TCCS Parental Involvement Policy For
the purpose of involving parents in the joint development of its school
wide parental involvement plan under section 1112 of the ESEA and to involve parents in the process of school review and improvement under section 1116 of the ESEA,
Teaneck Community Charter School will create and utilize [temporary]
Parent Advisory Committees whose review and input will be given every
consideration as to the structure, content, and delivery of ESEA-related
programs. Parents will have the opportunities to
design, implement, evaluate, and suggest changes to improve the Title I
program. Parents will be provided with a description of current
curriculum used at the school, the Content Standards adopted by the New
Jersey Department of Education, an explanation of what assessments are
used to measure student progress and what goals and expectations have
been set in relation to those assessments. Other major components of the
Title I Program include parental notification, community meetings,
student program reports, parent-teacher conferences, parent visitation,
in-service for teachers, announcements, and policy dissemination. The
Teaneck Community Charter Schoolwill coordinate and integrate parental
involvement strategies in Part A with parental involvement strategies
under the following other programs including Differentiated Learning,
and any and all programs, services, and activities that involve or bring
students into contact with community agencies and organizations. This
will be accomplished through the development of Parent Advisory
Committees which meet regularly and provide input into the structure,
content, and delivery of all programs. The
Teaneck Community Charter School sponsors the Teaneck Charter School
Community Organization (TCSCO) as an inclusive volunteer organization
which holds regular monthly meetings and involves family members
of all students in the life of the school. The TCSCO, among other
activities, conducts—with the involvement of parents—an annual
evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parental involvement
policy in improving the quality of its Title I, Part A school. The
evaluation includes identifying barriers to greater participation by
parents in parental involvement activities (with particular attention to
parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited
English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or
ethnic minority background). The school uses the findings of the
evaluation about its parental involvement policy and activities to
design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to
revise, if necessary (and with the involvement of parents) its parental
involvement policies. The annual evaluation
utilizes a Parent Advisory Committee which meets with the various
members of the Executive Board of the TCSCO (two co-chairs, a
vice-chair, a secretary, a treasurer, and an events coordinator, all of
whom are elected for one year terms by families in the school
community). The Parent Advisory Committee and the Executive Board
reviews the current policy at a school-site meeting, suggests any
changes to the content and effectiveness of this parental involvement
policy, makes said changes if necessary, and submits the revised
document to the Board for approval if needed. The
Teaneck Community Charter School builds the schools’ and parent’s
capacity for strong parental involvement, in order to ensure effective
involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school
involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic
achievement by providing assistance to parents of children served, as
appropriate, in understanding topics such as the State’s academic
content standards, the State’s student academic achievement standards,
the State and local academic assessments including alternate
assessments, the requirements of Part A, how to monitor their child’s
progress, and how to work with educators. Such assistance is provided
through the Teaneck Charter School Community Organization (TCSCO) which
communicates regularly with family members by sending home weekly
updates of events, monthly calendars, and a bi-monthly newsletter. The
TCSCO also depends on volunteers and is organized by a variety of
committees to provide such assistance as heretofore described. Through
the TCSCO, TCCS also provides materials and training to help parents
work with their children to improve their children’s academic
achievement. Further, TCCS, with the assistance of
parents, educates its teachers, pupil services personnel, principals
and other staff, in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with
parents as equal partners, in the value and utility of contributions of
parents, and in how to implement and coordinate parent programs and
build ties between parents and schools. To the
extent feasible and appropriate, TCCS coordinates and integrates
parental involvement programs and activities with public preschool and
other programs, and conducts other activities, such as after school
programs that encourage and support parents in more fully participating
in the education of their children. All of the
above is accomplished through the use of both standing committees and
oversight sub committees. The committee structure has been modified each
year in order to try to efficiently respond to issues that need
attention. In addition to standing committees, the TCCS Board has in the
past and may again in the future utilize sub-committees, such as
After-School Committee, Policy Revision Committee, Public Relations
Committee, Technology Committee; Parental Involvement Committee, etc.
