensure that appropriate
measures are utilized to obtain information.
1. Information required for an initial evaluation includes, but is not limited to:
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Health Report which can be obtained from the school health aide.
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Teacher Report from the general education teacher.
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Teacher Report form the special education teacher if they completed
any of the assessment or observed the student.
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o Obtaining information from the parent is an integral component
of the assessment, and as case manager, the school
psychologist is responsible for obtaining and reporting this
information. This information will be obtained by either calling
the parent or setting up a meeting with the parent to review
social, developmental and medical history
o Classroom observations should be summarized in the report as
well as included separately
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o Summary of the general education intervention strategies and
data regarding the effectiveness of these strategies
o Reporting assessment data is an integral component of the
assessment. The school psychologist may utilize, as
appropriate, standardized instruments including cognitive,
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achievement, behavior rating scales, adaptive behavior scales
and informal measures.
o Assessment Observations
o Recommendations
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Speech/Language, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy
reports when applicable.
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Team Reports are reviewed at the time of the meeting with the parents.
This report enables the team to compile all assessment information to
determine if the student is eligible and demonstrates a need for special
education.
D. After the evaluation is completed by the team, the staffing conference is
scheduled with the parents/legal guardians.
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a
time when they will meet with the team to review evaluation results.
2. The school psychologist sends the parents a 10-day reminder notice. The
parents are to sign and return a copy of the 10-day notice acknowledging that they
are aware of the date and time of the meeting.
a. In the event that the parents or legal guardians do not establish a meeting
time or miss appointments, it is the responsibility of the school psychologist
to continue contacting the parent and to try alternate means of contacting
such as certified mail. This parental signature date should be the date the
evaluation information is reviewed with the parents. In the event that the
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miss appointments, the team may meet without the parents but parents must
be given a 10 day written notice of the meeting and a parental signature
still must be obtained on required documents.
b. A staffing summary which summarizes the information that was shared by
the school team members, the parents, and the recommendations is
completed at the time of the meeting.
c. If it is determined that the student does qualify and demonstrates a need for
special education services, the team will develop an IEP with the parents.
The school psychologist is responsible for preparing the Placement Consent
Pages and explaining these forms to the parents or legal guardians and
requesting their consent.
E. Initial Evaluation Timeline
1. If the initial evaluation consent form has not been returned to the
Special Education Office within
10 working days
, a second and third consent
form will be mailed from the Special Education Office
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2. Initial evaluations must be completed
within 60 school days
(excluding
holidays and when school is not in session) of an agency receiving parental
consent. Within this 60 school day timeline, the team must complete the
following:
a. Complete an evaluation of the student.
b. Conduct a meeting to determine whether the student is a child with an
exceptionality.
c. Develop
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.
3. If eligibility for special education services has been determined, an
IEP must be developed and implemented
within the 60 day evaluation period
.
4. All initial evaluation documentation must be sent to the Special Education
Office
no more than 10 school days
following the staffing.
5. If it appears likely that the evaluation team may recommend a child for special
education services, the evaluation results should be made available to the
appropriate staff for use in developing the IEP
at least 5 working days
prior
to the proposed staffing date with the parents.
VIII. INITIAL EVALUATION STAFFINGS
The school psychologist is expected to clearly explain their testing and shall chair
routine team, evaluation, re-evaluation and placement staffings. It is expected
that the school psychologist will include in the staffing all persons involved in the
evaluation, placement and provision of services for a student. This is to include
sending and receiving teachers, building principals and other persons as
appropriate. If a team member is unable to attend, a decision as to whether or not
to continue with the formal staffing should be made.
A. After completion of assessments by all team members:
1. Informal evaluation team meeting (optional)
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Discuss the results
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Determine if additional data is needed to determine eligibility
(exceptionality plus need)
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Begin development of a draft IEP.
2. Formal Staffing (Required)
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Review evaluation results
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Seek parent input. Designate a person to express parent opinions if
parent is not available
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Determine eligibility and need with parent present
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Develop IEP if appropriate.
3. Forms to be completed at the team staffing:
a.
SPECIAL EDUCATION STAFFING SUMMARY
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Serves a written record of the information discussed and team
recommendations.
