Exceptional Education Services
Occassionally there are questions/concerns about the processes associated with your student's success in the academic setting. Feel free to scroll through our FAQs and with hope all of your questions will be answered here.
Who makes up the Student Support Team?
Membership varies from school to school. Typically there are three to five members. They may be an
administrator, a counselor, a regular education teacher, a special education teacher, a school social
worker, a parent, a media specialist, a school psychologist or other central office persons, as appropriate.
What happens when SST addresses a problem?
A brainstorming process is used to generate recommendations for solving the problem. These are usually
given to a teacher to implement with a student.
How long is the SST strategy implemented?
This depends on the specific problem. Usually, two to six weeks are sufficient to determine whether the
recommendations will succeed. If not, the process may be used again to fine-tune the strategy. Some
cases are of short duration, yet a few students may be followed by SST for their entire school career.
Can the SST refer students for evaluation for special education consideration?
Yes, but only after several important decision criteria are met: one, that reasonable classroom
interventions of sufficient duration have been carefully attempted, without success; and two, that the
cause of the problem is suspected to be a disability that cannot be resolved without special education
services.
Exceptions would be pre-schoolers; and seriously disabled students for whom SST would delay obviously
needed special education services. They may bypass SST, with the reason documented.
What data could be cited to indicate the effectiveness of an SST?
Many indicators could be gathered in a school that would show success of the SST process, from teacher
satisfaction to pre/post student performance. In systems that are regarded as having excellent SSTs, one
measure is that, of students referred on by SST for special education evaluation, 80 percent to 90 percent
of them end up qualifying for such services.
Contact our school's Student Support Services Manager for additional information or questions regarding the SST process.
How are gifted students identified?
The definition of students eligible for gifted education services in Georgia may be found in State Board of Education Rule (SBOE) 160-4-2-.38 EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR GIFTED STUDENTS [Code IDDD(2)]:
Gifted Student - a student who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual and/or creative ability (ies), exhibits an exceptionally high degree of motivation, and/or excels in specific academic fields, and who needs special instruction and/or special ancillary services to achieve at levels commensurate with his or her abilities. (SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.38, p. 1)
The eligibility criteria for gifted program placement are also provided in SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.38. The Rule describes the four categories for assessment (mental ability, achievement, creativity, and motivation) and the performance standards that must be achieved in each for a student to become eligible for gifted education services. Once a student has been assessed in all four data categories, there are two ways eligibility can be established:
Option 1, the Psychometric Approach:
The student may qualify on the basis of mental ability and achievement assessment results only (regardless of the assessment results in creativity and motivation). In this case the mental ability test score must be a composite or full-scale score. The composite score must be at the 99th percentile for students in grades K-2. The composite score must be at the 96th percentile or higher for students in grades 3-12. In addition, students (grades K-12) must meet at least one of the achievement standards described in the SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.38: 90th percentile Total Reading, 90th percentile Total Math, 90th percentile total achievement test battery, or superior product/performance assessment. No student may qualify on the basis of a mental ability test score alone.
Option 2, the Multiple-Criteria Approach:
The student may qualify by meeting the standards in any three of the four data categories, at least one of which must be on a nationally-normed standardized test. Component scores (e.g., Verbal Ability), as well as full scale and composite scores may be used in the area of mental ability. However, component scores must meet the criteria specified in the Gifted Education Regulations. Currently, only component scores on the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and subtests on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC IV) meet these specifications.
How are students nominated for possible gifted program placement?
Nominations are often made by classroom teachers; however, any responsible person who has knowledge of a student’s intellectual functioning may nominate that student for further consideration. Additionally, an automatic referral procedure is described in SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.38. Each local board of education must establish a score on system-wide norm-referenced test results as the automatic referral level. Students scoring at or above this level are automatically considered. For specific information on the nomination procedures, parents and educators should contact their local school system.
What special programs are offered for gifted students?
The State Board of Education requires and authorizes each local board of education to develop curriculum for their gifted students in grades K-12, following the guidelines in SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.38. The approved delivery models for gifted education services are described in gifted regulations, but the exact nature of those services is decided at the local level. To find out more about specific program offerings for gifted students, parents should contact our school's TAG specialist.
If a student has been identified as gifted in another state, will he/she be eligible for gifted program placement in Georgia?
There is no mandated reciprocity between states; however, the school system should immediately take steps to see that the advanced learning needs of a student transferring to their system are being met while the Georgia gifted eligibility is being determined. The following documents should be presented to the student’s new school: a current eligibility report, recent standardized test scores, work samples, and recommendations from teachers.
During the 2009 session, the Georgia General Assembly enacted several laws relating to the education of children of military families that impact the gifted education reciprocity of students whose households include a member of the United States uniform services. The goal of the legislation is to maximize a student’s educational continuity despite the frequent movement across states and school districts. These laws are codified at O.C.G.A. 20-2-2140 through 20_2-2180. Eligible students are school-aged children whose household includes at least one of the following:
1, An active duty member of the uniformed services.