These sub-committees or non-standing committees address specific needs
and are assigned under the standing committees. Finally,
TCCS ensures that information related to the school and
parent-programs, meetings, and other activities, is sent to the parents
of participating children in an understandable and uniform format,
including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent
practicable, in a language the parents can understand. This is
accomplished primarily through the Teaneck Charter School Community
Organization (TCSCO) which communicates regularly with family members by
sending home weekly updates of events, monthly calendars, and a
bi-monthly newsletter. TCCS PARENT COMPACT School Responsibilities The Teaneck Community Charter School will: 1.
Provide high-quality curriculum which emphasizes topics from the New
Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards as well as personalized
instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment with no
more than 17 students in a classroom that engages student interest and
participation and results in the participating children meeting the
State’s student academic achievement standards 2. Hold
individual parent-teacher conferences twice a year as well as on an
as-needed basis during which this compact will be discussed as it
relates to the individual child’s achievement. Parent-teacher conferences will also cover the child’s academic progress and discuss any problems, concerns, and achievements in the classroom. 3. Provide
parents with frequent reports on their children’s
progress.Specifically, the school will provide reports as follows:
Formal reporting of student progress takes place three times a year. The
schedule for this reporting is as follows: 1. Conference and report card in December. Conferences will be December 2 and 3 2. Conference and report card in March. Conferences will be March 14 and 16 3. Final report card in June All students in grades 3-8 will take a standardized test at the conclusion of school 4. Provide
parents reasonable access to staff.Specifically, staff will be
available for consultation with parents during individual parent-teacher
conferences twice a year as well as on an as-needed basis. Parents have
email access to staff at all times. 5. Provide
parents opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s
class, and to observe classroom activities, through the Teaneck Charter
School Community Organization (TCSCO) which, as an inclusive volunteer
organization, holds regular monthly meetings and involves family members
of all students in the life of the school. Parent Responsibilities As parents of TCCS students, we will support our children’s learning in the following ways: monitoring attendance; making sure that homework is completed; monitoring the amount of television our children watch; volunteering in my child’s classroom; participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to my children’s education; promoting positive use of my child’s extracurricular time; staying informed about my child’s education and communicating with the school by promptly reading all notices from the school or the school district either received by my child or by mail and responding, as appropriate; serving, to the extent possible, on volunteer advisory groups, such as being the Title I, Part A parent representative on the school’s, Policy Advisory Committee, the School Support Team or other school advisory or policy groups. NJSBA#: 6171.3
At-Risk And Title 1 The
school shall comply with all state and federal requirements in
developing, implementing, administering and evaluating funded
compensatory education programs and programs for pupils determined to be
at risk. Such instructional
services and activities shall be designed to improve the level of
proficiency in reading, writing, mathematics and other skills of pupils
whose academic, social or environmental needs prevent them from
succeeding in regular school programs, and to prevent their regression
in such skills when regular programs are not in
session. Parents/guardians shall be kept informed of their children's
progress and shall be invited to consult with staff on ways to give
their children the maximum benefits of such programs. At
least once annually, a public meeting shall be held for the express
purpose of informing parents/guardians of the programs and activities
provided with Title 1 funds. The agenda shall include:
The parents/guardians of all eligible children shall be invited to attend. Mandated Policy Statements in Addition to Parent Consultation
B. Comparability of materials and supplies. To be in compliance with the requirements of 20 U.S.C. 3807, Section 558 (2)(B) (Title 1), the
board of TCCS directs the Director to distribute curriculum materials
and instructional supplies to the schools in such a way that equivalence
is ensured within the school. C. Supplement not supplant. The
School shall use Title 1 and/or state compensatory education funds only