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The team shall certify with their signatures whether the
summarized information reflects their conclusions. If there is
disagreement, a separate statement shall be provided by that
person to be attached to the summary; parents are allowed to
proceed with mediation, conflict resolution or due process.
b.
EVALUATION & ELIGIBLITY TEAM REPORT
c.
PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE FOR IDENTIFICATION, SPECIAL
EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVCIES, EDUCATIONAL
PLACEMENT, CHANGE IN SERVCIES, CHANGE IN
PLACEMENT AND REQUEST FOR CONSENT
d.
EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE ELIGIBLITYCHECKLIST
(available for determination of ED services)
e. Copies of all forms should be provided to parents and service providers
as appropriate.
IX.
INITIAL EVALUATION TEAM REPORTS
A. The initial evaluation team report will be completed for all students
considered for initial special education identification and
services.
B. All areas of LD should be considered.
1. If an achievement assessment instrument was utilized that does not
include the areas of oral expression or listening comprehension, the
expressive language and receptive language scores obtained by the SLP
may be substituted.
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X. REEVALUATIONS
A. Reevaluations are required to be conducted for all students receiving special
education and related services when conditions warrant a reevaluation or upon
parent/IEP team member request, but not less than once every three years.
Additionally, a student must be reevaluated before they are determined to no
longer be eligible for special education OR related services and when a child
is currently identified under an area of exceptionality and are being considered
to determine their need for related services. When a reevaluation is required
or requested:
1. The necessary school staff shall meet to determine the scope of the
reevaluation.
2. Review existing information, including information from the parents.
3. Determine if additional information is required.
4.
REEVALUATION: MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM PLANNING
REPORT
should be utilized to document decision-making process and
determination regarding need for additional data.
5. If the team determines that no reevaluation is needed, the school
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NO
REEVALUATION NEEDED
form will be sent by the school psychologist
to the parents for their signature.
B. The school psychologist is responsible for completing the
PRIOR
WRITTEN NOTICE FOR EVALUATION OR REEVALUATION AND
REQUEST FOR CONSENT
form and pursuing parental consent on all
comprehensive reevaluations in their assigned buildings. Consent forms for
reevaluations should be sent to parents early enough, prior to the triennial
reevaluation due date, to allow sufficient time to obtain parental consent and
complete all reevaluation activities.
1. Obtaining consent for initial evaluations or reevaluations:
a. A minimum of three attempts shall be made utilizing two methods
(phone call, mail, personal contact, etc) to obtain parental consent.
b. If parents fail to respond after third attempt, the reevaluation shall be
conducted and documentation of the attempts (notice forms, contact logs,
consent forms, etc) shall be submitted, with the reevaluation information
to the Special Education office.
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2. If Parent Denies Consent:
a. The school psychologist should first contact the parent in an attempt to
understand the rationale of the parent for refusing to consent to the
re/evaluation.
b. Provide necessary clarification.
c. Resolve any conflicts that appear to be hindering the process.
d. If parent continues to refuse, the school psychologist should discuss the
case with the director of special education administration in
order to pursue possible mediation procedures, conflict
resolution, or a due process hearing.
C. Reevaluation Timeline
1. Reevaluations are required to be conducted with all students receiving
special education and related services
not less than once every three
years
.
2. All reevaluation documentation should be submitted to the Special
Education Office
within 10 working days of the triennial reevaluation
due date or 10 working days of the actual staffing date if the
reevaluation is completed substantially sooner than the reevaluation
due date.
XI. REEVALUATION STAFFINGS
A. At the completion of the reevaluation, the team, including the parents, meets
to determine:
1. Continued eligibility (exceptionality plus need) for special education.
2. Present levels of performance.
3. Whether additions and modifications are necessary to enable the student
to meet the measurable annual goals and participate in general education.
a.
SPECIAL EDUCATION STAFFING SUMMARY form
is
completed to serve as a written record of the information discussed as well
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as the recommendations of the team and should be completed by the
psychologist or designated member of the team.
b.
REEVALUATION TEAM REPORT form
should be completed and
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that decision, as well as any changes
to the existing special education services. This shall be signed by all team
members and a copy given to the parents
4. The school psychologist is responsible for compiling all of the
documentation concerning the completed reevaluation and submitting that
information to the Special Education Office within 10 days of the staffing
conference.
