• The Barnstable District Special Education Procedure Manual

  • Introduction

  • District Vision and Core Values

  • District Special Education Roles and Responsibilities

  • Best Practice: Responding to Concerns

  • Intervention and Support for All Students

  • The Barnstable MTSS Vision

  • What is MTSS?

  • Social Emotional Learning and Positive Behavior Intervention Support

  • Special Education Referral and Eligibility Process

Child Find and District Screening

  • What is Child Find?

  • Best Practice: Child Find Outreach

  • DESE Child Find Resources

Referral and Eligibility

  • The Basic Steps of Special Education

  • Special Education Process Timeline

  • Referral Process

  • Best Practice: MTSS, Intervention, and Referral

  • Assessment and Evaluation

  • When a Team Suspects a Specific Learning Disability

  • When a Psychological or Psychoeducational Evaluation is Recommended

  • Special Education Assessment

  • Related Service Assessments

  • Best Practice: Purpose of Special Education Evaluations

  • Waiving Assessments

  • Written Reports

  • Best Practice: Report Format

  • Extended Evaluations

  • Independent Educational Evaluations

  • Best Practice: Parent/Guardian Input on Evaluations

  • Outside Evaluations (Private, Parent-Funded)

  • Best Practice: Outside and Independent Evaluation Steps

  • Evaluation of Students in Private Schools and Students who are Home-schooled

  • Best Practice: Requests for Evaluation for Students in Private Schools or Homeschooled

  • When a Student with an IEP Moves Into the District

  • Best Practice: Evaluation of Students with IEPs Who Transfer In From Other Districts or States

  • Prior Written Notice

  • Taking Notes at Team and Other Meetings with Parents

  • Best Practice: Is it an IEP Meeting?

  • Team Meeting and The IEP

Team Meetings, Disabilities, and Decision Processes

  • Team Meetings

  • Required TEAM Meeting Membership

  • Attendance Not Necessary

  • Excusal

  • Best Practice: When a TEAM Member is Excused

  • TEAM Responsibilities

  • Best Practice: Presenting Findings

  • Defining the Roles of the Team Members

  • Eligibility Information and Disability Definitions

  • IEP Development for a Student Identified with Autism

  • When a Student has a Disability but is Making Effective Progress in School

  • Determination of No Eligibility or Discharge from Special Education

  • Best Practice: Determination of Effective Progress

  • Finding the Student Not Eligible

  • What if a Parent/Guardian Disagrees with the Eligibility Finding?

  • Best Practice: Prior Written Notice: N1 or N2?

  • When a Parent/Guardian Invites a Consultant or Advocate to a TEAM Meeting

  • Best Practice: Team Meeting Attendance Form

  • Guidelines for Coordinating with Advocates

  • Best Practice: Working with Advocates

  • Parent/Guardian’s Attorney Attends an TEAM Meeting

  • Observation of Special Education Programs

  • Best Practice: Observation of Students by Parent/Guardians

  • Immediate Delivery of the IEP to the Parent/Guardian

  • Best Practice: Obtaining a Signed IEP

Best Practices: IEP Development

  • Preparation of the IEP

  • Presenting the IEP at the Team Meeting

  • Ensuring Parent/Guardian Participation in the IEP Meeting

  • Best Practice: Ensuring General Educators are Aware of and Understand their Students’ IEPs

  • Student Participation in the IEP Meeting

  • Developing IEPs for Students Enrolled in Private Schools or Home Schooled

  • Related Services

  • Assistive Technology

  • Counseling Services

  • Hearing Services

  • Occupational Therapy Services

  • Physical Therapy Services

  • Specialized Transportation

  • Speech and Language Therapy Services

  • Vision, Orientation & Mobility Services

  • Extended School Year Services

  • Best Practice: Extended School Year

  • MCAS Considerations

MCAS and MCAS ALT Portfolio Assessment

  • Best Practice: MCAS Participation

  • Best Practice: MCAS ALT Determination

  • Transition

  • Transition from Early Intervention to Preschool

  • Transition Planning for Special Education Students (Secondary Level)

  • Transition Assessment

  • Post-Secondary Transition Planning and Activities

  • Transition from School to Adult Life

  • Age of Majority

  • 688 Referrals

  • Placement

Placement, Grouping, District Programming

  • Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

  • Placement Meeting

  • Instructional Grouping Requirements

  • Description of District Special Education Programs

Out of District Placements

  • Home/Hospital Services

  • Out-of-District Coordinator and Out-of-District Placement Determination

  • Parent/Guardian Involvement

Parent/Guardian Consent, Involvement, and Problem Resolution

  • Parent/Guardian Consent

  • When a Parent/Guardian Rejects an IEP or Placement

  • Best Practice: Problem-Resolution When Consensus Cannot Be Achieved

  • Progress Reports

  • Right to Waive Assessments

  • Age of Majority: Transfer of Rights to Student at Age 18

  • Parent Transportation

  • Educational Surrogate

  • Communication in English and in the Native Language of the Parent

  • Home/School Communication

  • Special Education Parent Advisory Council

Problem Resolution

  • DESE Problem Resolution System (PRS)

  • Mediation

  • Facilitated IEP Meeting

  • Bureau of Special Education Appeals Hearing

  • Appendix

Links and Resources for Parents/Guardians

Assistive Technology

  • Assistive Technology

Abbreviation Glossary

  • Abbreviation Glossary