to supplement and to the extent practical increase the level of funds
that would, in the absence of Title 1 and/or state compensatory
education funds, be made available for the education of pupils
participating in Title 1 or state compensatory education projects. In no
case shall Title 1 and/or state compensatory education funds be used to
supplant those non‑Title 1 or nonstate compensatory education funds. Eligibility for State and Federal Funds The
Director shall ensure that all requirements for receiving state and
federal funds shall be fulfilled in an accurate and timely manner. Control
over such funds and title to all equipment and supplies purchased with
such funds shall remain with the board. Procurement, control, use and
disposition of equipment and supplies purchased with state/federal funds
shall be in full compliance with the law. General The
Director shall direct appropriate administrative personnel to pursue
vigorously all possible sources of funding, either state or federal,
that supports such compensatory services, and shall keep abreast of all
changes in the law, which restrict or expand the school's use of state
or federal funds. Programs especially designed for migrant children shall be provided as necessary. Legal References: Cross References: Key Words: State/Federal
Funds, Federal Funds, Compensatory Instruction, Basic Skills,
Maintenance of Effort, Supplement not Supplant, Comparability, At-risk
Pupils NJSBA#: 6171.4
Special Education In
compliance with state department of education interpretation of the
administrative Code on special education, the board adopts the following
revision/amendment of its existing policies on providing educational
and related services to pupils identified as having educationally
disabling conditions as defined in federal and state law. A. Exemption of educationally disabled pupils from the school graduation requirements According
to N.J.A.C. 6A:14-4.11 through -4.12 and N.J.A.C. 6:3-4A.1, a disabled
pupil must meet all state and local graduation requirements unless
exempted in his/her IEP. When a pupil has been exempted from any
graduation requirement, his/her IEP shall address alternate requirements
to be met. By the year specified in code, the board shall ensure that
all pupils with disabilities participate in statewide assessments with
appropriate accommodations or modifications, as determined by the
pupil's IEP. If the nature of the pupil's disability is so severe that
the pupil is not receiving instruction in any of the knowledge and
skills measured by the statewide assessment and the pupil cannot
complete any of the questions on the assessment in a subject area with
or without accommodations, the pupil shall participate in a locally
determined assessment of pupil progress. By
June 30 of a disabled pupil's last year in the elementary program, the
pupil's case manager, parent/guardian and teacher(s) shall meet to
review the instructional guide and basic plan of the pupil's IEP in view
of the transition to the secondary program. Input from appropriate
staff from the secondary school shall be part of the review. The
basic plan of the IEP for the pupil entering the secondary program will
address all the elements required in the administrative code, including
specifically addressing graduation requirements. Required reviews of
the IEP shall continue to address graduation requirements. A
disabled pupil who has not been exempted from the proficiencies or has
performed below the state minimum level of pupil proficiency on one or
more areas of the state-mandated high school proficiency test may
participate in the special review assessment (SRA). Educationally
disabled pupils meeting the standards for graduation according to
N.J.A.C. 6A:14-4. 12 shall have the opportunity to participate in
graduation exercises and related activities on a nondiscriminatory
basis. B. Prevention of needless public labeling of educationally disabled pupils The
board directs that the names and other personally identifiable data
concerning educationally disabled children shall be kept confidential
and shall not be included in the public acts and public records of this
district. Such names and data shall be reduced to code for inclusion in
the public record. A special confidential file shall be maintained
listing the names of educationally disabled pupils on whose behalf the
Board of Trustees must take public action. Motions concerning disabled
pupils made at public meetings shall be anonymous and referred to this
confidential file. This
file shall be maintained in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6:3-6.2. Further,
the board, administrators, faculty and other personnel shall avoid
unnecessary and needless public labeling of such pupils. This shall
include the avoidance of public address announcements so designating
pupils, any open identification of classrooms with signs so designating,
or any item of open or general circulation, such as photographs,
audio/videotapes, etc., that so designates an individual pupil or class.