5. Reasonable attempts should be made to align the triennial reevaluation
date with the annual IEP date to avoid the need for parents to attend multiple
meetings.
6. The school psychologist will coordinate with the IEP team to ensure that
the annual IEPs has the most recent reevaluation information included in
them.
B. CHANGE IN PLACEMENT
1. The school psychologist will assist the IEP team to determine when
parental consent for a change in placement or special education and related
services is necessary. Although technically, parental consent is not required
in some situations where changes are being made in the IEP, notification to
the parents of these changes is required. Since this notification requires the
completion of
PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE form
, parent signatures to
obtain consent are being required at all IEPs, even when changes are not being
made. The only current exception to this requirement involves students
receiving only speech services.
2. However,
PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE form
consent is legally required
when changes are made to the IEP including
a. Adding/Removing/Changing Services or Exceptionalities.
b. Increasing or Decreasing Special Education Time by 25% or more
or more of the school day.
c. Making other substantial or material changes in the IEP.
XII.
ECD/DD REEVALUATIONS
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Students who receive Early Childhood/DD Part C services must be reevaluated to
determine eligibility for categorical placement and services sometime during the
school year that they turn six. Students must be dismissed from ECD services the
school year they reach age six and placed in appropriate categorical services or
dismissed from special education.
Students eligible for services under Developmentally Delayed (DD) are only
eligible for services between the ages of 6 and 9 (until the 10
th
birthday).
Sometime prior to reaching age 10, DD students must be reevaluated to determine
eligibility for categorical services. Students must be dismissed from DD services
prior to reaching age 10 and placed in appropriate categorical services or
dismissed from special education.
A. Those school psychologists who are assigned to elementary buildings or the
Early Childhood Center are responsible for the completion of comprehensive
reevaluations on students identified as Early Childhood Disability (ECD).
1. Early Childhood Disability Reevaluations
a. Students are only eligible to receive ECD services through the school
year they reach the age six.
b. The reevaluation may be conducted anytime during the school year the
student turns six. The school psychologist shall coordinate with the IEP
team to ensure that the IEP does not expire during or prior to the
completion of the reevaluation.
c. ECD students must be reevaluated to determine their eligibility for
categorical placement and services. (Refer to Reevaluation section of
handbook for procedure on reevaluations.)
d. Existing evaluation data should be considered and reviewed, but current
evaluations should be conducted with these students in the areas necessary
to determine their eligibility.
e. Children
must be dismissed
from ECD services the school year they
reach age six and placed in appropriate categorical services or dismissed
from special education.
B. Developmentally Delayed Reevaluations
1. Students are only eligible to receive DD services until their 10
th
birthday.
2. The reevalation must be conducted prior to the student reaching age 10.
21
The school psychologist shall coordinate with the IEP team to ensure that the
IEP does not expire during or prior to the completion of the reevaluation.
3. DD students must be reevaluated to determine their eligibility for
categorical placement and services. (Refer to Reevaluation section of
handbook for procedure on reevaluations.)
4. Existing evaluation data should be considered and reviewed, but current
evaluations should be conducted with these students in the areas necessary to
determine their eligibility.
5. Children
must be dismissed
from DD services prior to their 10
th
birthday
and placed in appropriate categorical services or dismissed from special
education.
You may not continue DD services through the end of the
school year in which the student reaches 10 years of age.
XIII.
INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
The IEP is the responsibility of the special education staff who are anticipated to
be the service providers. The school psychologist as case manager plays an
important part in ensuring the completeness and accuracy of dates, evaluation
information, and other essential components of initial IEPs and IEPs that involve
reevaluations or move-in students. At the staffing involving the initiation of
services and placement, the school psychologist is expected to complete and
obtain parental signatures on the
PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE FOR
IDENTIFICATION, SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES,
EDUCATIONAL PLACEMENT, CHANGE IN SERVICES, CHANGE IN
PLACEMENT AND REQUEST FOR CONSENT form
and to provide the
parents with a copy as well as an explanation of their
PARENTAL RIGHTS IN
SPECIAL EDUCATION form
. Additionally, the school psychologist is
responsible for collecting all relevant documentation concerning an eligibility
staffing, organizing it according to the appropriate checklist, and transmitting the
information to the Special Education Office within 10 working days of the
staffing.
’ IP
ngs is required.
