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Every school building in the Mahtomedi School District has staff members licensed to provide special education and related services for those students who meet criteria and have special education needs. Parents and students are directly involved with school and appropriate outside agency staff in the development of the special education program and the student's Individual Education Plan (IEP) for school-age children, Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) for children in Early Childhood Special Education, or Individual Interagency Intervention Plan (IIIP) for students getting services from multiple agencies.
Programs and related services for students with a disability may begin at birth or as soon as criteria is met and the need for special education services is determined.
Students are eligible for special education services until the IEP, IIIP, or IFSP Team decides to terminate services. Special education services are also terminated when the student graduates from high school or when the student is 21 years of age. Students remain with their general education peers in the least restrictive environment (LRE) to the extent the IEP, IIIP, or IFSP Team determines is appropriate.
Special education program evaluation in Mahtomedi is accomplished through a single strategic plan to improve due process compliance and program results for students with disabilities. You can learn more about the Continuous Improvement Monitoring Process by following this link.
The Mahtomedi School District assures students with special education needs access to appropriate services including services in the following disability areas and related services areas:
Children may be eligible for special education services at birth. For these children, services are delivered through the combined efforts of Washington County and the Mahtomedi School District. An IFSP is developed to meet the needs of the child and the family. Children are often identified through Mahtomedi Community Education programming such as preschool screening and Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE). Identification of school-age children is usually based on the student's performance in school. Several steps are used in determining the appropriate educational program to be provided: Pre-referral : When classroom teachers notice a student who is displaying difficulties in learning, at least two different approaches (pre-referral interventions) are tried and documented to accommodate the needs of the student.
Teachers often get suggestions for pre-referral intervention strategies from their peers at Teacher Assistance Team (TAT) meetings. Classroom teachers must also be in regular contact with parents to communicate issues and to learn of situations happening in the home that could affect the student's performance in school.
Referral : If pre-referral classroom interventions are not effective in resolving the student's learning difficulties, the classroom teacher may make a referral for an IEP Team, including the parent(s), to consider whether further evaluation is necessary.
If evaluation is necessary, the Team decides the areas to be evaluated and determines what types of evaluations should be completed. Parents may also initiate the request for evaluation by submitting a written request for evaluation to the school.
Evaluation: Parents are strongly encouraged to contribute pertinent information during this period. Their perspectives on and experiences with the student are of great value and must be considered during the evaluation. Licensed staff perform the evaluation(s) and share results with parents and other Team members.
Individual Education Plan: If the student meets criteria and is in need of special education services, the student, parent(s) and staff develop an IEP or IIIP to address the areas of deficit as identified in the evaluation process.
Review: The IEP is reviewed at several points throughout the school year. It must be updated at least once, annually. The evaluation results obtained on the student must be reviewed at least once every three years.
Children ages birth-three have access to special education services at home or in an early childhood school setting. Children that are preschool age have access to services in an early childhood school setting. The site for services is determined by the IFSP or IEP Team and is based on factors such as the child's age and needs. School-age students are provided special education services within the district to the extent it is appropriate.
Students whose needs cannot appropriately be met in the district, receive special education service at sites such as those provided through Northeast Metro Intermediate School District 916 which has a number of campuses across the east metro area. Mahtomedi also contracts with other school districts and other agencies for special education services at other locations.
When a student reaches age 14 or grade nine, preparing for the transition from school to adult living and work becomes the focus of the instruction and services delivered in and by the school. The Mahtomedi Transition Program and the Work Experience Handicapped Program are in place to help students acquire the skills necessary for life after high school. This includes a focus on:
The Mahtomedi School District provides support to staff, parents and IEP or IIIP Teams in disability areas and services of low incidence through Resource/Support Staff. There is resource staff available in:
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