Pupil records shall be maintained in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6:3-6.4. C. Compilation, maintenance, access to and confidentiality of pupil records According
to N.J.A.C. 6:3-6.4 through -6.6, to ensure proper accessibility and
confidentiality, the records of educationally disabled pupils shall be
gathered, updated, maintained, stored, transferred, made accessible and
finally disposed of in accordance with the district policy 5125 on pupil
records in general. To assure the security of special education
records: 1. Provision shall be made for access and security of computer-stored records of educationally disabled pupils; 2. Clerical
and secretarial tasks related to such records shall be performed only
under the supervision of appropriately certified staff. As
with all pupil records, access shall be guaranteed to persons
authorized according to N.J.A.C. 6:3-6.5 within 10 days of the request,
but prior to any review or hearing conducted in accordance with state
Board of Trustees regulations. For
the district's general policy and regulation on pupil records see 5125,
which deals with all requirements common to disabled and general pupil
records including enumeration and description of records, provisions for
access, notice to parents/guardians of their rights in regard to the
child's records, etc. D. Identification, location and evaluation of potentially educationally disabled pupils, According
to N.J.A.C 6A:14-3.3, the School Director shall prepare written
procedures for identifying pupils enrolled in the charter district that
may be educationally disabled, who are not receiving special education
and/or related services as required. Procedures shall include provision
for the referral of pupils who may be experiencing physical, sensory,
emotional, communication, cognitive or social difficulties. These
procedures and arrangements shall be adopted by the board after review
and possible revision. The procedures shall include criteria by which to
identify the potentially disabled, and require the participation of
staff, parents/guardians and appropriate agencies. Evaluation and Determination of Eligibility The
evaluation process to determine a pupil's eligibility for educational
and related services beyond those available within the regular public
school program shall be conducted in strict compliance with the
provisions of N.J.A.C. 6A:14-2.3, 2.5, 3.4 and 3.5 dealing with: 1. Parental
notice, notification, consent and involvement, including determination
of the parents/guardians' dominant language and necessary accommodations
if the language is other than English or if the parents/guardians are
deaf; 2. An
initial evaluation that consists of a multi-disciplinary assessment in
all areas of suspected disability and a written report of the results of
each assessment; 3. Determination
that a pupil is eligible for special education and related services
when he/she has been identified as having one or more of the thirteen
categories of disability described in the administrative code, and the
disability adversely affects the pupil's educational performance. The
School Director shall oversee development of detailed procedures to
govern the evaluation process, and shall implement them after they have
been reviewed and adopted by the board. The board shall ensure that a
variety of assessment tools and strategies shall be applied to gather
information to develop and monitor the IEP, including cooperation and
input from the parents/guardians. Relevant information shall also be
related to enabling the pupil to be involved in and progress in the
general education curriculum or, for preschool children with
disabilities to participate in appropriate activities. E. Provision of full educational opportunity to educationally disabled pupils. The Board of Trustees is responsible for providing education for all children resident in the district. All reasonable efforts will
be made to resolve an enrolled child's learning and adjustment
difficulties prior to his/her referral to the child study team for
screening and/or evaluation. When a pupil is found eligible for special
education and related services and the Board of Trustees cannot provide
required instruction and related services from its own resources and
facilities, the board will comply with regulation appropriate to charter
districts. The
goal of the board's special education program is to provide full
educational opportunity to all educationally disabled pupils enrolled in
the charter district, as those terms are defined in federal and state
law. The School Director shall ensure that the district's special
education programs comply with the law in every respect, including
fiscal regulations and reports. The
School Director shall also ensure that the district plan for special
education is in compliance with administrative code and the approved
state plan for special education, according to N.J.A.C. 6A:14-4.1. This
plan shall consist of policies, procedures, assurances, a comprehensive
system of personnel development, data collection and an application that
a comprehensive describes the use of IDEA Part B funds. The School
Director shall ensure that the plan is implemented in this district and
shall supervise its operation so that it will accomplish its stated
goals and objectives. F. Participation
of and consultation with the parents of educationally disabled pupils
toward the goal of providing full educational opportunity to all
educationally disabled pupils within the charter district. In
order to achieve the district's goal of providing full educational
opportunity to all educationally disabled pupils in accordance with the
administrative code, parent/guardian participation shall be sought in
every successive stage of the special education decision making process,
pursuant to N.J.A.C.6A:14-2.3 and 2.4. All notifications shall be made
and all necessary conferences conducted in the language used for
communication by the parent/guardian and the pupil unless it is not
feasible to do so, in which case the provisions of administrative code
shall be followed. Written notice to parents/guardians and/or adult pupils shall be provided as follows: 1. The board shall provide written notice no later than 15 calendar days after making a determination; 2. The
board shall provide written notice at least 15 calendar days prior to
the implementation of a proposed action so that the parents/guardians
and/or adult pupil may consider the proposal. The School Director shall develop and present to the board for review and adoption procedures for: 1. Giving
notice to parents/guardians when an initial request is being made for
consent to evaluate or when a proposal has been made to initiate or
change a classification, evaluation or educational placement of the
pupil, or the provision of a free, appropriate education. For each
instance, all required information and documentation shall be supplied
to the parents/guardians within the timelines set by the administrative
code. Particular care must be taken to inform parents/guardians of
their right to appeal and their rights in regard to low-cost legal
counsel and fees; 2. Seeking consent of parents/guardians to the actions in1 when such consent is required; 3. Seeking
parent/guardian participation in conferences and determinations as
specified in 1, and in evaluation of the success of the educational plan
for their child. When necessary, conference schedules shall be altered
to accommodate working parents/guardians; 4. Mediation
when disputes arise during any stage of the special education process
that cannot be settled between the original parties. 5. Particularly,
parental consent shall be obtained prior to implementation of the
initial IEP resulting from evaluation; prior to reevaluation except in
the circumstances outlined in code; and prior to the release of pupil
records according to N.J.A.C. 6:3-6. Procedures
set out in the administrative code shall be followed when
parent/guardian cooperation and/or participation cannot be obtained.
