Definitions

Special Education

"Special Education" means specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities, as defined by the commissioner, including: (a) Instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions and in other settings; and (b) Instruction in physical education. (MSSR 20-A 7001.5)

Individualized Education Plan

The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a written document that describes the educational plan designed to meet your child's individual needs. Every child who receives special education must have an IEP.

Evaluation

An individual evaluation means any procedures, tests, or assessments, including observations, given individually to your child to find out whether he or she has a disability and/or to identify his or her special needs. The term does not include basic tests given to groups of children in a school, grade or class.

Section 504

Section 504 is part of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was enacted by Congress to combat discrimination against individuals with disabilities in services, programs and activities administered by any entity that received federal funds, including public schools.

Adverse Effect

Adverse effect/Adversely affects. The word “adverse” commonly means “harmful, impeding, obstructing, or detrimental.” To “adversely affect” means to have a negative impact that is more than a minor or transient hindrance, evidenced by findings and observations based on data sources and objective assessments with replicable results. An adverse effect on educational performance does not include a developmentally appropriate characteristic of age/grade peers in the general population.