Additionally, the school psychologist shall attend all IEP meetings that involve
the review of reevaluation information or other special circumstances. Proper
written notification to parents and staff of IEP meetings following an initial
evaluation or a reevaluation is the responsibility of the school psychologist. The
NOTICE OF MEETING TO REVIEW EVALUATION RESULTS &
DEVELOP AN IEP
form is sufficient to document reasonable notification to the
parents when the parents attend and participate in the IEP meeting. However,
when parents do not attend the IEP meeting, additional documentation should be
recorded on the
PARENT CONTACT LOG
regarding attempts to involve the
parents, including phone calls, letters, and similar documentation. Similar to
22
obtaining parental consent for reevaluations, these attempts must include at least
three attempts through two methods.
XIV. PARENTAL RIGHTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
Parents of special education students and of students being considered for special
education eligibility are entitled to a copy and clear explanation of their rights in
special education.
PARENTAL RIGHTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
must
be provided to parents in the following situations:
?
Notification and Request for Consent for Initial Evaluation
?
Notification and Request for Consent for Reevaluations
?
Notification of Identification, Special Education & Related Services,
Educational Placement, Changes in Services, Changes in Placement and
Request for Consent
?
Formal Complaint / Request for a Due Process Hearing
?
Parent Request for a copy of the Parental Rights
XV. MOVE-IN STUDENTS FROM KANSAS
A. The school psychologist is responsible for obtaining all educationally relevant
information on students who move into the district who have been previously
placed in special education. Additionally, parental consent must be obtained
to the level of services proposed through an IEP in our district.
B. At enrollment, the school psychologist shall:
1. Check the current address of the student to determine if they reside
within our district boundaries.
2. Complete a move-in report.
3. Call back to t
’
obtain evaluation and
educational information that may be used to write an IEP. This information
should be documented on the move-in report.
4. Submit move-in report to Special Education Office as soon as possible
C. It is illegal to withhold records from a district where the student is currently
enrolled for any reason. If records cannot be obtained from the previous
district, the school psychologist may contact an administrator in the Special
education Office for assistance with this matter. However, special education
services may not be provided to students without the appropriate
documentation. This documentation should include evaluation records (psych.
23
Reports, SLP reports, etc.), IEPs, and other relevant information necessary to
make educational decisions regarding the student. If these records cannot be
obtained, an evaluation must be conducted to generate the necessary
information prior to providing special education services.
D. An IEP meeting must be held on all move-in special education students. An
IEP from another district in Kansas may be utilized for the interim provision
of services. However, a staffing to develop a new IEP and obtain consent for
the provision of services in our district should be held within 30 days of the
’ ,
shall
submit the move-in checklist to the Special Education Office with all of the
documentation obtained from the previous district and the appropriate
documentation from the staffing. The staffing should be held to address the
following:
1. Determine if special education placement is appropriate.
2. Transmit necessary information to all staff involved.
3. Develop an IEP for implementation in our district.
4. Obtain informed parental consent for the placement and provision of
services in our district utilizing the
PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE FOR
IDENTIFICATION, SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED
SERVCIES, EDUCATIONAL PLACEMENT, CHANGE IN
SERVICES, CHANGE IN PLACEMENT, AND REQUEST FOR
CONSENT form .
5. Provide the parents with a copy of their
PARENTAL RIGHTS IN
SPECIAL EDUCATION form.
XVI. MOVE-IN STUDENTS FROM OUT OF STATE
A. For a move-in student who had been receiving services in another state, a
staffing should be held as soon as possible. The staffing shall be held to
address the following:
1. Determine if the special education identification and placement is
appropriate.
2. Consider if sufficient evaluation information is available to determine the
’
for special education services under Kansas guidelines.
a. If adequate information is available, document eligibility and, if
appropriate, develop a new IEP for implementation in our district.
24
b. If adequate information is not available, a reevaluation shall be
conducted to determine eligibility under Kansas guidelines.
c. Students should receive special education services while this
reevaluation is conducted.
3. If the team determines it is necessary to conduct a reevaluation,
the school psychologist is responsible for the completion of any necessary
paperwork and obtaining proper consent associated with the reevaluation.
