Answer Key answers a significant query concerning education and Greater Houston schools every week in an effort to assist families. Please use the form at the end of this article or send an email to [email protected] with any questions you would want us to address.
This week’s query:
Don’t miss the next big story
To receive the stories you need about the city you love every weekday morning, sign up for The Launchpad.
Where do I start if I want my child evaluated for special education services?
Your kid may be eligible for special education services if they are struggling in school and you believe they may have a condition that makes it more difficult for them.
Every child who might need special education services to learn must be identified, located, and evaluated by public schools in accordance with federal law. It can be a convoluted and perplexing process from beginning to end.
If you believe that your kid would benefit from special education services, here is a straightforward explanation of what to do and where to go.
What has to happen for a student to get evaluated for services?
A pupil must be assessed for a disability by their school district before receiving any special education services. There are two ways that this can occur:
- A parent requests that the school evaluate their child.
- The school notices a child may have a disability and asks the parent for permission to evaluate them.
Requests from parents must be submitted in writing. A nonprofit organization that supports individuals with disabilities, Disability Rights Texas, suggests drafting a letter similar to this one.
What happens after a parent requests an evaluation?
The clock begins to tick on a sequence of timelines as soon as the school gets a parent’s request.
A school has 15 days to request a parent’s written consent before conducting an evaluation. At this stage, parents are entitled to request the identity of the assessor and a description of the tests that will be used to evaluate their kid. Adopting special education services is a separate process from consenting to an evaluation.
45 days: After obtaining a parent’s approval, the evaluation must take place within 45 school days.
30 days: After the evaluation is over, the school has 30 calendar days to meet with the parent to go over the findings and, if required, create a special education services plan.
What will the evaluation look like?
Although every assessment is unique to each student, schools may watch the kid in various contexts to see how they behave, think, and handle challenges. A student’s physical health, eyesight, hearing, general intellect, academic performance, communication abilities, and social and emotional state will often all be evaluated at the first assessment.
The findings aid in determining whether the student has a disability by a group known as the Admission, Review, and Dismissal committee, or ARD. Another definition of an ARD member is a parent or guardian who makes decisions on their child’s education.
What happens after the evaluation?
After the evaluation is finished, the district has 30 days to set up a meeting with the ARD, including the parent, to go over the findings.
The ARD committee will seek to create an Individualized Education Plan if they determine that a child needs special education services. This plan, which is frequently called an IEP, describes the student’s educational needs, yearly behavioral and academic objectives, and the support and adjustments they will receive in the classroom to achieve these objectives.
In order to deliver the services specified in the IEP, the school will once more request written parental agreement. At least once a year, the ARD committee examines each student’s tailored education plan. More often, parents can request a review.
In order to ascertain whether special education services are still fulfilling a student’s educational needs, the student must also undergo a reevaluation every three years. A child’s reevaluation might also be requested more frequently by a parent or teacher.
Houston school districts delivering on special ed promise years after state scandal
by Staff Writer Asher Lehrer-Small
What if I m not happy with the evaluation results?
An independent educational review, which is essentially a second opinion, is something that parents are entitled to request. Every year, schools must give one to parents for free. It is advised that this request be submitted in writing to a special education director or principal.
The parent will then be given a list of evaluators to select from by the school. An evaluator can also be recommended by parents.
Where should I go with questions or concerns?
Parents should get in touch with the campus to arrange an ARD meeting if they have any worries about the way their child’s special education services are being handled.
Parents should get in touch with the Texas Education Agency’s sSPEDTex or the special education department of their school district if this doesn’t resolve the issue.
In collaboration with Open Campus, Miranda Dunlap covers community colleges in Houston. Up until now, there hasn’t been much news about these systems or students, even though community colleges enroll around half of Houston’s higher education students. Her reporting helps students explore their potential, exposes obstacles they face, and keeps institutions responsible. Miranda can be reached on Twitter and Instagram or at [email protected].
From Buffalo Bayou Partnership, a message
Visit Cistern Illuminated in Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern this holiday season to experience peace and quiet. Kelly O. Brien, a Houston-based artist and engineer, created a calming sequence of light and sound that transforms 221 concrete pillars above sparkling water.
To learn more about this special Houston holiday event, go to buffalobayou.org.
Houston Landing is grateful for its sponsors.Become one now.
Republish this narrative
Our stories can be republished in print or online for free.
Republish this article
The Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License governs this work.