When necessary, a surrogate parent shall be appointed to ensure the
protection of a pupil's rights when the parents/guardians cannot be
identified or located or the child is a ward of the State of New Jersey.
The district shall select and train such surrogate parents in
compliance with the administrative code. No
more than 90 calendar days after parental consent has been received
shall be allowed for the evaluation, determination of eligibility and,
if the pupil is eligible, the development and implementation of the IEP. G. Provision
of special services to enable educationally disabled pupils to
participate in regular educational programs to the maximum extent
appropriate The
Board of Trustees will provide the kind and quality of those special
education-related services prescribed in the IEP to enable educationally
disabled pupils to participate in regular educational programs to the
maximum extent appropriate. Such education-related services shall
include transportation, ensuring that hearing aids worn by deaf and/or
hard of hearing children in school are functioning properly, etc. When
instruction in health, industrial arts, fine arts, music, home
economics, and other education programs is provided to groups consisting
solely of pupils with disabilities, the size of the groups and age
range shall conform to the requirements for special class programs
described in the administrative code. When
pupils with disabilities participate in physical education, intramural
and interscholastic sports, non-academic and extracurricular activities
in groups consisting solely of pupils with disabilities, the age range
and group size shall be based on the nature of the activity, needs of
the pupils participating in the activity and the level of supervision
required. The
evaluation process to determine a pupil's eligibility for educational
and related services beyond those available within the regular public
school program shall be conducted in strict compliance with the
provisions of the administrative code. H. Determination of eligibility according to N.J.A.C.6A:14-2.3(i)1 and 3.5 through -3.6 Eligibility
for special education and related services shall be determined
collaboratively by the parents/guardians; a teacher who is knowledgeable
about the pupil's educational performance or district's programs; the
pupil, where appropriate; at least one child study team member who
participated in the evaluation; the case manager; other appropriate
individuals at the discretion of the parent or district; and for an
initial eligibility meeting, certified school personnel referring the
pupil as potentially disabled, or the school principal or designee if
they choose to participate. A
pupil shall be determined eligible and classified for special education
and related services when it is determined that the pupil has one or
more of the disabilities defined in the administrative code. A pupil
shall be determined eligible for speech-language services when he/she
exhibits a speech or language disorder as outlined in the administrative
code. I. The
individualized education program for each educationally disabled pupil
shall be developed in accordance with the provisions of the
administrative code, at N.J.A.C. 2.3(i)2 and N.J.A.C.6A:14-3.7. The board shall ensure that an IEP is in effect for every pupil in the district who is receiving special education and related services. A
written individualized education program shall be developed and
implemented for each classified pupil and, in accordance with New Jersey
law, a review shall be conducted by the appropriate staff members
annually or more often, if necessary, to evaluate the disabled pupil's
progress and to revise the individualized education program. Meetings
shall be conducted to determine eligibility and to develop, review and
revise a pupil's individualized education program. Such meetings shall
be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time and place, and notice of the
meetings shall indicate the purpose, time, location and participants.
If the parents/guardians cannot attend the meetings, the School
Director/designee shall attempt to ensure parental participation,
including the use of individual or conference telephone calls.