The reevaluation shall begin with a review of existing information and a
determination of what additional data are needed to determine eligibility,
need, present levels of educational performance, and additions/changes to
the special education and related services. The
REEVALUATION TEAM
REPORT
must be completed.
B. If a new IEP is written, it shall be developed with the participation of the
parents and a new
PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE FOR IDENTIFICATION,
SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES, EDUCATIONAL
PLACEMENT, CHANGE IN SERVICES, CHANGE IN PLACEMENT
AND REQUEST FOR CONSENT
form shall be completed and signed by
parents. The school psychologist is responsible for the completion of this
form and for obtaining the parental signatures as well as for ensuring that the
parents receive a copy and clear explanation of their
PARENTAL RIGHTS
IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
.
C. Some students may enter the district with the Special Education (SE) non-
categorical. When conducting the move-in staffing, these students should
be identified utilizing the appropriate categorical identification whenever
possible. If it is not possible to identify the appropriate categorical
identification, a student may be continued under the SE identification until a
reevaluation can be completed. The following is a listing of the categorical
identifications available for use with students in Kansas:
?
Autism
?
Deafness
?
Deaf-Blindness
?
Developmentally Delayed
?
Early Childhood Disability
?
Emotional Disturbance
?
Giftedness
?
Hearing Impairment
?
Specific Learning Disability
?
Mental Retardation
?
Other Health Impairment
?
Orthopedic Impairment
25
?
Speech/Language Impairments
?
Multiple Disabilities
?
Traumatic Brain Injury
?
Visual Impairment
XVII. SCREENING
Local education agencies are responsible for providing systematic and ongoing
screening procedures for students. The school psychologist may be requested to
consult with or assist directly in the screening process. Screening is the first step in
the identification of exceptional children but is not a special education action and
does not require consent. Preschool screening of children is also required. School
psychologists assigned to the Early Childhood Center may be requested to assist
directly or indirectly with preschool screening clinics.
XVIII. EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR
In order to qualify for extended school year services, a significant loss of
previously acquired skills or behaviors
must be documented
which cannot be
recouped within the first 45 school days of the next school year. Particular
consideration should be given to students needing self-help skills or continued
structure to develop behavior control. Students who are removed from general
education for more than 60 percent of the school day are more likely to qualify for
extended school year services. The IEP team must meet and determine if the
special education student requires extended school year services. The district is
not required to provide extended school year services merely because the
student might benefit from such a program. Instead, the IEP team must determine
if the regression anticipated will significantly affect the maintenance of skills or
behavior or the provision of an appropriate education.
XIX. STATE/LOCAL ASSESSMENTS
It is the responsibility of the IEP team to determine the manner in which each
student with a disability will participate in State and Local Assessments. The
following is an outline of the options for the participation of students with
disabilities in State and Local Assessments along with the eligibility criteria for
each:
General Assessment:
26
The student participates without accommodations or modifications in the
General Assessment for:
?
Reading
?
Mathematics
?
Writing
?
Science
?
Social Studies
Assessment with Accommodations:
?
The student has an active IEP or 504 Plan
?
All of the accommodations the IEP team has determined this student requires to
take the General Assessment with Accommodations are indicated in the IEP
?
These accommodations are used for classroom instruction and classroom testing
?
These accommodations provide equity rather than advantage and do not make
the student appear as if they possess a skill or ability they do not actually possess
Assessment with Modifications:
?
The student has an active IEP or 504 Plan
?
The IEP team determines that the student is unable to take the General
Assessment
?
The student does not meet the eligibility criteria for the Alternate Assessment
?
There is a preponderance of data indicating the student performs at or below the
2.5 percentile rank as measured by a nationally/locally normed grade level
measure of achievement in the academic area under consideration
Alternate Assessment:
?
The student has an active IEP
?
The student demonstrates cognitive abilities and adaptive behaviors that require
substantial adjustment to the general curriculum
?
’
ives and expected outcomes focus on functional
applications as indicated in the benchmarks, indicators, and examples in the
extended standards
?
The student primarily requires direct and extensive instruction to acquire,
maintain, generalize, and transfer the skills performed in the naturally occurring
’
XX.
HOMEBOUND SERVICES
If the need arises for homebound services for a special education child, the
general procedures are as follows:
27
1. The school psychologist shall contact the Special Education Office as soon
as possible.
