Alamo Heights Independent School District

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Special Education: FAQs

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What do the following terms mean?
  Admission
  Annual review
  Dismissal
  Reevaluation
  Manifestation Determination
  Special Review
  Referral information
 

Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) Report

  Full Individual Evaluation (FIE)
  Review of Existing Data (RED)
 

Related Services Evaluation

  Vocational Evaluation
  Determination of Eligibility
  LD   SI   ED   MR   AU   OI   OH   TBI   DB   VI   AI  NCEC
  Multiply Disabled
  Educational need
  Development of the Individual Educational Program (IEP)
  Modification Sheet
  Measurable Goals/Benchmarks
ARD/IEP Supplements:
  Visually Impaired (VI)
  Auditory Impaired (AI)
  Autistic (AU)
  (Age 14) Transition Service Needs
  (Age 16) Needed Transition Services
  Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
  Attendance Plan
  Extracurricular Eligibility Plan
  Extended School Year (ESY)
  Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
 
Admission -Initial placement of a student into Special Education.

Annual review- A review of the student's Individual Educational Program (IEP) is required at least annually.

Dismissal -Students are dismissed from Special Education when they are no longer considered as having a disability or when there is no further educational need for Special Education intervention.

Reevaluation -A reevaluation of eligibility is required at least every three years and consists of a thorough review of existing data by the ARD committee (RED/ARD).lf additional assessment is needed to determine continuing eligibility it can be requested by the RED/ARD.

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Manifestation Determination -If the student's behavior has caused him/her to be removed from the classroom for disciplinary reasons for more than ten days in a school year, the ARD committee must determine whether the behavior is a manifestation of the student's disability and plan appropriately. A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) must also be completed and a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) developed or revised within ten days.

Special Review - An ARD committee can be requested by parent or school staff at any time to review the Individual Educational Program (IEP).

Referral information -Packet of information gathered by the campus Child Study Team at the time of initial referral to Special Education.

Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) Report -Required for any student whose primary language is not English. It contains recommendations regarding English language proficiency and need for bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) programming. An LPAC member is a required member of the ARD Committee for these students.

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Full Individual Evaluation (FIE) -A comprehensive individual evaluation report is completed before students are placed in Special Education. It serves as the basis for determining eligibility as a student with a disability and for developing an appropriate Individual Educational Program (IEP).

Review of Existing Data (RED) -A reevaluation of eligibility is conducted at least every three years by the ARD committee. It involves a thorough review of existing data or information and may include a request for additional assessment.

Related Services Evaluation -A report by the Related Service provider that evaluates need for related services and makes recommendations.

Vocational Evaluation -An evaluation of the student's vocational interests and/or aptitude.

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Determination of Eligibility -Based upon evaluation information, the committee certifies that the student meets the criteria for one or more of the following disability category(s) as defined in relevant regulations. Specific eligibility criteria for each category are identified in an Eligibility Report located in the student's Special Education file.

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LD Learning Disability OH Orthopedic Impairment
SI Speech Impairment TBI Traumatic Brain Injury
ED Emotionally Disturbed DB Deaf Blind
MR Mental Retardation VI Visual Impairment
AU Autism AI Auditory Impairment
OI Other Health Impaired NCEC Non categorical Early Childhood

Multiply Disabled -A student who has two or more disabilities that are expected to continue indefinitely and that severely impair performance in at least two of the following areas: self-care skills, communication skills, social and emotional development, cognition.

Educational need -In order to be eligible for Special Education services there must be a legally defined disability that interferes with learning to the extent that the student cannot be adequately educated without provision of such services and therefore demonstrates an educational need that cannot be met by General Education, even with supplementary aids and services.

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Development of the Individual Educational Program (IEP) -The committee should make decisions based upon the educational needs of the student. If the current IEP is reviewed and no changes are recommended, the decisions of the previous ARD meeting remain in effect.

Modification Sheet- Required for all Special Education students. This page of the ARD addresses modifications and adaptations needed by the student with regard to educational methods, content, pacing, evaluation procedures, materials, technology, and standardized testing.

Measurable Goals/Benchmarks -Required for all Special Education students. Based upon current competencies, measurable goals and benchmarks (objectives) are identified in each area of identified need.

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ARD/IEP Supplements:

Visually Impaired (VI) -Required for all students with a visual impairment. A Consultant for the Visually Impaired should attend the ARD to provide supplementary information and make recommendations for development of an appropriate Individual Educational Program (IEP)

Auditory Impaired (AI) -Required for all students with an auditory impairment. A Consultant for the Auditorily Impaired should attend the ARD to provide supplementary information and make recommendations for development of an appropriate Individual Educational Program (IEP).

Autistic (AU) -Required for all students served under the disability category of Autism. It should address extended educational programming, daily schedules reflecting minimal unstructured time, in-home training, prioritized behavioral objectives, prevocational and vocational needs, parent training, and suitable staff to student ratio.

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(Age 14) Transition Service Needs- Required for all students beginning at age 14. This is a statement of the transition service needs of the student with a focus on the student's courses of study (method of graduation, goals for post secondary education or employment, and services needed to assist transition).

(Age 16) Needed Transition Services -Required for all students beginning at age 16. This is a statement of needed transition services for the student that is based on the student's anticipated method of graduation and assures that the student's expectations and needs are written in the Individual Educational Program for the student. It must be developed with participation of the student and may include a statement of interagency responsibilities related to transition.

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Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) -Required for all students whose behavior interferes with educational progress. It should be based upon a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and should contain positive strategies as well as appropriate interventions/consequences. It should state whether or not the student is capable of following the student code of conduct. If the ARD committee determines that there is no need for a Behavior Intervention Plan the student will be expected and is considered capable of following the student code of conduct without modifications.

Attendance Plan -The student is expected to comply with attendance requirements, unless the committee determines that a modified plan is necessary.

Extracurricular Eligibility Plan -The student is expected to comply with extracurricular eligibility, unless the committee determines that a modified plan is necessary.

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Extended School Year (ESY) -Required for all students who are at risk for suffering severe regression/recoupment difficulties following breaks in the educational year. This supplement addresses the eligibility requirements for an extended school year and prescribes an appropriate program based upon current school year goals and objectives, if needed to prevent regression/recoupment difficulties.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) -Required for all students who are removed from the General Education classroom for any amount of time in order to receive Special Education services. It should address reasons the student cannot be served entirely in the General Education classroom, discuss opportunity to participate with non-disabled students in nonacademic and extracurricular activities, and potentially harmful effects of the removal.

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