Special Education

Consistentwith public school districts across the nation, Madison School Districtprovides special education services to qualifying students from preschoolthrough Grade 8. Special education services are mandated by the federalgovernment and the services are considered a student's right, not just aprivilege.

Inproviding special education services in public schools, school districts aremindful of federal laws and regulations mandating that districts must:

• Provide a continuum of services for special education students with programs for students ranging from preschool through Grade 8;
• Meet the requirements for delivering services to each individual special education student in the least restrictive environment (LRE);
• Assure that the special education services for each qualifying student follow the individualized educational plan (IEP).

Preschool Screening for Special Needs
Preschoolscreening for special needs students occurs year round through inquiry at the districtlevel. Appointments are confirmed with parents for initial assessment andpossible extensive follow-up evaluation. Students who qualify for specialeducation services can access individualized plans for special educationservices and modifications to the regular curriculum as early as their thirdbirthday.

 
Testing for Special Needs
Evaluationof a student in grades K-8 usually follows a series of various classroominterventions and meetings between parents and staff to determine if theresources available through the general education program can be modified tomeet a student's needs. If the student continues to have significant difficultyin learning despite a teachers efforts in using a variety of methods andmaterials then a full special education assessment may occur.  This can occur only after conference with theschool team and the parents. Parental permission to gather further informationabout the student's strengths and challenges through inquiry and assessmentmust be obtained. Following a full battery of tests, within a maximum of 60days, the school team and parents reconvene in a meeting to review the results.The information is used to assist the school team to determine eligibility and indesigning optimal learning experiences for the student. Before specialeducation services begins for the student, the school team and the parents signoff on an agreed upon individualized educational plan (IEP) for theperiod of one year. Parents are kept abreast of progress quarterly to monitorstudent progress toward meeting the goals of the plan--the IEP.  

 
Special Education Service Delivery Models
Specialeducation services are provided through several different delivery models:

Consultationis a form of special education in which a speech therapist or other specialservice provider offers suggestions and strategies to the regular educationhomeroom teacher to maximize a student's success while the student remains in atypical, regular education classroom.

Resource services are provided through the school's special education resource teacher inwhich a student may receive services within the regular classroom through thespecial ed teacher working with the student and perhaps a small group of otherstudents. A student qualifying for resource services may also receive math orlanguage arts instruction in a smaller classroom setting other than thehomeroom, with the special ed. teacher delivering the instruction to thestudent and other students of similar needs often on a daily basis.

Self-contained services are appropriate when a student may require more intensiveinterventions to be successful in reaching IEP goals. In a self-containedsetting, the student remains with the special education teacher for a majorityof academic instruction and usually joins typical peers in special subject areassuch as: art, music, physical education and library as well as lunchtime.

Private placement services provide the highest level of therapeutic and technicalinterventions for students unable to be served within one of the three servicedelivery models described above. The district contracts with these highlyspecialized providers on an as-needed basis typically serving less than 5% ofthe district's special education population (which is less than one-half of 1%of the total district student population).

Any resident of the district may inquire about evaluationand potential services for children who are at least 2 years 9 months of ageuntil promotion to high school.  Thedistrict will consider evaluation and inform all parents of their rights underthe law.

Consideration for evaluation and special education servicesmay be available for student's placed in private schools within the district'sboundaries as well.

For more information on Special Education contact:

Susan Benjamin
Special Education Director
sbenjamin@msd38.org
602-664-7927