September/October 2014

Prerequisite Skills Policies Governing the Services for Students with Disabilities NC IEP Team….  (4) A representative of the LEA who - (i) Is qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities; (ii) Is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum; and (iii) Is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the public agency.

Responsibilities  Remain in the meeting throughout. If the LEA rep must leave the meeting ○ meeting should be adjourned until the LEA rep. returns or another LEA Rep substitutes for the original  Keep participants away from personal statements, outbursts and unproductive behaviors.  Help team to reach consensus

Responsibilities (continued)  If consensus cannot be reached, the LEA Representative must make final decisions on behalf of the school district, or you must reconvene to bring additional personnel or data to the table.  Assure that the IEP team process is followed  Invitation: Parent is given adequate time to attend  Written notice at least 10 days prior to meeting date  Second written notice sent within those 10 days if there is no response  Verbal contact cannot replace written notice.

If parent is in attendance, adequate notice is assumed Parents may attend meeting by phone conference or Skype Documentation must be kept of all attempts to contact the parent prior to meeting without the parent If parents agree to attend the meeting in writing and calls the day of the meeting the meeting may continue, however it is best practice is to reschedule Ensure that the Handbook of Parent Rights is given out and that the Director’s contact information is in the front of the book. o Personnel cannot be discussed or written into the IEP o Methods and programs are not to be written into an IEP Responsibilities (continued)

Maintain confidentiality of the child and that of other children. Assure that all members of the team are present When evaluations are being discussed, personnel who are knowledge in the specialty area must be present to relay results to the parent. If this is not possible, the specialist must present the information to the parent prior to the meeting. Contact information for the specialist must be given at the meeting along with the written report. Required team members: regular education teacher of the child, special ed. teacher of the child and the LEA rep. Parent must be invited (per previous description) Responsibilities (continued)

Parent/ Legal Guardian Parent means-- (1) A biological or adoptive parent of a child; (2) A foster parent, unless State law, regulations, or contractual obligations with a State or local entity prohibit a foster parent from acting as a parent (e.g. therapeutic foster parent); (3) A guardian generally authorized to act as the child’s parent, or authorized to make educational decisions for the child (but not the State if the child is a ward of the State); (4) An individual acting in the place of a biological or adoptive parent (including a grandparent, stepparent, or other relative) with whom the child lives, or an individual who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare; or (5) A surrogate parent who has been appointed in accordance with § or section 639(a)(5) of the Act. (b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, the biological or adoptive parent, when attempting to act as the parent under this part and when more than one party is qualified under paragraph (a) of this section to act as a parent, must be presumed to be the parent for purposes of this section unless the biological or adoptive parent does not have legal authority to make educational decisions for the child. (2) If a judicial decree or order identifies a specific person or persons under paragraphs (a)(1) through (4) of this section to act as the ‘‘parent’’ of a child or to make educational decisions on behalf of a child, then such person or persons shall be determined to be the ‘‘parent’’ for purposes of this section.

Responsibilities (continued) IEP team decisions can not be pre-determined prior to an IEP team meeting, but you can meet with school staff to prepare and discuss data. Allocate your schools resources ○ To allocate the resources of the EC Department for major monetary outlays or moving to the most restrictive environment(s) please contact the EC Department: Specialized personnel Specialized equipment To move to a separate setting

Who should LEA Rep.?  Highly contentious case, attorneys are involved, due process or mediation case has been filed or is likely—EC Director or designee  District resources such as a centralized placement or physical needs assistant are being considered—Program Specialists, Program Services Coordinator, Related Services Coordinator

Who should LEA rep. (continued)  Initial Referral, Initial Placement, Re- evaluation meetings, IEP meetings that are more complex (Key eligibility decisions, extensive student services, challenging parents, etc.) -- Principals and Assistant Principals  Routine IEP Annual Review meetings— Experienced EC Teachers  Ensure that parent receives a handbook of parent rights

Handbook of Parent Rights  Short Activity

Questions