Student Handbook Special Services, IEP, Parents Rights

Special Services

The Faulkton School District offers various special programs for students and teachers. The various programs are described below.

Title One: Services are provided to students that are in need of extra help in the areas of reading and math. Services are provided by a teacher in groups of 1 to 3 students. Referrals for this program are to be made by parent/teacher either to the principal or the Title I teacher.

Computers: They are available for use by all students that have received instructions on the computer by the classroom teacher. Teachers are encouraged to challenge individual students and provide reinforcement for skills taught in the classroom.

Counseling: Services are available for students. Teachers wishing to refer a student for counseling should do so through the counselor.

Library: Services are available for both the students and staff. A variety of books, reference materials, videos, audio-visual equipment, and computer software are available. More information regarding the library services may be obtained from the librarian.

Screening: Screening for possible speech, language or hearing difficulties are conducted during the year for students in grades Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 11th, and new students by the speech/language therapist. Vision and scoliosis are screened by the Community Health Nurse. Preschool screening of children age’s three to five is offered in the spring of each school year.

Speech, Language, and Hearing Therapy: Services are provided for students who are in need of speech, language, or hearing services. Referrals for this program are to be made to the principal or speech/language therapist.

Student IEP Transfer

A child in need of special education or special education and related services assigned to and enrolled in an approved out of district special education residential or tuition day program by an individualized education program (IEP) team has school residence in the school district making the assignment.

The fiscal responsibility of the school district making the assignment continues until the end of the school fiscal year or until the child's parent or guardian enrolls the child in another

school district, the child participates in the new school district's special education program, the new school district conducts a placement committee meeting, a new individualized educational program for the child is adopted, and the child's placement is changed.

Summary of Parents Rights

Special Education: Services are provided for all students that are in need of special or prolonged assistance. Referrals for this program are to be made either to the principal or the special education teacher.

Parents and children are granted a number of rights through rules and regulations applying to special education programs and services. As a parent, you may request more detailed information from your school district.

1. You may review your child's school records and have a copy made of them.

2. You may request an evaluation of your child at any time.

3. An evaluation of your child will not occur without your written consent.

4. You will be informed of the results of evaluations and the recommendations that come from them.

5. Your child will not be placed in any special education programs without your

knowledge.

6. You have the right to refuse both evaluations and special education placements.

Faulkton Area Schools District

Title I Plan

FAULKTON AREA SCHOOLS

TITLE I (section 1118) Parental Involvement

(a) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY POLICY

Adopted August 11, 2003

The Faulkton Area School shall:

I. Establish a Title I Parent Advisory Council which will be appointed when needed

for specific time and purpose to review Local Educational Agency (LEA)

policies, school-parent-student compact, and to formulate suggestions in

decisions relating to the education of students.

A. The Parent Advisory Council membership shall consist of the Federal

Programs Coordinator, Title I teachers, and at least one Title I parent.

B. The purpose of the council shall include:

1. Involve parents in the joint development of the annual Consolidated Plan under section 1112 (Local Educational Agency-LEA), and the process of school review and improvement under section 1116.

2. Provide coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist in planning and implementing effective parental involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance.

3. Coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies with other programs such as Head Start and Preschool.

4. Build the schools’ and parents’ capacity for strong parental involvement.

5. Provide all parents the opportunity to annually conduct an

evaluation/survey of the content and effectiveness of the Parents Involvement Policy in improving the academic quality of the schools served under this part, including identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in activities authorized in this section.

6. Involve parents in the activities of the schools served under this part.

FAULKTON AREA SCHOOLS

TITLE I (section 1118) Parental Involvement

(b) School Parental Involvement

I. Policy Involvement

A. Convene an annual meeting to inform and explain in an understandable and uniform format to parents their school’s participation in the Title I program, and their right to be involved.

B. Offer a flexible number of meetings with funds used to provide transportation, child care, or home visits as they relate to parental involvement. The scheduled agenda should include discussion on planning, review, and program improvement.

C. Provide parents of participating children timely information about programs, a description and explanation of curriculum in use at the school, the forms of assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet.

II. Shared Responsibilities

A. Develop a school-parent-student compact that outlines how students, parents, and the entire school staff share the responsibility for student achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help serve the state’s high standards. This compact will be distributed to parents/teachers at the beginning of each school year, with the appropriate student handbook. Parents are encouraged to discuss the compact with their child.

B. Address the importance of communication between parents and teachers on an on-going basis, such as parent-teacher conferences, frequent reports to parents on their child’s progress, and being involved in their child’s classroom.

III. Building Capacity for Involvement

A. Provide assistance to parents in understanding the state’s academic and content standards and how to monitor a child’s progress with educators to improve achievement.

B. Provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their achievement.

C. Coordinate to the extent feasible and appropriate the integration of parent involvement and activities with programs such as Head Start and Preschool.

D. Ensure that information related to schools and parent programs and

meetings is sent to the parents in a format that is practical and in a language parents can understand.

E. Provide other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request. This may include:

1. Involving parents in the development of training for educators to improve the effectiveness of such training.

2. Provide necessary literacy training from funds under this part.

3. Pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities.

4. Train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents.

5. Arrange school meetings at a variety of times, or conduct in-home conferences between educators and parents.

6. Adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement.

7. Establish a District wide voluntary parent advisory council to provide advice on matters related to parental involvement.

8. Develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses in parental involvement activities.

9. Parents will be scheduled to attend parent-teacher conferences twice yearly. In addition to this they will be welcomed to request a conference whenever they feel a need to talk to a teacher about a specific problem.

10. Parents are welcome to visit classrooms to volunteer in classrooms and to participate in all school activities.

11. The school’s curriculum, proficiency level expectations, and district report card are available for parental viewing in the elementary principal’s office at all times.

12. Parents are notified through the newspaper that they have a right to request information about the professional qualifications of classroom teachers instructing their children.

IV. Accessibility

A. To the extent practicable, provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children.

B. Information shall be distributed to parents in a format to the extent

practicable, in a language parents can understand.

V. Highly Qualified Staff

All students in the Faulkton Area Schools will be taught by “Highly Qualified” Teachers and Principals according to the Federal No Child Left Behind Act. If you have any questions

regarding the qualifications of your child’s classroom teacher or principal and would like verification of their teaching qualification, please contact the elementary principal or the secondary principal. If your child will not be taught by a highly qualified substitute teacher for more than 20 consecutive days, you will be notified in writing of this staffing change. Please contact the Faulkton Area Schools if you have any questions regarding this policy.