Support Services and Special Education

New York State Education Department 
PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS NOTICE

July 2017

Rights for Parents of Children with Disabilities, Ages 3-21

As a parent, you are a vital member of the Committee on Special Education (CSE) or Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) in New York State. The CSE/CPSE is responsible for developing recommendations for special education programs and services for your child. You must be given opportunities to participate in the CSE/CPSE discussion and decision-making process about your child’s needs for special education.

The following information concerns procedural safeguards that are your legal rights under federal and State laws to be informed about and involved in the special education process and to make sure that your child receives a free appropriate public education (FAPE).

A copy of this procedural safeguards notice must be provided to you one time a year and:

• upon initial referral or your request for an evaluation of your child.
• whenever you request a copy.
• upon receipt of the first due process complaint in a school year requesting mediation or an impartial hearing.
• the first time in a school year when the school district receives a copy of a State complaint that you submitted to the New York State Education Department (NYSED).
• when a decision is made to suspend or remove your child for discipline reasons that would result in a disciplinary change in placement.

The Procedural Safeguards Notice has been adapted from the model form developed by the United States Department of Education (USDOE). Information was added regarding New York State’s requirements.

The University of the State of New York
New York State Education Department
Office of Special Education

Listed below are sources for parent/guardian to contact to get assistance in understanding the special education process and their rights. This list is not intended as an endorsement of these agencies but is provided for your information as required by the regulations governing the provision of special education. The names of the listed agencies are published in the
Westchester Community Services Directory.

New York State Alternate Assessment

Transition Planning is way a student with a disability can move smoothly from school to post-school activities (the areas of live, learn, work and play).

The activities are meant to help the student develop skills for continued education (college), vocational training (trades), employment (supported/competitive), adult services (programs), independent living and participating in the community. Activities should be based on the expressed future goals of the student including the development of the necessary skills that are needed for success in achieving those goals.

NAVIGATING ADULT SERVICES

Transition Timeline Tip Sheet

The Hudson Valley’s Early Childhood and School-age Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Center provides support, training, technical assistance, and professional development to families, schools, districts, preschool programs, and other community partners. Their work focuses on empowering schools, families and communities to improve equity, access, opportunities and outcomes for all students with disabilities.

FACE Information Flyer

The Special Education Parent Teacher Association provides information and support to parents and caregivers of children with special needs, including those with 504 plans, IEPs, receiving RTI or having general learning or medical challenges.  They sponsor industry-professional speakers, parent support gatherings, library resources and education programs.

Special Education Parent Teacher Association

Resources for Preschool Special Education

Guide to Preschool Special Education

List of Approved Evaluation Sites

Committee on Preschool Special Education Timeline

Forms for Preschool Special Education

Prescription/Referral for Preschool Evaluations/Services

Medicaid Form

The Committee on Special Education (CSE) is a multi-disciplinary team that identifies children in grades K-12 with special education needs such as learning disabilities, speech and language impairments, physical disabilities, emotional disturbance, mental retardation, etc. The CSE recommends programs and services to support the academic program.

The Committee is composed of personnel from the Ardsley schools including a chairperson, school psychologist, special education teachers, school physician, and a parent of a student receiving special education services. Although it is natural for parents and staff members to be concerned about designating a child as having special education needs, such designation provides assurance that a specially designed program will be provided to the child by the District.

At the preschool level, the responsibility of the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) is to determine if students ages 3-5 are eligible for special education or related services.  A child can be referred to CPSE by his/her parents.  If your child is younger than three, please refer to Westchester County’s Early Intervention Program. Your child must first be registered with the Ardsley Union Free School District to be referred to CPSE.

To register preschool children, please visit the District Homepage to access New Student Registration Information under the Parent tab, or click here: "New Student Information".
We will be happy to discuss full the process with you, so please call our office prior to registering your child.

Once the CPSE office receives the registration packet from the District Office, we will contact you to determine the types of evaluations your child will need and then have you sign consent for the appropriate evaluations. All evaluations take place only after consent is received.  The committee then meets to review the multidisciplinary evaluations in order to determine if the child is eligible for special education.  At that meeting, the child's strengths and concerns are discussed.  If it is determined that the child is eligible, the child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is drafted.  The IEP includes goals and objectives, and service recommendations based on those goals and objectives.  The plan is reviewed yearly at a CPSE meeting to review the child’s progress, determine ongoing eligibility, and update goals.
 

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a formal document enumerating the special services planned for a student who has been designated by the Committee on Special Education or Committee on Preschool Special Education.

The IEP contains a summary of the student’s strengths and weaknesses, present levels of performance and specific educational goals. It also indicates the nature of the disabling condition and the recommended program and placement. The IEP is the teacher’s guide for instruction and states the criteria used to determine the effectiveness of the instructional plan.

In each school, a team of staff members, known as the Child Study Team (CST), meets regularly to plan for any student whose performance and/or behavior is a cause for concern. Upon referral by a staff member or parent, the team discusses all aspects of the problem and may recommend further evaluation, classroom intervention, parent contact, teacher consultation or other strategies. If the CST believes the student needs special support and services, it will refer the student to the Committee on Special Education or the Section 504 Committee.