The Iowa Department of Education, in conjunction with the AEAs, has general supervision responsibilities and is required to monitor schools and districts on their compliance with state and federal special education laws. Central Rivers AEA assists schools in complying with those laws and meeting the needs of students with disabilities or those on individual education plans (IEPs).
Alternate Assessment
The Iowa Alternate Assessment (IAA) is the State of Iowa’s assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Iowa uses the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) assessment to measure students’ knowledge in the Iowa Core English Language Arts, Math, and Science Essential Elements. For further information, please contact Rochelle Richards, Significant Disabilities Coordinator.
Chapter 103B
The State Board of Education recently amended Iowa’s administrative rules on corporal punishment, seclusion, and restraint. The amendments made changes to the conditions of seclusion and restraint, added training and parent notice requirements, and banned certain high-risk practices.
Iowa Department of Education regarding timeout, seclusion, and restraint – Resources on this site include a link to the administrative rules on seclusion and restraint, a slideshow for training, and sample documents for annual notice and documentation. The site also provides resources for using timeout in an effective and ethical manner.
See the mandatory training website for meeting the requirements of Chapter 103b.
Child Find
Child Find is a required part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA requires states to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, aged birth to 21, who are in need of early intervention or special education services.
More Information About Child Find
Child Find is a required part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA requires states to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, aged birth to 21, who are in need of early intervention or special education services.
In Iowa, area education agencies (AEAs) were created by the legislature to do this in an effective, efficient, and economical way. The term “Child Find” refers to the collection of processes that schools and AEAs use to locate, identify, and evaluate children who might need special education.
Child Find has two purposes:
- To locate, identify and evaluate individuals with disabilities
- To determine the educational needs of individuals with disabilities
An Overview of the Child Find Process
For students who are in school, the Child Find process begins with a school district providing high-quality general education instruction to all students. Schools also must provide targeted or intensive general education interventions to students who require more support.
For children who are not yet in school, this early learning can take place in homes or in early childhood settings. If a child is still having difficulty and not making the expected progress, a teacher, a parent, or an AEA staff member might begin to suspect that the child may have an educational disability. A team will gather information about the student in order to decide whether a disability is suspected.
Disability Suspected
In order to determine whether a disability is suspected, a team that includes school district staff, AEA staff, and the child’s parents consider all the available information to determine if the child meets one of the three conditions described below. According to the Area Education Agency Special Education Procedures (July 1, 2012), these are the three situations in which a disability is suspected:
- The child has a diagnosis of a condition that is specifically listed in IDEA’s disability categories or is clearly included within one of IDEA’s disability categories, and the condition has a discernible, adverse effect on educational performance.
- There are data to suggest that the child has received high-quality instruction, and the child’s performance is not meeting standards, is unique when compared to peers, and can’t be explained by other, more plausible, factors.
- There are data to suggest that the child has received high-quality instruction, and the child is meeting standards or progressing toward meeting standards with the provision or targeted or intensive interventions and may require ongoing and substantial resources.
When the team considers the evidence and suspects a student has a disability based on meeting one of the three criteria above, they must seek parental consent for an initial evaluation.
After considering the information, if a disability is suspected, the AEA and the school district will seek permission from the child’s parent/guardian to evaluate the student. A Full and Individual Initial Evaluation will then be conducted to determine if the child is eligible for special education services and to determine what interventions are needed for the child to make progress. Data will be collected during the evaluation to determine the child’s progress, discrepancy, and needs.
Consent for Evaluation
Prior to conducting an initial evaluation, informed parental consent must be sought.
According to the Area Education Agency Special Education Procedures (July 1, 2012), informed consent means:
- The parent has been fully informed of all information relevant to the evaluation in his/her native language or other modes of communication.
- The parent understands and agrees in writing to the evaluation as described in the consent.
- The parent understands that the granting of consent is voluntary on the part of the parent and may be revoked at any time.
- If the parent revokes consent, that revocation is not retroactive.
A comprehensive evaluation must consider the following seven domains:
- Academic
- Behavior
- Physical
- Health
- Hearing/vision
- Adaptive Behavior
- Communication
Consideration of these seven domains ensures that the evaluation is comprehensive and addresses the child’s needs.
If a child is eligible for special education services, that means the child has a disability and needs services that require special education resources. A team will meet to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the child.
If you have questions regarding the Child Find process, you can contact the AEA Regional Administrator or AEA staff who serve your school district or your area.
Misunderstandings, Misinformation, and Miscommunications about Child Find
Competent Private Instruction (CPI)
Commonly known as homeschooling, competent private instruction is provided to a child in Iowa in a setting other than a public school district or an accredited nonpublic school. Parents or guardians considering homeschooling options should contact Amy Knupp, Executive Director of Special Education.
Compliance
The Iowa Department of Education, in conjunction with Iowa’s Area Education Agencies, has general supervision responsibilities and is required to monitor Local Education Agencies/Districts in Iowa (U.S.C. 300.600).
District-Developed Service Delivery Plan
The District-Developed Service Delivery Plan (DDSDP) is a system for the delivery of instructional services including a full continuum of services and placements to address the needs of eligible individuals ages 3-21. All districts are required to develop a DDSDP for special education services, which then becomes a part of the district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. The Delivery System Plan is developed in accordance with Iowa Administrative Code Rule-41.408 (2) “c.”. For more information, please contact your Central Rivers AEA Regional Administrator.
Family Support
Educators needing support and general information about working with students with disabilities and their families are encouraged to seek the assistance of the Family & Educator Partnership Program.
Family & Educator Partnership Program
Providing information, support and encouragement to families and educators of children and young adults with disabilities. Check out the Family and Educator Partnership brochure for more information.
