Exceptional

Children Staff

This link will be kept current with information targeted for EC staff although other staff and public are welcome to view information in this site.

This Organizational Chart provides you with an understanding of how the infrastructure of the department as it currently functions. The link under “Services” is targeted for parents and public providing general information about special education services and useful links.

Area Services and Other Information

Child Find
Adaptive Physical Education
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Assistive Technology
Audiology, Hearing Impaired, and APD Services
Exit Procedures & Exit Letters
Extended School Year
Homebound Instruction
Limited English Proficient Students
Materials
Occupational Therapy
Preschool
Surrogates/Guardians
Staff Development
State Testing
Transition Services
Transportation

Audit/Compliance/CECAS

Welcome to the Exceptional Children (EC) Staff Page!

Audit/Compliance

Maintaining compliant folders is critical! Non-compliant folders can place our system in legal jeopardy. In addition, students cannot be counted for funding if folders are not compliant. Teachers, psychologists, and therapists are expected to complete all paperwork on time and to audit folders of all transfers, initial placements, and reevaluations.

Required initial placement components table (to check appropriate evaluations for initial placements )
Suggested reevaluation placement components table (to check appropriate evaluations for reevaluations)
Compliance checklist (audit form to be completed for all initial/reevaluations and transfers)
Worksheet for IEP Quality Compliance
NSTTAC Indicator 13 Checklist Form B (to be used as part of audit for all students 14 or older)
Instructions for NSTTAC Indicator 13 Checklist Form B

CECAS

CECAS is the State System through which we submit headcount. In Rockingham County Schools, each teacher is responsible for completing a CECAS form whenever there is any updated paperwork on a student including any new IEPs and any action requiring a DEC5.

CECAS Directions
CECAS Form (BECKY FORM)

Compliance Q&A and sample documents

Behavior & Discipline

Discipline Overview and Directions

Discipline Flow Chart

DISC Forms:

Functional Behavioral Assessments:

Processing Worksheet

Letters for Principal Use when total suspensions exceed 10 days

Continuous Improvement Performance Plan

CIPP

LEA Self Assessment and Strategic Planning

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Article 9 of North Carolina state law require that the Department of Public Instruction monitor local education agencies (LEAs) on a regular basis to ensure compliance with state and federal laws, rules, and regulations that govern the provision of special education and related services to children with disabilities. The purpose of this monitoring is to focus federal, state, and local resources on improved results for children with disabilities and their families.

Rockingham County Schools has worked diligently for the past several years to complete our system’s requirements in accordance with federal and state mandates. Data have been systematically collected, and strategies have been implemented and analyzed in order to improve our county’s provision of special education services. Although we have recognized areas of need, our local education agency’s performance on various indicators tends to surpass that of the state’s performance.

Rockingham County Schools has developed a local committee which is comprised of individuals who represent varied areas of expertise regarding students with disabilities. Besides school personnel of varied backgrounds, our committee membership also includes parents of students with disabilities, a high school student with a disability, community partners, and a university partner. Subcommittees for the various performance indicators collect and examine data for the indicators as well as design and monitor activities designed to improve progress for determined areas of need. Improvement activities are continued with or without modification or discontinued as deemed appropriate.

Rockingham County Schools welcomes readers to learn more about this process, which is intended to improve our provision of special education services to students with disabilities. Please feel free to access and study the links and documents included on this website.

LEA Self Assessment and EC Strategic Plan Links

Click here to access the EC Strategic Plan/LEA Self Assessment

EasyIEP

EdPlan

Click Here to go to EasyIEP Website

EdPlan (formerly known as Easy IEP) is a web-based system utilized by Rockingham County Schools to produce and maintain all legal special education forms including placement forms and IEPs. Access to the system is by permission only. All special education staff have access in order to generate required paperwork for students they serve. Principals have read-only access. For questions or to obtain access, call the special education office at 627-2705.

