Everything You Wanted To Know

About Special Education…

But Didn’t Know Who To Ask!

Often times, when students enroll in our school, they’ve received special education services in their previous public school. When this is the case, parents indicate this on the enrollment application, and it is forwarded to our special education office. Before the student is accepted in our charter school or assigned to an ES, the parent is required to send us a copy of their student’s most recent Individualized Education Program (IEP). Since the IEP is a legally binding document that must be immediately implemented when the student begins attending our school, we must have a copy in our possession before a student agreement is signed. DO NOT complete contracts (enrollment paperwork) for a student with special education needs unless the youngster has been cleared through our special education office. If you have questions or are in doubt, please call us first before enrolling the child! Our phone number is 619-562-7328.

Once you have enrolled a special education student, contact our Special Education office either by telephone or by e-mail (jbrogan@ieminc.org and cc mtaylor@ieminc.org) or (mday@ieminc.org) to let us know that the contract has been signed. This is critical since we are on a timeline to hold an IEP meeting within 30 calendar days to officially review the previous special education plan, and rewrite an IEP using mandated countywide forms.

In other situations, a student may have prior special education experience but the ES is concerned about their academic, social, or emotional progress and feels a referral for possible assessment and support from special education is warranted. Before such a referral can be initiated, state and federal guidelines require the services and supports of general education to be exhausted. As the instructional leader in coordinating your assigned students’ educational programs, it is imperative you work with your families to maximize their home-schooling experiences. Here are a few things to consider before a referral to SST:

What is the learning environment at home? Do parents have specific hours they work with the student each day? Is there a quiet place for the student to study? Do the student’s Learning Records reflect sufficient work completion and academic time being spent to accomplish the tasks?

Does the curriculum match the student’s needs? Many times when a student is not succeeding, the curriculum is not at the appropriate instructional level. Do assignments match their ability level? Do the parents have realistic academic expectations? Do they understand the scope and sequence of the curriculum, and its relation to the State Standards and grade level expectations?

What is the developmental level of the student? Boy and girls demonstrate up to a 1½- year developmental lag between kindergarten and fourth grades. A third grade student, for example, may be emerging as a reader and appear to their parents as being below grade level. State Standards, however, recognize developmental differences – and give students until the end of third grade to read. When is the child’s birthday? Perhaps they are a younger student, and need more time to mature and “blossom.”

What are the student’s strengths and weaknesses? Locate CAT-6 or other standardized test results. Reviewing these data and the Cluster Analysis portion with parents can provide them a clear road map that outlines specific academic components their child needs to develop and learn.

How are the student’s learning styles met? Many times our parents are home-schooling for the first time, and it can be a daunting experience. Do parents understand their child’s learning strengths and use them to maximize their academic performance?

If you believe you have exhausted all resources at your disposal, and the student still is not progressing, complete a referral for our Student Study Team (SST). A complete explanation of the SST process and a copy of the referral form can be found on the Generic Forms page of our school’s website.

By serving you, we are assuring the success of our families and their students. If questions arise, please contact us at 619-562-7328. My assistant Michelle Day or I will be happy to assist you.

Jill Brogan

Director, Special Education