Documentation shall be maintained of all attempts to secure
parent/guardian participation. Parents/guardians shall receive a copy of the pupil's IEP and of any revisions made to it. All
communication with parents/guardians, including written notice,
notifications and required meetings, shall be conducted in the language
used for communication by the parent/guardian and pupil unless it is not
feasible to do so. This shall include providing foreign language
interpreters or translators and sign language interpreters for the deaf
at no cost to the parents. The
IEP shall be developed and monitored with the cooperation and input of
parents/guardians. In addition to educational programming, the IEP shall
provide for necessary disciplinary action and specify graduation
requirements when appropriate. Any accommodations and/or modifications
for the administration of statewide assessments shall be specified in
the IEP. 1. No
more than 90 calendar days after parental consent has been received
shall be allowed for the evaluation, determination of eligibility and,
if the pupil is eligible, the development and implementation of the IEP.
The IEP shall be implemented as soon as possible following the IEP
meeting. 2. The
Board of Trustees will provide the kind and quality of those special
education-related services prescribed in the IEP to enable educationally
disabled pupils to participate in regular educational programs to the
maximum extent appropriate. Such education-related services shall
include transportation, ensuring that hearing aids worn by deaf and/or
hard of hearing children in school are functioning properly, etc. J. Protection of pupils rights in regard to evaluation and reevaluation procedures according to N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.4 and 3.8 Procedures
shall provide all due process protection for the rights of the pupil
and his/her parents/guardians whether the pupil is already enrolled in
the schools or has been located through the process for identification
in the section D of this policy. In
order to achieve the district's goal of providing full educational
opportunity to all educationally disabled pupils in accordance with the
administrative code, parent/guardian participation shall be sought in
every successive stage of the special education decisional process. All
notifications shall be made and all necessary conferences conducted in
the language used for communication by the parent/guardian and the pupil
unless it is not feasible to do so, in which case the provisions of
administrative code shall be followed. The School Director shall develop
and present to the board for review and adoption procedures for.
K. Placement of educationally disabled pupils in the least restrictive environment according to N.J.A.C. 6A:14-4.2 Educational
placement decisions made for each disabled pupil shall always be,
insofar as possible, in the least restrictive environment commensurate
with the pupil's educational needs. This means that to the maximum
extent appropriate, educationally disabled pupils shall be educated with
children who are not educationally disabled. These decisions should be
designed to produce a positive effect on the pupil and to ensure the quality of services which he/she requires. The School Director shall encourage positive attitudes toward the educationally disabled in all district pupils and personnel. Special
classes, separate schooling or other removal of educationally disabled
pupils from the regular educational environment shall occur only when
the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in
regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot
be achieved satisfactorily. This process shall be done in cooperation
with the sending district in compliance with current charter district
regulation. Placement of a disabled pupil in the least restrictive environment shall be determined annually. L. Establishment and implementation of procedural safeguards according to N.J.A.C. 6A:14-2.3 through -2.4 and N.J.A.C. 1:6A The
Board of Trustees directs the School Director to establish and
implement the required procedural safeguards. Procedural safeguards
shall include: 1. Giving
notice to parents/guardians per N.J.A.C. 6A:14-2.3 when an initial
request is being made for consent to evaluate or when a proposal has
been made to initiate or change a classification, evaluation or
educational placement of the pupil, or the provision of a free,
appropriate education. For each instance, all required information and
documentation shall be supplied to the parents/guardians within the
timelines set by the administrative code. Particular care must be taken
to inform parents/guardians of their right to appeal and their rights in
regard to legal fees; 2. Seeking consent of parents/guardians to the actions in 1, when such consent is required; 3. Seeking
parent/guardian participation in conferences and determinations as
specified in 1 and in evaluation of the success of the educational plan
for their child. When necessary, conference schedules shall be altered
to accommodate working parents/guardians; 4. Mediation
when disputes arise during any stage of the special education process
which cannot be settled between the original parties. The
School Director shall ensure that the district's special education
programs comply with the law in every respect, including fiscal
regulations and reports. These
procedures shall provide all due process protection for the rights of
the pupil and his/her parents/guardians. Procedures shall be conducted
in strict compliance with the provisions of the administrative code
