Special Education

Consistent with public school districts across the nation, Madison School District provides special education services to qualifying students from preschool through Grade 8. Special education services are mandated by the federal government and the services are considered a student's right, not just a privilege.

In providing special education services in public schools, school districts are mindful 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
Preschool screening for special needs students occurs year round through inquiry at the district level. Appointments are confirmed with parents for initial assessment and possible extensive follow-up evaluation. Students who qualify for special education services can access individualized plans for special education services and modifications to the regular curriculum as early as their third birthday.

 
Testing for Special Needs
Evaluation of a student in grades K-8 usually follows a series of various classroom interventions and meetings between parents and staff to determine if the resources available through the general education program can be modified to meet a student's needs. If the student continues to have significant difficulty in learning despite a teachers efforts in using a variety of methods and materials then a full special education assessment may occur.  This can occur only after conference with the school team and the parents. Parental permission to gather further information about the student's strengths and challenges through inquiry and assessment must be obtained. Following a full battery of tests, within a maximum of 60 days, 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 in designing optimal learning experiences for the student. Before special education services begins for the student, the school team and the parents sign off on an agreed upon individualized educational plan (IEP) for the period of one year. Parents are kept abreast of progress quarterly to monitor student progress toward meeting the goals of the plan--the IEP.  

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

Consultation is a form of special education in which a speech therapist or other special service provider offers suggestions and strategies to the regular education homeroom teacher to maximize a student's success while the student remains in a typical, regular education classroom.

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

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

Private placement services provide the highest level of therapeutic and technical interventions for students unable to be served within one of the three service delivery models described above. The district contracts with these highly specialized providers on an as-needed basis typically serving less than 5% of the 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 evaluation and potential services for children who are at least 2 years 9 months of age until promotion to high school.  The district will consider evaluation and inform all parents of their rights under the law.

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

For more information on Special Education contact:

Bill Rabe
Director, Special Education
brabe@msd38.org

Christy Crosser
Administrative Assistant for Special Education
ccrosser@msd38.org
602-664-7927