What is the Family & Educator Partnership?
Central Rivers AEA Family & Educator Partnership is part of the Iowa Family & Educator Partnership, a statewide network of families and educators working together to develop and sustain effective partnerships between families, educators and community providers to promote success for all children and youth with disabilities.
What Services & Supports are Available?
The program offers support to families and schools as they work together to create, promote and sustain systems of family engagement in our schools and communities.
The Family & Educator Partnership helps families and educators by:
• Answering questions either by phone, e-mail or in person
• Referring to other resources
• Assisting with the communication process between families and schools
• Providing information about the IEP/IFSP process,
• Review of procedural safeguards,
• Help prepare for a meeting, or
• Attend IEP/IFSP or other school meetings as requested by the local school, AEA staff or parents
• Helping a family develop a vision for the student’s future,
• Providing workshops on transition-related topics,
• Sharing information about community resources, or
• Collaborating with other agencies on family support and transition-related issues
Contact Us
- Loni Jorgenson, Parent Educator Coordinator
- April Wooldridge, Parent Educator Coordinator
- Rod Ball, Director of Special Programs
IEPs
An individualized education program (IEP) is a written document for a child with a disability that describes the child’s educational program. The IEP must be in effect prior to the child receiving special education services.
Independent Evaluations
Persons interested in more information about Independent Evaluations of children following a Central Rivers Full and Individual Evaluation may contact Amy Knupp, Executive Director of Special Education.
Interpreter & Translation Services
Educators needing information about Interpreters & Translation Services for special needs students may contact Amy Knupp, Executive Director of Special Education.
Legal Issues in Special Education
Persons needing guidance and interpretation of legal matters in special education may contact Amy Knupp, Executive Director of Special Education or Rod Ball, Director of Special Programs.
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a process by which schools use data to identify the academic and behavioral supports each and every student needs to be successful in school and leave school ready for life. The process provides students with evidence-based instruction and interventions matched to their needs and monitors student progress to improve their educational outcomes.
Resolution Facilitation
Resolution Facilitation services are available to parents and school districts as a support to assist in resolving differences over educational services and/or issues between parents, educators, and other involved parties. The resolution facilitator is an objective third party that works to help both parties seek common-ground solutions. Resolution facilitators are AEA Special Education staff members trained in mediation and are available to parents and educators at no cost throughout the year. They can be requested through an AEA Regional Administrator and/or a Family Educator Partnership staff member.
Family & Educator Partnership Program
Providing information, support and encouragement to families and educators of children and young adults with disabilities. Check out the Family and Educator Partnership brochure for more information.
What is the Family & Educator Partnership?
Central Rivers AEA Family & Educator Partnership is part of the Iowa Family & Educator Partnership, a statewide network of families and educators working together to develop and sustain effective partnerships between families, educators and community providers to promote success for all children and youth with disabilities.
What Services & Supports are Available?
The program offers support to families and schools as they work together to create, promote and sustain systems of family engagement in our schools and communities.
The Family & Educator Partnership helps families and educators by:
• Answering questions either by phone, e-mail or in person
• Referring to other resources
• Assisting with the communication process between families and schools
• Providing information about the IEP/IFSP process,
• Review of procedural safeguards,
• Help prepare for a meeting, or
• Attend IEP/IFSP or other school meetings as requested by the local school, AEA staff or parents
• Helping a family develop a vision for the student’s future,
• Providing workshops on transition-related topics,
• Sharing information about community resources, or
• Collaborating with other agencies on family support and transition-related issues
Contact Us
- Loni Jorgenson, Parent Educator Coordinator
- April Wooldridge, Parent Educator Coordinator
- Rod Ball, Director of Special Programs
Section 504
Section 504 is a federal law that protects the rights of persons with qualifying disabilities. It requires that recipients of federal funds make their programs and activities accessible to all persons with disabilities. Section 504 has three areas of emphasis: employment; facility and accessibility; and requirements for preschool, elementary, and secondary education programs/activities. For more information, please reach out to our Central Rivers AEA Section 504 Coordinator, Dr. Bill Soesbe.
More Information About Section 504
Section 504 is a federal law that protects the rights of persons with qualifying disabilities. It requires that recipients of federal funds make their programs and activities accessible to all persons with disabilities.
Section 504 has three areas of emphasis: employment; facility and accessibility; and requirements for preschool, elementary and secondary education programs/activities.
It must be emphasized that Section 504 falls under the responsibility of the general education program. It is also important to understand that schools receive no additional funding to implement Section 504 accommodations. At each school, the responsibility for ensuring Section 504 compliance rests with the building principal or principal designee.
504 Manual
504 Guideline Manual: This document was initially designed to help school districts and school personnel develop a district-wide 504 guideline manual. However, it is also a great resource for parents, students, and the community to use in order to help better understand Section 504.
The intent is that school districts use the document as a starting point to create their own Section 504 guideline manual. Districts should not simply adopt the document as written, but instead, use it as a template. They should ultimately make their own manual that is district specific, meets the needs of their community, and is compliant with federal and state law.
Parents and students can use the document to further educate themselves about Section 504. The table of contents provides many resources (e.g. parental/student rights, parent 504 guidelines, representative 504 forms) that are useful when learning about 504’s or to help navigate the process.
How Does Section 504 Define Disability?
Section 504 protects persons from discrimination based on their disability status. A person is considered to have a disability if he or she:
- Has a mental or physical disability impairment that substantially limits one or more of the person’s major life activities.
- Has a record of such impairment.
- Is regarded as having such an impairment.
In general terms, this means that without accommodations and/or interventions, the student would not have a comparable opportunity for an appropriate education.