Case Study Committee

The task of the Case Study Committee (CSC) is to determine whether or not a student who is referred for academic concerns meets the Federal/DoDEA definition of "handicapped".

Students may be referred to by teachers or parents who have concerns about the student’s progress. These include referrals for learning impaired or speech/language. It is recommended that the Teacher Team go through the Student Support Team (SST) prior to referral to CSC. The SST can assist teachers with interventions that then may lead to the student’s success without the need for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The SST referral and intervention documentation serves as a vital documentation of the CSC pre-referral process.

When a student is referred through a completed pre-referral packet, the CSC Committee meets to discuss whether the student should go through an extensive battery of tests. If the referral is accepted, a Case Manager is appointed to be certain that all the procedures are followed (i.e., permission to assess is received, testing is completed, meeting for eligibility is scheduled, etc.).

Modifications for the classroom may be involved in the IEP. A student may be pulled out to receive special education services, or may receive all services in the classroom with modification to the curriculum.

1. A CSC will be formed whenever a child is to be identified.

The CSC is comprised of the following members:

♦ Principal or designee

♦ Learning Impaired (LI)/ Emotionally Impaired (EI)/ Speech Teacher

♦ Classroom Teacher

♦ Parent

The CSC’s policies and procedures are governed by DoD Instruction 1342.12, "Provision of

Early Intervention and Special Education Services to Eligible DoD Dependents," the Companion Manual, and DoDEA Special Education Procedural Guide (2500.13-G) . A copy is available in the CSC office.

2. The purpose of Special Education services is to provide opportunities to enable each exceptional student in DoDEA to develop his/her potential to become a functioning member of society.

3. Special Education Services to Eligible DoD Dependents refers to those students with the following disabilities: Autism, Deafness, Deaf-Blindness, Developmental Delay, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Orthopedic Impairment, Other Health Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Speech or Language Impairments, Traumatic Brain Injury, Visual Impairment (including blindness), and Multiple Disabilities, (ages 3-21) and who, because of the nature of those conditions and significant educational impact, requires special education and related services.

4. The vast majority of exceptional students in DoDEA are mildly handicapped. Programs for the mildly handicapped are for students who show a significant lack of development in the behaviors necessary for achievement in the various subjects of the curriculum. Lack of achievement may be due to (a) deficits in information processing, (b) behavior disorders of a temporary nature, which interfere with the thinking processes and/or the acquisition of knowledge. Students previously considered learning disabled or educable mentally handicapped are considered as mildly handicapped. Teachers of the mildly handicapped are also referred to as “learning impaired teachers.”

5. Least Restrictive Environment: Whenever appropriate, exceptional students are educated with students who are not exceptional. Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of exceptional students from the regular educational environment will occur only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aides and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. All students with a mild handicap are expected to be educated in regular programs, modified as needed, and supported by supplementary resources personnel and material as appropriate.

Referral Procedures

The classroom teacher and teams will identify the majority of students with special concerns. However, identification may be initiated by anyone with knowledge of the concern. Concerns may include poor adjustment either academically or behaviorally, and/or inappropriate academic setting. In this initial identification stage, the teacher team and parent confer to discuss possible modifications in the student’s program. SST can assist teachers with interventions that then may lead to the student’s success without the need for an IEP.

While the SST referral and intervention documentation serve as a documentation of the CSC pre-referral process it is not required for a student to go through SST to be considered for CSC.

Further referral may or may not be necessary.

If you feel a student might need extra services, contact the CSC committee.

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