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Adoption Date: 9/1/2012Regulations - Regulations
7614R PRESCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
Once the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) receives a referral, the Committee shall immediately notify the parents/guardians that a referral has been received and that evaluative information is being sought regarding their child. Such written notice shall serve to provide parents/guardians:
1) Information about the need to evaluate, a description of the proposed evaluation and its intended purpose;
2) The opportunity for written consent for evaluation/re-evaluation to be conducted at an approved site chosen by the parents/guardians or to withhold consent at this time. Consent for initial evaluation is not construed as consent for initial provision of special education services;
3) Information regarding:
a. Due process rights;
b. Access to records;
c. The right to submit evaluative information;
d. The opportunity to participate in the Individualized Education Program (IEP)
conference,including date,time and location of meeting;
e. The right to invite additional persons to the conference.
All information provided to parents/guardians will be in their dominant language or mode of communication. If parents/guardians fail to respond to a CPSE notice, a telephone call and/or on site visits will be initiated to ensure that parents/guardians have received and understand the request to consent.
In accordance with law, the District is required to collect entry assessment data in the three (3) outcome areas on all preschool children who receive an initial evaluation from approved preschool evaluators conducting initial evaluations on all preschool children suspected ofhaving disabilities.The CPSE will then meet to determine the child's eligibility for preschool special education programs and/or services and complete the Child Outcomes Summary Form to determine the child's entry level of functioning in the three outcome areas for all preschool children evaluated and found to be eligible. The form must be kept in the student's record until the exit assessment information is due. This process serves as a way to summarize complex assessment information in a format so that the data can be aggregated and reported to the State Education Department (SED). The form is not intended to provide information to guide interventions, since it does not capture the rich diversity of a child's strengths and needs.
Each year one-sixth of the school districts in the State will be required to submit exit data on the progress that preschool children made between entry into and exit from preschool special education programs and services in the three (3) outcome areas after having received preschool special education services for at least six (6) months. For each outcome area, schools will be reporting data that will enable the State to determine:
1) The number of children at exit who reach or maintain functioning at a level comparable to same-aged nondisabled peers;
2) The number of children at exit who improve functioning; and
3) The number of children who do not improve functioning.
Approved Preschool Evaluators and CPSEs when making their decisions should consider evidence of the following behaviors:
1) Positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships): Children who achieve this outcome at a level that is comparable to same-aged nondisabled children show a variety of behaviors related to having social relationships. For example, they:
a. Demonstrate attachment with the significant caregivers in their lives;
b. Initiate and maintain social interactions;
c. Behave in a way that allows them to participate in a variety of settings and situations
(e.g., on a playground, at dinner, at the grocery store, in child care, etc.);
d. Communicate wants and needs effectively;
e. Build and maintain relationships with children and adults;
f. Regulate their emotions;
g. Understand and follow rules; and
h. Solve social problems
2) Acquisition and Use of Knowledge and Skills: Children who achieve this outcome at a level that is comparable to same-aged nondisabled children show a variety of behaviors related to having knowledge and skills. For example, they:
a. Display an eagerness for learning;
b. Explore their environment;
c. Attend to people and objects;
d. Engage in daily learning opportunities;
e. Use knowledge and skills (e.g., vocabulary, complexity of language, problem-solving skills, general knowledge, etc.) in a variety of everyday routines and activities;
f. Acquire and use the precursor skills that will allow them to learn reading and mathematics in kindergarten; and
g. Show imagination and creativity in play.
3) Use of Appropriate Behaviors to meet his/her needs: Children who achieve this outcome at a level that is comparable to same-aged nondisabled children show a variety of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs. For example, they:
a. Meet their self-care needs (e.g., feeding, dressing, toileting, etc.);
b. Use objects (e.g., spoons, pencils, crayons, clay, scissors, other devices, etc.) as tools;
c. Move from place to place to participate in everyday activities and routines;
d. Seek help when necessary to move from place to place;
e. Seek help when necessary to assist with basic care or other needs; and
f. Follow rules related to health and safety.
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