2. A letter and release form should be sent for the parent to sign and return so
’
3. The school psychologist shall contact the home school principal and
inform him/her that a child is in need of homebound services so that a
teacher may be located to provide the homebound services. (If possible,
the teacher should be a special education teacher certified at the same
grade level as the child needing the homebound services).
4. The school psychologist shall set up a staffing so that the amount of time
for homebound services can be determined, and an IEP and
PRIOR
WRITTEN NOTICE FOR IDENTIFICATION, SPECIAL
EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVIES, EDUCATIONL
PLACEMENT, CHANGE IN SERVICES, CHANGE IN
PLACEMENT AND REQUEST FOR CONSENT form
can be
completed and signed by the parents.
5. When the child is no longer in need of homebound services, the school
psychologist shall set up a staffing so that the IEP can be revised and a
signed
PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE FOR IDENTIFICATION,
SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES,
EDUCATIONAL PLACEMENT, CHANGE IN SERVICES,
CHANGE IN PLACEMENT AND REQUEST FOR CONSENT form
can be obtained.
XXI.
DISCIPLINE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS
Identified students with disabilities (not gifted) have additional rights concerning
suspension and expulsion procedures. Students with disabilities may be subject to
short-term suspensions which do not exceed 10 consecutive school days, or for an
extended-term suspension not exceeding 90 school days. Multiple short-term
suspensions may be imposed within a given school year. Additionally, under
certain circumstances, an expulsion may be imposed for a term not exceeding 186
days. However, a series of short-term suspensions must not constitute a pattern
because of factors such as the length of each suspension, the duration of each
suspension, or the proximity of the suspensions to one another. Such a series of
short-term suspensions, constituting a pattern, would be considered an extended-
term suspension and require the appropriate procedures to be followed.
Additionally, if a disciplinary action is proposed, which leads to the student being
suspended for more than 10 cumulative days in a school year, the IEP team must
meet to conduct a functional behavioral analysis and develop a behavior
28
intervention plan to address the problem behaviors. If a behavior intervention
plan has already been developed, the plan shall be reviewed by the IEP team and
modified as necessary to address the behavior. The IEP team must meet within
10 business days of the child first being removed for more than 10 cumulative
school days to conduct this analysis and develop the behavior intervention plan.
The school personnel must determine what special education services are
necessary, when a short term suspensions exceeds 10 cumulative days, to enable
the student to appropriately progress in the general curriculum areas specified in
the IEP and appropriately advance toward achieving the annual goals in the IEP.
The school personnel in this case refers to the regular education administrator, the
director of special education (or designee), and the special education teacher of
the student. IEP meetings relating to disciplinary actions shall be convened as
expeditiously as possible. Although attempts should be made to meet with the
parent(s) at a mutually convenient time, only 24-hour notification is required.
Additionally, the notification does not have to be provided in written form.
All students have a right to a formal discipline hearing when an extended-term
suspension or expulsion is proposed. If a suspension is greater than 10
consecutive school days or a series of short-term suspensions that constitute a
pattern is proposed, the IEP team must conduct the functional behavioral analysis
and develop a behavioral intervention plan as stated above. If a behavior
intervention plan has already been developed, the IEP team must meet to review
and revise this plan as necessary to address the behavior. This meeting must be
held within 10 business days of the child first being removed. Additionally, the
IEP team must make a manifestation determination to determine if the specific
’
. Extended-term suspensions and
expulsions may not be imposed if the behavior subject to disciplinary action is a
’ IIP
behavior was not a manifestation, that information is submitted
’
’
s formal hearing. If the suspension is
imposed, the IEP team must determine what special education services are
necessary to enable the student to appropriately progress in the general curriculum
and appropriately advance toward achieving the goals in their IEP. The IEP team
must address the following in making a manifestation determination:
1.
I
, ’
IEP and placement appropriate and were appropriate special education
services, supplementary aids and services, and behavior intervention strategies
’ IP
placement?
2.
’
erstand the
impact and consequences of the behavior subject to disciplinary action?
3.
’
behavior subject to disciplinary action?