Procedures & Placement

The following sections briefly cover the process of referring, evaluating, and placing, students into special education programs as well as handling required 3 year reevaluations. Psychologists and speech therapists most often lead the initial placement and reevaluation efforts, but all administrators and professional EC staff need to be familiar with the process. Nothing in this section negates or changes what is required by law which can be accessed at NC Policies.

Please also refer to the Audit/Compliance/CECAS section for information on how to check for compliance and submit folders and information to Central Office.

Initial Referral/Placement Process
Individual Educaiton Plan
Reevaluation
EC Committees - Overview and Summary
Maintenance of EC Folders
NC Policies
Parent Handbook of Rights

Procedures & Placement

Screening & Intervention Process

Screenig & Intervention Process

Students who are having behavior and/or academic difficulties should be given a real opportunity to progress before being considered for special education or 504 services. The intent of this process is to utilize a team approach to problem solve the difficulty(ies) and then provide needed supports and/or interventions to teachers and students in order to allow every chance to progress in the area(s) that are of concern. It is important to utilize a team approach for students, to use research-based interventions, and to monitor progress.

The purpose of providing screening/interventions is to build student success and hopefully prevent the need for special education (or 504). For 504 and for many categories of special education, the student cannot be considered for placement without the process described in this section.

Overview of Process

SSMT Procedures

Problem Solving Flowchart

Probes

Research-based interventions

Sample Case

Forms

SSMT Teacher Intervention Worksheet
SSMT Intervention and Progress Monitoring Worksheet
SSMT Invitation to Parents to attend - sample
Parent Letter of SSMT Results
RE 1 Form
RE 2 Form

Note: See the LEP section, ADD/ADHD section, and APD section for specific information regarding SSMT procedures for those students.

Testing/Accomodation

This section includes information about testing students with special needs.

Accommodation letter and spreadsheet from DPI 3-9-10

EC Testing Accommodations 10-10 Powerpoint

Transfer Students

Transfers into and out of your school need to be handled swiftly; students with IEP’s must continue to receive services; delays in sending or obtaining records do not allow students to go without services.

For students moving in, call the sending school to get service information and work diligently to get records, especially the current IEP. You will have to complete replacement forms and perhaps have to do an initial or reevaluation if records cannot be obtained in a timely manner. Most importantly, you need to provide “comparable” services for the student immediately. If the student had been receiving services not available at your school (for example, self-contained), please involve Central Office. Students from within Rockingham County Schools are usually easy to deal with (call Central Office to inform about the move). Students within North Carolina should have all required forms completed. Students outside North Carolina are considered initial referrals.

For students moving out, please be considerate of the receiving school and call with information. Within our county, you will send the folder directly to the new school (and inform Central Office). Otherwise please get the sending information and send with the file to Central Office; Central Office will send records. However, you are welcome to FAX the IEP or otherwise help the receiving school. Remember that we may share information with public schools without permissions (but we do like to inform parents when possible that we are sending records).

Please click on links below for details.

Procedures:

Forms:

Consent For Release of Information
Incoming Transfers Telephone Log (TEL)
Continuation of Services For Transfer Students (TEMP)
Exceptional Student Information Card (hard card)
File Transfer Form (use at end of year for transfers to another school)

Forms & Handouts

Below is a list of forms (and some directions to form use) and handouts that may be needed by EC staff. Most of these are repeated in the appropriate Notebook sections. All legal placement forms (DEC forms) are accessed through EasyIEP and are not repeated here. Many forms listed below are also available on the main menu of EasyIEP. If there is no hot link, you may call Central Office for a copy of the form.

Forms used for folder maintenance:

Order Form (to request hard copies of forms)
Posted Access to Exception Child Records (required wherever EC folders are housed)
Hard Card (for cumulative folder)
Hard Card Dividers (for folder organization)
Record of Entry into Confidential Information Files (for file)
Special Education History (for file)
Record of Parent Contacts (for file)