The Northwest Regional Education Service District (NWRESD) provides services to children with disabilities prior to Kindergarten. The NWRESD completes an evaluation, if appropriate, to determine eligibility for special education services when:
The NWRESD team determines eligibility for services. If a child is found eligible for special education services, an individual Family Service Plan IFSP is developed and implemented. Assessments for eligibility are also completed when a child, age birth to age five, moves into the district with eligibility from another district or state.
The term Early Intervention (EI) applies to children 0-3 years old. Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) applies to children ages 3-5 years.
Annually, case managers will have responsibilities to evaluate and establish school aged eligibility for Special Education services for students who will turn five before September 1st of the next school year. Law requires that all eligible ESCE students have an active school age eligibility and initial IEP in place prior to the start of the school year.
IEP Process for ECSE Students
Early in the present school year the EI/ESCE Coordinator contacts the district for potential students transitioning to school aged services.
The Student Services office will notify elementary case managers of students who will potentially be transitioning into the Scappoose School District.
Case manager will request permission (Consent to Evaluate) from parents to make an on-site observation of student in their ECSE placement.
Case manager will attend student’s IFSP meeting during the year prior to transitioning to Scappoose School District.
Case manager will determine whether there is sufficient data to establish a school aged eligibility. If not, permission to complete appropriate assessments will be obtained.
Case manager will schedule an IEP/Eligibility Team meeting as early in the school year as possible. A regular education teacher must attend this meeting. ECSE teachers should be invited.
Child Find Obligation
Child Find is the obligation of every school district to identify, locate and evaluate all children between the ages of birth to 21 who may need special education and related services. This includes children with disabilities attending private schools.
Anyone may request that a child be considered for special education. As a special education provider, you may notice a family that has a younger child who may need evaluation. Please encourage families to contact the NWRESD for evaluation of their child.
Additionally, the expanded child-find requirements enacted in 1999 also apply to "highly mobile" children with disabilities, such as migrant and homeless children.