Special Education
The Fairport Harbor Exempted Village Schools believes that every child can learn within the parameters of their unique abilities. We strive to provide every child with a personalized educational experience that will help them to reach their fullest potential! Below are several resources and links that provide information regarding special education services. Please contact the Board Office at 440-354-5400 ext 102 for more information.
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Understanding the Special Education Process
Navigating the world of Special Education can be difficult but we are here to help! We believe that parents are partners in their child's education. We hope that you will find the resources outlined in this section useful. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you!
Children may be diagnosed with a disability by a medical provider or by the school district. Being diagnosed with a disability is not a guarantee of services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Having a disability is the first question when determining if a student qualifies. The evaluation team must also answer two additional questions:
- Does the disability impact the child’s educational progress?
- Does the child need specially designed instruction? (which is the IDEA definition of special education)
If someone thinks that your child has a disability AND needs special education or related services in order to make progress in the general education curriculum, the request for an evaluation will begin that process.
Resources (Parent Center Hub, Understanding IDEA)
STEP 1 Request for an Evaluation
A student is referred for a Multi Factored Evaluation (MFE) to determine if there is a need for special education services because he/she is a. not developing at the same rate of sequence as other children or b. experiencing unusual or prolonged difficulties in the general education curriculum and instruction; varied interventions have been tried and documented.
STEP 2 Notice of Rights
You will be provided with a copy of the Parent Rights in Education document which explains you and your child's rights under IDEA.
**IF the team determines that, based on the evidence, there IS reason to suspect a disability then they will proceed to STEP 3. **
STEP 3 Evaluation
The student is evaluated using a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant functional, academic, and developmental information, including information provided by the parent, that may assist in determining: whether the child meets the federal definition of a “child with a disability” and the content of the child’s future IEP, including information related to enabling the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum or, for preschool children, to participate in appropriate activities; This may include: a review of existing evaluation data; evaluations and information provided by the parents; current classroom-based assessments and observations; and observations by teachers and related service providers. The child is assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability, these may include: health, vision, and hearing, & motor abilities language dominance and communicative status sociological and emotional status academic performance general intelligence. The results of these assessments are compiled into a report called the ETR or Evaluation Team Report.
STEP 4 Eligibility Determination
If the team determines that the student qualifies as a student with a disability under IDEA, arrangements are made for an IEP meeting.
STEP 5 IEP meeting
If your child is determined to need an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) a meeting will be scheduled to discuss goals and objectives. To learn more about what happens at an IEP meeting please CLICK HERE.
Understanding Response to Intervention (RtI)
Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs. The RTI process begins with high-quality instruction and universal screening of all children in the general education classroom.
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High-quality, scientifically based classroom instruction. All students receive high-quality, research-based instruction in the general education classroom.
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Ongoing student assessment. Universal screening and progress monitoring provide information about a student’s learning rate and level of achievement, both individually and in comparison with the peer group. These data are then used when determining which students need closer monitoring or intervention. Throughout the RTI process, student progress is monitored frequently to examine student achievement and gauge the effectiveness of the curriculum. Decisions made regarding students’ instructional needs are based on multiple data points taken in context over time.
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Tiered instruction. A multi-tier approach is used to efficiently differentiate instruction for all students. The model incorporates increasing intensities of instruction offering specific, research-based interventions matched to student needs.
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Parent involvement. Schools implementing RTI provide parents information about their child’s progress, the instruction and interventions used, the staff who are delivering the instruction, and the academic or behavioral goals for their child.
Special Education Resources
CLICK HERE FOR THE PARENT GUIDE TO SPECIAL EDUCATION
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide parents/guardians of students who are eligible or referred for special education with a full explanation of their rights. School districts must provide a copy of the Procedural Safe Guards (Whose Idea Is This? document) at least once each school year, or when the parent/guardian or others, including the district, request that a student be evaluated to determine eligibility for special education services; the first time you file a citizen complaint in a school year; the first time you request a due process hearing in a school year; when a decision is made to remove a student for more than 10 school days in a year as part of disciplinary action and that removal constitutes a change of placement; or upon request.
Special Education School Choice Options
The Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program provides scholarships to students who are eligible to attend kindergarten through 12th grade and have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) from their district of residence. The amount of each scholarship will be based on the disability identified on the student’s IEP and will not exceed $20,000.
There are two application periods annually. The first application period begins in February and ends on April 15th. Scholarships awarded to this group of applicants will be for the full school year. The second application period begins in October and ends on November 15th. Scholarships awarded during this second application period will be awarded for half of the school year (January 1 through June 30). To apply for a Peterson Scholarship, parents of eligible students must first register with a participating Peterson Scholarship Provider. The provider will have the required application forms and will assist the parent in the scholarship application process.
The Autism Scholarship Program (ASP) gives the parents of children with autism who qualify for a scholarship the choice to send the child to a special education program other than the one operated by the school district of residence to receive their education and the services outlined in the child's individualized education program (IEP).
Any student who has been identified by their district as a child with autism and for whom the district has created an individualized education plan (IEP) qualifies for the Autism Scholarship program.
The student must have a current IEP from the district of residence that is finalized and all parties, including the parent, must be in agreement with the IEP.
A child is eligible to apply to participate in the program when the child turns three.
IEP Eye Exam
Eye Exam requirements for IEP "Learning Through Vision"
S.B.316 requires students to undergo a comprehensive eye examination either prior to, or shortly after, implementation of an initial IEP. Within three months after a student identified with disabilities begins receiving services for the first time under an Individualized education program, the school district in which that student is enrolled shall require the student to undergo a comprehensive eye examination performed either by an optometrist licensed under Chapter 4725. of the Revised Code or by a physician authorized under Chapter 4731 of the Revised Code to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery who is comprehensively trained and educated in the treatment of the human eye, eye disease, or comprehensive vision services, unless the student underwent such an examination within the nine-month period immediately prior to being identified with disabilities.