Special Services - Process

Special Services Process

What is a referral?

A referral is a signed letter requesting an evaluation that is given to the school district when a child is suspected of having a disability and might need special education services.

Who can make a referral?

      Parents

      School Personnel

      Agencies concerned with the welfare of students

If you believe that your child may have a disability, you may refer your child for an evaluation by submitting a written request to your school district. When writing to the school district about special education issues, you may write to the school principal, director of special education, child study team supervisor, case manager or other appropriate school official.

How to Request an Evaluation

If you are a Glen Rock resident and would like to request that your child be evaluated by the Child Study Team, you may do so by submitting a letter of request to the Office of Special Services via US mail or hand delivery:

Office of Special Services
Attention: Dr. Jennifer MacKay
400 Hamilton Avenue
Glen Rock NJ 07452

Please be sure to include:

      Your child's full name and date of birth

      An explanation of why you would like your child evaluated

      Any example or detail of your concerns that would assist us in composing the
  appropriate evaluation team

      Your contact information including address, phone number, and email

      Submission of letter with original signature


What happens after a referral is made?

Within 20 calendar days (excluding school holidays, but including summer vacation) following receipt of a referral of a student, the Child Study Team shall meet with the parent and the student’s regular education teacher to determine the need for a comprehensive evaluation and to design an Evaluation Plan. If an evaluation is warranted, upon receipt of parental consent, the evaluation will begin. If an evaluation is not warranted the student returns to general education without being evaluated, however, there may be recommendations for interventions in the general education setting made by the child study team.

What is the timeline?

Within ninety days of receipt of parental consent to evaluate and after completing the evaluation, the Child Study Team will hold a conference with the parent(s) and the student’s teacher to share findings. At this meeting it will be determined if eligibility for special education and related services is needed in order for the student to access his or her education. If the student is found ineligible for services after the evaluation the student returns to general education, however, there may be recommendations developed for interventions in the general education setting made by the child study team. If the student is found eligible for special education and related services, then an Individual Education Program (IEP) can be developed with the additional input from a special education teacher.

What are the evaluation components?

A comprehensive Child Study Team evaluation consists of several components, each conducted on an individual basis. A comprehensive evaluation specifically consists of at least two of the following: 

  • Psychological Assessment – the responsibility of a certified School Psychologist. This may include teacher conferences, observation of the student in other than a testing session, and an appraisal of the current cognitive, social, adaptive and emotional status of the student.

  •  Educational Assessment – the responsibility of a certified Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant. This may include observation of the student in other than a testing session, review of the student’s educational history, conferences with the student’s teacher(s), and an evaluation and analysis of the pupils academic performance and learning characteristics.

  • Social Assessment – the responsibility of a certified School Social Worker. This may include observation of the student and communication with the student and parent(s), an evaluation of the student’s adaptive social functioning and emotional development and of the family, social and cultural factors which influence the student’s learning and behavior in the educational setting. 

In addition to evaluations performed by the Child Study Team, determination of certain disabling conditions requires specialist examinations – such as speech, hearing, neurological, psychiatric, medical, etc. These and /or others are to be obtained as warranted.

Additionally, the Team shall consider examination results and findings of specialists which may be submitted by the parent(s) or others.

The Child Study Team shall consider pertinent information from other certified school personnel and from the parents(s) when rendering evaluation and eligibility decisions.

If a student is determined to be eligible for special education and related services, documentation of eligibility shall be prepared and become the basis for the Present Levels of Performance of an Individual Education Program (IEP).

How is eligibility determined?

When the evaluation is completed, eligibility is determined collaboratively at a meeting according to N.J.A.C. 6A:14-2.3(i)1. To be eligible for special education and related services:

      A student must have a disability according to one of the eligibility categories;

      The disability must adversely affect the student’s educational performance; and

      The student must be in need of special education and related services.

The school district must provide a copy of the evaluation report(s) and documentation of eligibility to the parent (or adult student, when applicable) not less than 10 calendar days prior to the eligibility meeting.

What is an Individualized Education Program (IEP)?

If your child is determined to be eligible for special education and related services, a meeting will be held to develop your child’s IEP. The IEP is a written plan that describes in detail your child’s special education program. The IEP will describe how your child currently performs and your child’s specific instructional needs, including annual goals and short term objectives.

How often is the IEP reviewed?

The IEP is reviewed on an annual basis based on when your child is initially found eligible.  However, the IEP team can determine to review the document before that date if the team, including if the parent feels it is appropriate.

Continuum of Services and Programs Offered

The Glen Rock School District provides the full continuum of services to district students, based upon needs identified and agreed upon by the IEP team. The following descriptions are a general guide and informational reference point as to the types of specialized programs currently established in the District. Please note that these descriptions are general in nature, and do not reflect the full scope of program options available.

Collaborative Model/In-Class Resource: The collaborative model, also known as in-class resource, involves adapting and modifying the general education curriculum within the child’s general education classroom. These services are provided by a certified special education teacher and a certified general education teacher.  Both teachers work collaboratively, to ensure that students’ specific needs are met.

Pull Out Resource: The pull out resource program offers a range of instructional services for elementary school-aged children in the areas of reading, writing and math. Instruction and support is based on the child’s IEP goals and objectives and delivered in a small group special education classroom. The general education curriculum is modified and adapted to meet the children’s individual needs and supplemented with additional materials, as needed.

The resource programs in the middle and high school provide replacement instruction in Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science (HS only), Social Studies (HS only) with class sizes no larger than 12 students. Any group exceeding ten students is provided with an aide. Each student’s IEP goals and objectives are given focus within the realm of the general education curriculum.

LLD: The Learning and/or Language Disabilities (LLD) classes are self-contained, small-group for students who require specialized instructional strategies with an emphasis on language-based instruction. Students requiring this degree of support benefit from individualized and small-group instruction, and specialized instructional materials, which are selected to correlate to the continuum of New Jersey Student Learning Standards, and are aligned with the academic performance level of the individual students.

At both the primary (Grades K-2), and upper elementary(Grades 3-5) school levels, a hands-on, multi-sensory approach is utilized in small groups or in a one-to-one setting. Instruction can be provided for all academic subject areas as determined appropriate for each individual student. Additional support is provided by classroom paraprofessionals. Individual consideration is given to each student for maximum participation in the regular education environment as deemed appropriate.

A similar program is offered at the middle school level, to provide an ongoing continuum of services and support. At this level, the students in the LLD class receive instruction in all major academic areas. Students are able to receive the required elements of their academic instruction in an individualized or small group setting, while participating with their peers in general education to the maximum extent possible. The LLD teacher makes modifications and adaptations to the general education curriculum to provide a successful education experience for each pupil.

Autism: A comprehensive program that utilizes the methodology of applied behavior analysis (ABA) along with discrete trial teaching (DTT) and natural environment teaching (NET) techniques to teach children across various domains.  Our staff receive continuous training and supervision.   With our ratio of staff to children, we are able to provide an unique and individualized educational experience for each child

 

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