Child Find Office of Special Education Division of District Support

Child Find is the ongoing obligation to locate, identify, and evaluate all children suspected of disabilities who need special education and related services as a result of those disabilities. State Board Policy Chapter 74, Rule 74.19, § ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/2016 2

All children with disabilities, birth to 21, within the boundaries of the local education agency (LEA) who are suspected of having a disability and may be in need of special education This includes children regardless of/if: Severity of their disability Advancing from grade to grade Not currently enrolled in public school Temporarily placed out-of-state ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/2016 3

Special groups to consider Children who are highly mobile, such as children who are homeless or migrant; Children who are wards of the State; Children not enrolled in school, but who have not yet graduated; Children ages three (3) to five (5) years; Children ages birth to three (3) years, including those who may be receiving early intervention services through Part C; ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/2016 4

Special groups to consider Children who are enrolled in private schools, including religious, elementary schools, and secondary schools; Children who are homeschooled; Children enrolled in other public educational programs; and Children in hospitals or other institutions. ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/2016 5

6 The LEA has a responsibility to conduct Child Find activities to make people/parents aware of their Child Find Project. It is not the parent’s responsibility to request that the LEA identify and evaluate the child. Parent’s failure to request an identification or evaluation does not relieve the LEA of their obligation.

Being unaware of a child’s possible disability and need for SPED services does not relieve the LEA of obligation. The LEA has the responsibility to ensure that timelines are met and evaluations are conducted in a timely manner. ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/2016 7

Monitor First-Steps referrals: Children must be evaluated and have an IEP in place before his/her 3 rd birthday. Districts are responsible for cases that are closed because of lack of participation, but not the cases that are closed because the child “tested out” or “mastered all of the required goals”. ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/2016 8

Requests for a comprehensive evaluation can be made by any person with knowledge of or interest in the child. Collaborate with other agencies to open communication for possible referrals. ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/2016 9

Conduct mass screenings: Community health fairs Head Starts Local preschools Prekindergarten registration Kindergarten registration ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/

Provide training to general education teachers. How do you identify possible referrals? Why should you make referrals? How do you make a referral? Who do I contact to make a referral? Use the data you have available. Early Warning System: Attendance/Behavior/Curriculum Teacher Support Team (TST) data reviews MSIS Intervention screen (Referred by Teacher Support Teams) ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/

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Child Find casts a wide net to identify those children who are potentially in need of special education and related services. Children identified through Child Find are not automatically eligible for: A comprehensive evaluation; or Special education or related services. ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/

Within fourteen (14) calendar days of the request being received: MET must meet to review the request, and MET must make a decision as to whether the child will be referred for an evaluation. Invite people with knowledge about the child to the MET meeting so the decision is meaningful. The parent must be given the opportunity to attend. ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/

Within seven (7) calendar days of the meeting, MET must provide parents a copy of the Procedural Safeguards and a Prior Written Notice that tells the parent: the child is in need of a comprehensive evaluation, providing an explanation of the reason, and the areas that will be assessed. the district refuses to conduct a comprehensive evaluation, providing an explanation of the reason. ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/

1. Prior Written Notice 2. Procedural Safeguards 1. Prior Written Notice 2. Informed Parent Consent 3. Procedural Safeguards 14 Days 7 Days 16 ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/2016 MET Meeting MET Meeting Oral or Written Request for Evaluation Oral or Written Request for Evaluation

The MET has 60 calendar days from the date written parental consent is obtained to conduct a comprehensive evaluation. The evaluation is completed when the report is written. Date of report if a single comprehensive report is used. Date of last report if multiple reports are used. ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/

The MET has 14 calendar days after the complete of the administration of assessment (when the evaluation is written) to meet and determine eligibility. The parent(s) must be provided the evaluation report 7 calendar days before the meeting to determine eligibility unless this right is waived in writing. ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/

If eligible, the team has 30 calendar days from the eligibility determination meeting to write and implement an Individualized Education Program (IEP) providing a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/

Parent Consents to Evaluation 60 Days 20 ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/2016 Evaluation Report Completed 14 Days Eligibility Meeting

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©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/

OSE District Support Staff: Shannon B. Boyce, Child Find Specialist Tanya Bradley, Bureau Director M. April Rice, Office Director MS Dept. of Education Office of Special Education P. O. Box 771 Jackson, MS (601) ©MDE – OSE District Support SPED Directors Meeting 4/11/