Referrals
Parents who believe their child has a disability have the right to request in writing that an evaluation be completed to determine the child's eligibility for special education services.
Letters should be sent to:
Deborah Johnson
Coordinator of Pupil Personnel Services
Pembroke Central School District District Office
8750 Alleghany Rd, Corfu, NY 14036
CPSE
The Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) is a multidisciplinary team of professionals and parents whose membership is appointed by the Board of Education and they are responsible for the identification and recommendation of appropriate programs for all students, ages 3 to 5, who qualify for special education services.
If a parent is interested in a referral to the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) or has concerns that may warrant an assessment of student progress, they are encouraged to speak to their child’s pediatrician. He or she may be able to reassure you that children develop at different rates and your child is within the normal developmental scales. If, however, the doctor is concerned, or you are still not comfortable with your child’s progress, you may make a referral to your school district’s Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE).
The responsibility of the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) is to:
· Identify students who meet the criteria for classification as a Preschool Student with a Disability based on State Education requirements.
· Develop Individual Education Plans (IEP) for providing specialized instruction and appropriate accommodations in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Least restrictive means services are provided in the general education setting to the extent possible.
· Review, at least annually, each students’ Individual Education Plan (IEP) and make appropriate changes to ensure that each student is benefitting from the program they are receiving.
A Committee on Preschool Special Education includes:
· Parent(s) of the student
· Regular education teacher of the child whenever the child is or may be participating in the regular education environment
· Special education teacher of the child or, if appropriate, special education provider of the child
· School district representative who is qualified to provide or supervise special education and is knowledgeable about the general curriculum and the availability of preschool special education programs and services and other resources of the school district and the municipality (This person is the Chairperson of the Committee.)
· An individual who understands and can talk about the evaluation results and how these results effect instruction (This person may also be the special education teacher/provider, regular education teacher, school psychologist, school district representative or someone that the school district determines has knowledge or special expertise regarding the student.)
· Parent member (unless the parent requests that the parent member not participate.)
· A licensed or certified professional from the Department of Health’s Early Intervention Program
· (for a child in transition from the Early Intervention Program.)
· Other people that have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate (as requested by the parent or school district.)
· A county representative (A certified or licensed preschool representative from the municipality must be notified of scheduled meetings; however the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) meeting can be held whether or not the municipal representative attends.)
Recommending and Providing Special Education Services
All special education placements are determined by the Committee on Special Education or the Subcommittee on Special Education.
Both committees, in conjunction with parents, and teachers, help create Individual Education Plans (IEP's) for each school-age child with a disability on an annual basis.
The Individual Education Plan (IEP) includes information about the unique learning needs of the student, such as learning rate, levels of social and physical development as well as management needs. The Individual Education Plan (IEP) document also includes annual services and/or placement to address academic, social and other areas of the student’s educational development. This will serve as a curriculum plan of action and a source of evaluation for the student’s progress throughout the entire school year. The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is reviewed at least annually. Many times, students achieve their goals on the Individual Education Plan (IEP) and the Committee on Special Education (CSE) may consider Declassification.
CSE
The Committee on Special Education (CSE) is a multidisciplinary team of school professionals and parents whose membership is appointed by the Board of Education and they are responsible for the identification and recommendation of appropriate programs for all students, ages 5-21, who qualify for special education services.
If a parent is interested in a referral to the CSE or has concerns that may warrant an assessment of student progress, they are encouraged to first discuss concerns with their building principal and their child's teacher, as each building has an Instructional Support Team (IST) that should first address student needs. This process is recommended by law and is often more meaningful to the student's immediate needs.
The philosophy of the CSE is to:
-Identify students who meet the criteria for classification based on State Education requirements only after research-based interventions have been utilized and successfully documented, allowing for data-driven instruction
-Provide services in the least restrictive environment
-Provide services to students in the general education setting to the greatest degree possible
Committee on Special Education Membership:
-School district representative who is qualified to provide or supervise special education and is knowledgeable about the general curriculum and the availability of resources of the school district. (This person may also be the special education teacher/provider or school psychologist)
-Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of the student and anyone they wish to invite
-The school physician, if requested by the parent or the district
-A school psychologist
-Regular education teacher of the student whenever the student is or may be participating in the regular education environment
-Special education teacher of the student and/or, if appropriate, special education provider(s) of the student
-A parent representative who has a child with an educational disability, unless the parent requests the parent member not be present in writing
-An individual who understands and can address evaluation results and how these results affect instruction (this person may also be the special education teacher/provider, regular education teacher, school psychologist, school district representative or someone that the school district determines has knowledge or special expertise regarding the student)
-Any other people that have knowledge or special expertise regarding the student, including related services personnel as appropriate (as requested by the parent or school district)
-The student, if appropriate
Subcommittee on Special Education Members:
-School district representative who is knowledgeable about the general curriculum and the availability of resources of the school district. (This person may also be the special education teacher/provider or school psychologist)
-Parent(s) of the student and anyone they wish to invite
-The school physician, if requested by the parent
-A school psychologist (under certain circumstances)
-Regular education teacher of the child whenever the child is or may be participating in the regular education environment
-Special education teacher of the child and/or, if appropriate, special education provider(s) of the child
-An individual who understands and can address evaluation results and how these results affect instruction (this person may also be the special education teacher/provider, regular education teacher, school psychologist, school district representative, or someone that the school district determines has knowledge or special expertise regarding the student)
-Any other people that have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related service personnel as appropriate (as requested by the parent or school district)
-The student, if appropriate
Special Education Services
All special education placements are determined by the Committee on Special Education or the Subcommittee on Special Education.
Both committees, in conjunction with parents, and teachers, help create Individual Education Plans (IEP's) for each school-age child with a disability on an annual basis.
The IEP includes information about the unique learning needs of the student, such as learning rate, levels of social and physical development as well as management needs. The IEP document also includes annual services and/or placement to address academic, social, and other areas of the student’s educational development. This will serve as a curriculum plan of action and a source of evaluation for the student’s progress throughout the entire school year. Additionally, there is a focus on long-term planning and post-secondary outcomes as students turn 15 years of age.