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Each school has a Case Study Committee (CSC).
Members of the school CSC include the general educator, special
educator, guidance counselor, school nurse, and administrator.
Some schools have such support personnel as the English as a
Second Language (ESL) teacher, English Language Arts (ELA)
specialist, and Literacy Coach on the team. The parent (and
student when appropriate) is also part of the CSC once a referral
for special education is accepted. The CSC is tasked to: |
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Child Find — The CSC will
conduct Child Find activities. Child Find is a DoDDS program that
actively seeks to locate and identify children and youth who may
have developmental delays or educational disabilities and may need
special education and related services. Child Find activities,
when conducted in the school, may include classroom observations,
parent conferences, and review of educational records. These
activities may lead to a more formal process to further explore
ways to assist children.
Behaviors that may alert teachers or parents about a suspected
developmental delay or educational disability include: |
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Difficulty staying on task |
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Persistent difficulty in following directions |
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Difficulty understanding what is read |
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Difficulty solving math problems |
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Inability to talk as well as other children of the same age |
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Demonstrating little interest in toys or stories for children of
that age |
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Difficulty expressing ideas in spoken or written form |
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Interventions —
The CSC
will recommend interventions. Parents and teachers may be
concerned that a child or youth is experiencing difficulties in
academic achievement and/or developmental progress. A parent
should contact the child’s teacher or guidance counselor to
discuss ideas and strategies that may help in the learning
process. Some CSC members may be involved in working with the
parent, teacher, and student in recommending interventions
(changes in school instruction or home routines) that can assist
the child. |
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Referral — The CSC will review
all referrals for special education and related services. At the
end of the intervention/prereferral period, a conference is held
to discuss the child’s progress. If the interventions have not
been successful, then a referral to the CSC will be made. An
individual evaluation is recommended when the CSC suspects that a
child may have an educational disability. An assessment plan is
designed to gain insight, through a series of tests and
observations, into the suspected area of disability(ies) which may
be influencing a child’s educational success. |
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Evaluation — The CSC will conduct
evaluations. Evaluations are special tests, observations, and
other activities designed to collect information which will help
in determining whether a student needs special education. The
purpose of the evaluation will be printed on the permission form
that parents will be asked to sign. These evaluations will be
completed by a trained team of professionals (multidisciplinary
team), include more than one test or procedure, and be
administered in a non-discriminatory and non-biased manner. The
results of the evaluation will provide information about the
child’s educational strengths and needs and help determine whether
a special education program is necessary. |
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Eligibility — The CSC will determine
eligibility for special education. After the evaluations are
completed, parents, together with the CSC, will meet to review all
of the information. The decision of whether a child is eligible
for special education services is based on comparing the
evaluation results to the eligibility criteria for the suspected
disability. |
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Individual Education Program (IEP) —
Develop
an Individualized Education Program (IEP). If the child is found
eligible for special education, a written plan is developed. This
program includes: current educational levels; long range goals and
short term objectives for a 1-year period; ways in which progress
will be evaluated; who will provide needed services; time in a
special education program; modifications to the general education
program; any medically related services; and secondary transition
planning for adult life (begins at age 14). This IEP will be
reviewed and revised each year to evaluate the child’s progress in
achieving the goals. The child is reevaluated every 3 years to
determine current educational needs and continued special
education eligibility. The plan goes into effect only after
parents agree and sign it. |
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Special Education Programs —
Special
Education Programs are reviewed on an on-going basis through the
use of
DoDEA Special Education Compliance Standards, the
identification of Best Practices, and Special Education
Improvement Plans. |
