• 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 Committee on Special Education (CSE) or has concerns that may warrant assessment of student progress, they are encouraged to first discuss concerns with their building principal and school psychologist, as each building has a Response to Intervention Team that should first address student needs.  This process is recommended by law, and is often more meaningful to the students’ immediate needs.

    The responsibility of the Committee on Special Education (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.
    • 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 insure that each student is benefitting from the program they are receiving.

    Committee on Special Education Membership:

    • Parent(s) of the student and anyone they wish to invite
    • 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)
    • 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
    • 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)
    • The school physician, if requested by the parent or the district
    • A parent representative who has a child with an educational disability, if requested by the parent or the district
    • 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:

    • Parent(s) of the student and anyone they wish to invite
    • 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)
    • 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 an/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)
    • The school physician, if requested by the parent
    • 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

     

    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.  Additionally, there is a focus on long-term planning and post-secondary outcomes as students turn 15 years of age.  The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is reviewed annually and changes are recommended based on progress the students makes.  A student who achieves their goals may be considered for Declassification of special education supports.