29
A student with a disability (not gifted) may be placed in an interim alternative
’
drug for up to 45 school days. Additionally a due process hearing officer may
place a student with a disability who is likely to cause injury to themselves or
others in an alternative educational setting (which is proposed by school
personnel) for up to 45 school days without parental consent. The alternative
educational setting proposed to a hearing officer must be appropriate, including
the special education and related services to be provided to the student as well as
services/modifications to address the behavior and prevent its reoccurrence.
Students found to be eligible under 504 are entitled to the same rights concerning
disciplinary actions as identified special education students. Additionally, some
regular education students may invoke the same protections regarding disciplinary
actions as special education students. The school psychologist shall consult with
building administration and district special education administration, when
necessary, on disciplinary issues to ensure proper procedures are followed in their
assigned buildings.
XXII. GRADUATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS
The IEP team shall review the special education
’
determination if graduation requirements have been met. Graduation is
considered a change in placement; therefore, a
PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE
FOR IDENTIFICATION, SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED
SERVICES, EDUCATIONAL PLACEMENT, CHANGE IN SERVICES,
CHANGE IN PLACEMENT AND REQUEST FOR CONSENT
form that
terminates special education services at the completion of the final semester, shall
be completed by the school psychologist and sent to the parents, or student if legal
age. This form must be sent prior to
’
last semester of
classes.
’
records and replaced with the signed copy when it is returned by the parents.
XXIII. WORKING FILES OF STUDENTS
DISMISSED/TRANSFERRED/MOVED
Working files of students that have been dismissed from special education are to
be maintained by the assigned school psychologist in their files until the student
graduates from high school. As the student changes assigned buildings, the files
should be transferred to the appropriate school psychology office. After
graduation the file should be sent to the special education office where it will be
maintained for an additional five years.
30
If a student moves to another district, the file is to be maintained by the school
psychologist for two academic years. After two years the file should be sent to the
special education office for long term storage.
XXIV. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST REPORT
’
port is part of the written results of the student’
evaluation/reevaluation. A child who is assessed deserves to have an unbiased
’
The report may include information gained through norm-referenced tests,
interviews, observation, informal assessments, or other methods. The way a
report is organized depends on personal preference, which may be governed
partly by the anticipated audience of the report. The report requires the school
psychologist to convey, to his/her readers, a body of information or content that
will contribute to the decision making process. This information should be
’
be submitted to the special education teacher and other anticipated service
providers, as appropriate, at least five days prior to the staffing date. The
following is offered as basic areas to be considered in all reports:
The report should identify the evaluation as being conducted by Haysville, USD
261 and contain basic information as:
?
Name of Student
?
School
?
’P
?
Who Referred the Student
?
Reason for Referral
?
’
?
’
?
Date of Evaluation(s)
?
Date of the Evaluation(s)
?
Date of the Report
?
Summary of GEI strategies and the Effectiveness of these Strategies
?
Testing Observations
?
Interpretation of Evaluation Results
?
The Impact of Behavioral Factors
?
Recommendations
The report is to contain information from all assessments conducted by the school
psychologist including formal testing, questionnaires, rating scales, interviews,
and teacher reports. Test results from achievement testing conducted by the
special education teacher should be included in the report unless the teacher
prefers to write a report independently. Previous testing and test information
from other sources should be included when available, particularly for
reevaluations on which new formal testing was not conducted by the school
31
psychologist. For reevaluations, the school psychologist report should summarize
assessment data from previous evaluations and integrate new data from formal
testing and informal assessments such as questionnaires, interviews, observations,
and teacher reports. Additionally, the report should include any team or
’ ,
special education services, and additions or modifications to special education
services necessary to enable the student to meet the measurable annual goals in
the IEP and participate appropriately in general education. However,
recommendations should not be included which preclude multidisciplinary team
decisions.
The setting in which the evaluation took place, as well as the behaviors observed,
are to be described in the report and a determination should be should be made
regarding the validity of the test scores obtained. Additionally, if the assessments
were not conducted under standard conditions, any modification to conditions,
which were deemed necessary, must be summarized in the report. The
assessment findings may include the following:
?
IQ scores and classifications
?
Percentile ranks of test scores
?
’
and significant differences between the subtest scores and total test score
?
Comparison of verbal and nonverbal skills
?
Academic skill levels
?
Social and emotional interpretations
?
Signs suggestive of exceptionality
?
Interrelationships among test findings
?
Implications of assessment findings
?
Validity of test results
?
Recommendations