Center School Special Education Updates 4/5/20

This week we are entering into the second part of our extended school closure.  Our goal is to establish systemic special education resources, supports and services to promote continuity of learning. Each district must provide FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) to the degree possible while protecting the health and safety of students, educators, and service providers.

Communication with families and sustaining relationships with our students is a key objective in our plan to support special education students during this time away from school.  We have established for communication to occur multiple times per week in a variety of forms with students, parents, and each other. A continued connection with students on IEPs is the primary focus of our plan. Maintaining a close partnership with our families is essential in determining learning targets for the coming weeks and many of our special education teachers and related service providers have already been in contact with parents and caregivers. 

Beginning on Monday, April 6, 2020, you will receive a home learning plan each week from you child’s classroom teacher. This plan will be followed up with a weekly email from your child’s team with accommodations and modifications suggested for the week.  Connection with your child and you will be key to working on the home learning plan. This may take the form of phone or email consultation between parent/special education teacher or related service provider, virtual interaction with child/special education teacher or related service provider, or alternative learning activities to take the place of the learning plan as determined by the parent/special education teacher or related service provider.

Our learning plan includes a variety of ways that we will work towards providing services to each student:

• A grid  services will be addressed through weekly collaboration between service providers and classroom teachers.  It may also require consultation and collaboration between parents and special education staff via phone or email.
• B grid services will be addressed by special education teachers and related service providers participating in collaboration with classroom teachers to develop weekly home learning plans and providing accommodations and modifications for the plan through a variety of remote learning tools.
• C grid services will be provided to the degree possible using remote learning tools. A special education team member will contact you this week to determine how these services might be provided.

Due to the nature of virtual environments, availability of staff, and the new time-on-learning model, services will look different. We will make every effort to use creative strategies to provide support and services to the extent feasible under the current conditions.  We will continue to be available daily to support your family and our special education staff during this unprecedented time. We will maintain regular communication with you as the situation continues to change and encourage you to reach out via email or phone if you have any questions.  

Jane DeGrenier
Principal
jdegrenier@hanoverschools.org
781-826-2631, ext. 5303

Donna Hillary
Assistant Principal, Special Education
dhillary@hanoverschools.org
781-826-2631, extension 5305

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ about Special Education procedures during the extended school closure

IEPs

During this time of remote learning, IEPs do not need to be amended to reflect the changes in service delivery or methodology.  The delivery of services during the extended school closure will be significantly modified and will not mirror the services provided during the regular school year. All IEPs remain in a ‘stay put’ provision during the extended school close.

Expired IEP

If your child’s IEP expires during the school closure, the IEP remains valid and in effect even after the expiration date. We will be reaching out to you as soon as possible to set up an annual review meeting or to mutually agree to extend the annual review date. 

Initial and Re-evaluation Evaluations

During this time of extended school closure it is not possible for evaluators to meet in person with students for the purpose of evaluation. Initial and re-evaluations are on hold as of March 16, 2020 and timelines will resume as soon as we return to school.

Any evaluations that were completed prior to 3/16 will be send to parents and a virtual team meeting will be scheduled to review results.  Any meetings that had already been scheduled to take place between March 16 and April 6 will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Annual Review Meetings

IEP timelines for annual review meetings remain fixed.  Given this, we will move toward distance meeting options in order to stay as compliant as practicable and to avoid extensive backlogs when school resumes. 

IDEA and 504 permit alternative modalities for IEP meetings, such as videoconferencing or telephone conferences as long as the district takes steps to ensure that parents can participate in the meeting at a mutually agreed upon time.  Parents may decline the option to hold a meeting through video or telephone conferencing platforms and instead opt to have in-person meeting when school resumes. In this case the IEP/504 remains in full effect during the school closure. Required paperwork for team meetings before, during, and after the meeting will be generated and emailed to parents.

Team member excusal from team meeting

Parents may waive participation of IEP team member(s) at meetings.

• Parent and district agree in writing that the member’s attendance is not necessary because the member’s area of the curriculum or related service is not being modified or discussed in the meeting.  OR
• Parent and district agree in writing to excuse an IEP team member for all or part of the meeting when a curriculum or related service is to be modified or discussed. The team member will submit written input into the development of the IEP to the parents and team prior to the meeting.

Extended School Year

Students who currently have ESY services 
on their IEP will continue to be eligible for services due to “stay put” provisions.

504 plans

Districts tend to keep 504 plans on an IEP schedule to ensure periodic reviews, which is best practice, but is not required by law. During this time of extended school closure we will do our best to maintain an annual review of 504 plans on their annual date.  If the 504 goes beyond its annual date, accommodations remain in effect. If you have any questions regarding your child’s current 504 plan, please email 504 coordinator, Amy Madden, amadden@hanoverschools.org.