Special Education News

Here are some important reminders:

• If you must place a child in a restraint the paperwork must be completed within 24 hours. The child MUST be seen by the nurse and your administrator and Assistant Supervisor needs to be notified. Restraints should ONLY be used if there is an immediate danger to the student or others. Please use de-escalation strategies first!

• Students who have AAC devices should have them 100% of the day. If they do not use it appropriately, re-teach the appropriate way to use. NEVER take away the device as a consequence. Reach out to your speech staff for assistance
• Students need expected structure - Keep you daily schedule as consistent as possible. Let students know in advance, when possible, of changes. (you will be out, assemblies, filed trips, etc.) If you are changing up your schedule, prepare your students and have clear visuals and expectations.
• Communication with families should be occurring monthly by phone and as needed by email or Dojo and logged into Cleartrack.
• Communicate with your Assistant Supervisor or myself with questions, concerns or even share some great things happening!

If you can help us promote students participating in this GST BOCES wide event presented by Corning Painted Post High School, we would LOVE to have you help!

How can you help?

• Chaperone on the day
• Help prepare the students
• Encourage your students to participate

If you need more information please reach out to Heather Donovan hdonovan@elmiracityschools.com

All PD agendas will be provided by your Assistant Supervisor

• March 18
• April 22
• May 27

GST is excited to offer a new Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) designed specifically for teachers who serve students with moderate and severe disabilities. These educators face some of the most complex instructional and behavioral challenges, and having a space to collaborate, problem-solve, and share strategies is incredibly valuable.

Designing instruction for our most significantly impacted learners is important, meaningful work—and this CLC is intended to give teachers the tools, structure, and support they deserve.

Virtual Sessions | 3:15–4:15 PM on the following dates:

• Jan 29
• Feb 12
• Mar 18
• Apr 1
• May 21

Teachers can attend any or all sessions.

1.5 day Refresher Training

March 4, 5

March 12,13 - Rescheduled Jan Training

March 19, 20

May 13, 14

We have continued with LessonPix for the 2025-2026 school year. The registration code remains the same as last school year.

ElmiraCSD25 (registration code)

Head over to the AAC users group in Schoology to access some amazing resources.

Click Resources, then Materials, Emily and Che have loaded a ton of great things!!

If you have difficulty accessing, let us know!

https://express.schoology.com/group/6874176229

Please utilize the PINE platform for information, strategies and office hours. If you do not have a PINE account set up yet, please reach out to your building leaders to get you started!

If you have questions about students, AAC, structures, planning, anything really, PINE is here for you! Utilize the office hours as often as you need!!

Deflate parent pressure driving eligibility, make rock-solid, data-backed decisions

Some parents may misunderstand that not every student with a disability is eligible for special education under the IDEA. To qualify, a student must have a disability that falls under the IDEA’s 13 disability categories and requires specially designed instruction to receive educational benefit. 34 CFR 300.8. When a student is found ineligible, families may continue to request eligibility because they are confused, frustrated, or looking for support. While both the family and district want what is best for the student, the district must base its determination only on the IDEA criteria. If districts identify a student as eligible without data to support it, they risk weak IEPs, failure to evaluate claims, and difficulty exiting the student later, said Kali Taylor, attorney for Kaleva Law Office in Missoula, Mont. Below, Taylor explains how districts can resist the pressure by making rock-solid eligibility decisions, communicating them clearly, and keeping the process firmly grounded in data.

Don’t identify without solid data

“If a district determines that a student is eligible for special education services, it is also saying [she] requires specialized instruction in order to receive an educational benefit,” said Taylor. “Without strong data, designing that specialized instruction becomes nearly impossible.” Insufficient data supporting eligibility also makes it hard for districts to defend parents’ challenging the sufficiency of the IEP or to support a later decision to exit the student from services, Taylor said. Additionally, providing services to a student who does not actually require them strains already stretched district resources.

Districts should train all staff to read and implement eligibility checklists to avoid identifying students who do not qualify, said Taylor. She also said thorough documentation and data are critical for districts when making any determination. “That documentation and data are the best defense against state complaints and in a due process hearing.”

Clearly explain criteria, data

When parents continue to request eligibility, the team should explain the eligibility criteria and walk them through the data supporting the decision, Taylor said. Reassure parents that the district is committed to supporting the student, but let them know that the data do not show that the student needs special education to receive educational benefit. Taylor said teams often encounter parents who bring in a medical diagnosis and want their child to be found eligible under that same category. While the team still needs to consider the diagnosis, it should explain how special education eligibility criteria differ from medical diagnoses. These conversations are also an opportunity to describe class wide interventions already in place, like study skills or other universal supports, said Taylor. Sharing data about the effectiveness of those interventions can help parents better understand the student’s progress. Ultimately, she said, it can ease tension by reminding families of the district’s commitment to the student and educating them about the process.

Strengthen documentation, prior written notice

After an eligibility determination or any decision is made, the team must provide parents with PWN after the meeting that reflects the team’s final conclusions, Taylor said. “This PWN should document that the parents dis[1]agreed but then explain why the team came to [its] determination.” The team must also ensure it provides parents with their procedural safeguards at the meeting, she said. “Further communication should be documented and preserved,” said Taylor. Additionally, “individual staff members should not be communicating about these decisions with the parents as no individual staff member makes the decision.” Any future discussion the parent requests should be directed to administrators, and administrators should clarify that decisions are made by the full team, she said.

Reconsider only if new data emerge

If the parent presents new information, such as data or documentation, the team should reconvene to consider it, Taylor said. “The most important thing to remember here is that this does not mean the team has to change their ultimate decision if they can still support that decision with data.” “The team should also ensure it evaluated the student in every area the parent requested, even if they do not suspect the student will qualify,” said Taylor. If the district conducts additional evaluations at the parents’ request, the team will also need to reconvene and consider them, she said.