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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is special education?
Every
operating school district is required to have special education services for
students who are identified as having some form of a disability that
significantly interferes with their ability to learn or function in school.
The role of the special education department is to provide services and/or
supports that assist the student with learning and school functioning.
Bob DiDonato is responsible for administration of the special education
department (628-3510; didonato@upperschools.org).
2. What makes a child eligible for special education?
The
State of New
Jersey has developed specific classification categories (i.e.
learning disabled, autistic, auditorily impaired, etc.) to address the various
disabilities that exist among students. Students need to meet certain criteria
within a classification category in order to be found eligible for special
education services.
3. Who determines whether a student is eligible?
The
school district must complete a comprehensive evaluation of a student to
determine whether they are eligible for special education services. Once all
components of an evaluation are complete, a determination of eligibility is
made by the evaluating team.
4. Who requests that an evaluation be completed?
School
personnel, parents, or outside agencies can request that an evaluation be
completed. The first meeting to be held in the process is a discussion of
whether an evaluation is warranted. This is done at an Evaluation Plan
meeting. There is a discussion of the student's potential handicapping
condition, and whether it is significant enough to warrant an evaluation. A
decision is made at this meeting on whether to evaluate or not. Parent input
is very important in this meeting. Parents are asked to provide information
about developmental and educational issues that may be affecting student
performance.
5. If an evaluation is determined to be warranted, who completes the
evaluation?
The
school district's Child Study Team (CST) completes the evaluation. The CST is
generally composed of a school psychologist, learning disabilities
teacher/consultant and social worker. A school district speech and language
therapist or occupational therapist may also be involved in the evaluation
depending on a student's presenting problem. There are times when the district
uses outside consultants (i.e. psychiatrist) when a certain type of assessment
is needed.
6. What types of tests are used during the Child Study Team evaluation?
The
Child Study Team will determine which tests to use for each student depending
on the area of concern. This is discussed at the Evaluation Plan meeting. For
students with possible learning disabilities, the evaluation typically
includes achievement (academic) and ability (intelligence) testing. For all
students involved in the evaluation process, the district is required to
observe students in learning situations, review the student's educational
history, review prior interventions used by teachers, conduct an interview
with the teachers involved, and interview the student's parents to gain
information about developmental issues. It is important to know that the
components of an evaluation depend on the child's presenting problems.
Evaluations are personalized to the student to the greatest extent possible.
7. Can a parent request that an independent evaluation be completed?
The
school district has the responsibility to complete an evaluation. If a parent
would like an independent evaluation after the initial Child Study Team
evaluation is completed, they can make such a request.
8. If a student is found to be eligible for special education, what happens
next?
When
a child is determined to be eligible for special education, an Individual
Education Program (IEP) is developed. This document includes all the
information about a student that will guide future instructional programming.
It contains components that insure that a student's school related weaknesses
are addressed. This document is reviewed with parents at meetings scheduled by
the Child Study Team. Parents have an opportunity to participate in the
development of the document. The IEP is used by teachers and other school
personnel throughout the school year to guide the instructional program. A
Child Study Team case manager monitors the delivery of the IEP to insure that
services are delivered appropriately.
9. What is a Child Study Team case manager?
A
Child Study Team member (School Psychologist, Learning Consultant or Social
Worker) is assigned to monitor the delivery of the IEP. Parents are informed
of their child's case manager at the start of the school year. The case
manager can be contacted by parents to answer questions, address concerns,
discuss student progress, etc.
10. Who should a parent contact if there are questions about a child's
learning or school functioning?
Parents
are encouraged to speak directly with teachers when there is a question or
concern about learning or school functioning. Teachers can often provide the
best information about student functioning. If there are issues that cannot be
addressed by the teacher, the Child Study Team case manager can be contacted
for assistance.
11. If a parent is concerned about their child's progress, what alternatives
do they have other than special education?
Federal
and state law clearly state that regular education must intervene to address
student weaknesses prior to consideration for special education, and that
their interventions be objective and comprehensive. Each school within UpperTownship
has a special committee designed to develop appropriate interventions for
students who are at-risk while they are in regular education. The school
district has personnel who are specifically designated to provide academic
remediation for students who are having academic difficulties. There is also a
guidance counselor in each building to help with emotional and/or behavioral
issues that may arise. These personnel often work cooperatively with regular
education teachers to address a student's specific area of weakness. Progress
is monitored closely to determine if interventions are working. If there is no
significant change as a result of these interventions, a referral to the Child
Study Team becomes appropriate.
12. When is it determined that a student has a learning disability?
A
learning disability is present when a student demonstrates a significant
difference between ability (intelligence) and achievement in a major academic
area (reading, written language and/or math). A Child Study Team evaluation
includes testing that helps to determine whether a significant difference is
present. As part of the testing process, the Child Study Team also looks at
how a student has responded to the special interventions that have been used
by regular education teachers.
13. What is a reading disability?
Some
students have difficulty mastering the skills involved in reading. Reading,
while easy for some, is actually a very complex task that requires the
efficient coordination of many parts of the brain. It requires that students
learn the sounds that letters make (phonemic awareness), associate sounds with
specific letters (phonics), efficiently combine sounds to make and recognize
words (fluency), know the words that they are reading (vocabulary), and
understand the words that they have read (comprehension). For students with
reading difficulties, the process can break down at one, some or all phases of
the reading process. Teachers can provide parents with information regarding
where the break down points may be for their child.
14. What is a writing disability?
Writing
is also a very complex undertaking for many students. For those students who
write effectively, they are able to develop and organize ideas in their mind,
and then remember all the rules that go along with the English language when
they actually put the pencil to paper. As with reading, students can
experience difficulty at one or more phases of the writing process. Teachers
design writing instruction so that students are trained in how to deal with
all the skills required to be proficient writers. Teachers can provide
information to parents on those skill areas that may be making writing
difficult for a student.
15. Does a special education student have to participate in State of New
Jersey testing in grades 3-8?
The
State of New
Jersey allows 1% of a school district's students to be exempted
from participating in state testing. These students are evaluated using an
Alternate Proficiency Assessment (APA) that is based on a student's IEP goals
and objectives. The APA is generally used with students who demonstrate
significant developmental delays. All other students, whether regular or
special education, are required to participate in state testing. For special
education students, specific accommodations are available to them. The
accommodations that are used are determined by the IEP team when an IEP is
developed.
16. What type of skills are addressed in the State of New
Jersey annual testing?
State
testing, often referred to as NJASK testing, is based on the Core Curriculum
Standards that have been developed and approved by the New Jersey Board of
Education. There are standards for all curricular areas. UpperTownship,
like other school districts, base their instruction at all grade levels on
these standards so that students are prepared for state testing. The school
district also utilizes instructional activities that help to prepare students
for test day.
17. What areas are included in state testing?
Testing
in grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 focuses on math and language arts. Testing in grades
4 and 8 includes math, language arts and science. The math test assesses:
number and numerical operations; geometry and measurement; patterns and
algebra; data analysis, probability and discrete mathematics; and problem
solving. The language arts test assesses reading and writing. The science test
for grades 4 and 8 assesses knowledge in: life science; physical science;
earth science; and application.
18. Is there anything that a parent can do to help a child prepare for state
testing?
State
testing assesses skills that are addressed in your child's everyday instuction
in school. A parent can help their child by encouraging them to be dedicated
to their school work at all times. A parent can also encourage their child to
complete all homework that is assigned. Well developed reading skills are
essential for students to perform well on state testing. Parents can help
their child by encouraging reading outside of school.
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