dealing with parental notification, consent and involvement, including
determination of the parents/guardians' dominant language and necessary
accommodations if the language is other than English or if the
parents/guardians are deaf. To
implement achievement of the board's goal for provision of special
education, the School Director shall oversee development of a written
plan for special education conforming to the state plan for the
educationally disabled. The plan shall consist of policies, procedures,
assurances; a comprehensive system of personnel development; data
collection and an application that describes the use of IDEA Part B
funds. M. Complying with other aspects of the district program for special education and/or requirements of N.J.A.C. 6A:14 Written Plan To
implement achievement of the board's goal for provision of special
education, the School Director shall oversee development of a written
plan for special education conforming to the state plan for the
educationally disabled. After the plan has been approved by the board of
trustees and the county superintendent, the School Director shall
implement it in this district and supervise its operation so that it
will accomplish its stated goals and objectives. The plan, any
alterations to it, and an evaluation of its effectiveness will be shared
annually with the community. Discipline In
general, educationally disabled pupils are subject to the same
disciplinary constraints and sanctions as non-disabled pupils. However,
before disciplinary action is taken against an educationally disabled
pupil, consideration must be given to whether the behavior is caused by
the disabling condition, whether the program that is being provided
meets the pupil's needs, whether a component of the pupil's IEP covers
the behavior, or whether the pupil is an immediate danger to
himself/herself or others. A
disabled pupil may be removed for disciplinary reasons from his/her
current educational placement to an interim alternative educational
setting, another setting, or a suspension without the provision of
educational services for up to 10 consecutive or cumulative school days
in a school year. Such suspensions are subject to the same district
Board of Trustees procedures as non-disabled pupils. However, at the
time of removal, the principal shall forward written notification and a
description of the reasons for such action to the case manager. Procedures
for imposing and implementing disciplinary sanctions on educationally
disabled pupils, including removal to an interim alternative educational
setting, suspension for more than 10 school days in a school year, or
expulsion, shall be in strict compliance with the provisions of state
and federal law and the administrative code. (See N.J.A.C. 6A:14-2.8,
3.7 and Appendix A) Early Intervention The
School Director or designee shall gather and make available to
parents/guardians of disabled children below the school age information
regarding ameliorative services and programs provided by other state,
county and local agencies. The procedures for such dissemination shall
be reviewed and adopted by the board. Limited English Proficient Pupils
with limited English proficiency may have educationally disabling
conditions that must be addressed in order to provide them the full
educational opportunity that is the goal of the district for every
child. Evaluation procedures shall be selected so that the pupil's
cultural background and language abilities are taken into consideration
unless it is clearly unfeasible to do so; and shall accurately reflect
the pupil's ability rather than the impairment. All actions under
Parent/Guardian Notification, Consent and Participation are to be
conducted in the parents/guardians' dominant language, unless that is
clearly impossible. In that case, care shall be taken that the facts and
procedures are made intelligible to the parents/guardians. Cooperation with Other Agencies The
School Director shall investigate the possibilities of working with
organizations and agencies providing services for the disabled, and
shall present feasible programs and relationships to the board for
consideration. Evaluation of Program At
least annually, the board shall review in a public meeting evidence of
progress toward achievement of the special education plan as a whole,
the success of identification procedures specifically, and the
effectiveness of implementation of IEPs. Eligibility for State and Federal Funds The
School Director shall ensure that all requirements for receiving, using
and accounting for state and federal funds shall be fulfilled in an
accurate and timely manner. Procurement,
control, use and disposition of equipment and supplies purchased with
state/federal funds shall be in full compliance with law. Access In
addition to educational programs, the board directs that the School
Director take into consideration physical access to district facilities
for disabled pupils, staff and the community in determining location of
programs or planning new facilities per state and federal law.
A
policy statement including both a broad commitment to compliance with
the law, and language which addresses each specific requirement for
"policy and procedures" in sufficient detail to provide a basis for the
administrative action necessary to implement them. The policy should
also address the written plan for special education, and the plan for
staff development. Legal References: Cross References: Key Words: Special Education |
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Parent Involvement Policy / School-Parent Compact |