2. A member or veteran of the uniformed services who is severely injured and medically discharged.
3. A member of the uniformed services that died on active duty or as a result of injuries sustained on active duty.
Nothing in this Code section shall preclude the school in the receiving state from performing subsequent evaluations to ensure appropriate placement of the student.
Please consult our school's TAG Specialist for additional information regarding the talented and gifted program.
If a parent refuses consent for an evaluation, is the school system required to go through either
mediation or due process? No, when the school system decides that an evaluation is needed but the
parent refuses, the system may choose to, but is not required to, seek mediation or due process. If the
student is a home-schooled or private school student, this consent override does not apply.
Can parents request an evaluation anytime during the process of RtI? Yes, IDEA requires that school
systems consider the parent’s request for an evaluation. If evidence of prior interventions has not been
obtained, the evidence can be collected during the evaluation period. If the school system decides not
to conduct the evaluation, they must provide the parent with prior written notice and advise them of
their parental rights to seek mediation or a due process hearing.
Must a student’s hearing and vision be corrected prior to completing a comprehensive evaluation?
Systems are expected to complete the comprehensive evaluation and determine eligibility by the 60 day
timeline. There must be documentation that the child’s hearing and vision abilities are not interfering
with performance. Hearing and vision should be one of the initial factors examined when a child begins
to demonstrate delays. Vision and hearing screenings can occur at the first three Tiers of the Georgia
Student Achievement Pyramid of Interventions.
Must the sources for adaptive behavior scores be obtained from standardized assessments? Yes, at
least two assessments, that have been normed on the general population, must be conducted.
Is a local system required to obtain an adaptive behavior score from someone outside of the school
system? It is expected that the second measure of adaptive behavior shall be completed from someone
outside of the school.
What is Response to Intervention (RtI)? RtI is a framework of explicit instruction and support that is
provided to students through general education and other supports. In Georgia, RtI is operationalized
through the Georgia Student Achievement Pyramid of Interventions. RtI occurs at each of the four tiers.
When a student struggles, the problem solving team must analyze the data collected through formative
assessments such as progress monitoring to determine if the student is making progress. If the data
indicates progress, the student is responding and does not require more intense support along the
continuum of the pyramid.
Does the Student Achievement Pyramid of Interventions require that SST be in place for at least 12
weeks prior to a referral for special education evaluation? No. However, it is expected that the student
will have been in general education supports for sufficient time to collect data from progress
monitoring. A system should operationalize their pyramids to include a range of expected length needed
at each tier. Most importantly, all students should have some consistency within the support provided
and the frequency and duration offered. Research has shown that extended lengths of time are
necessary at each tier for students to experience genuine progress. Please refer to the Decision Making
Along the Pyramid of Interventions guidance provided at www.georgiastandards.org. For consideration
of Specific Learning Disability, the regulations state that along with other criteria, a minimum of 12
weeks along with a minimum of 4 data points is required for consideration of eligibility. The data from
these 12 weeks of support can be extrapolated from support at Tier 2 and Tier 3. However, the team
must be able to provide enough data to determine if the student was not making progress toward
obtaining the benchmark. As systems operationalize RtI, it is expected that systems will provide more
than the 12 weeks of support when it is evident that a student is making progress. An immediate
referral after only 12 weeks of support is not best practice. The problem solving team must analyze the
progress monitoring data and have evidence to support the trend line from the data points.
Will I have to begin the RtI process each year if a student is not referred for special education
evaluation? No. For those students that completed the school year by receiving either Tier 2 or Tier 3
support, it is expected that they will begin the current school year with the same support. In addition, it
is expected that students should not be referred for a special education evaluation immediately upon
beginning a new school year. The problem solving team should review any supports that may have been
provided during the summer break and the supports that will be provided during the school year. If a
referral for special education evaluation is eventually made, the data from the previous school year and
the current school year should be reviewed to determine if there was a response to the interventions.
Is the local system responsible for conducting progress monitoring for private school students that are
referred for special education evaluation? The local school system is responsible for conducting child
find and completing a comprehensive evaluation. However, data included in the comprehensive
evaluation can be derived from multiple sources including general education instruction and data
provided by the private school.
What is the role of TMSA when a student is referred for a special education evaluation and
there is no data on interventions or results of progress monitoring? TMSA must provide
interventions and collect progress monitoring data during the 60 day timeline after consent for special
education evaluation is signed. These interventions are implemented and frequent progress monitoring
is used to assess student response to the interventions prior to the determination of eligibility for
special education.
How doesTMSA implement interventions if a parent requests immediate referral for special
education evaluation? During the 60 day timeline,TMSA shall begin interventions and the data
collection process. Data can be collected from the results of general education instruction and
interventions that occurred prior to the date of consent for special education evaluation. In addition, it
is always appropriate to analyze and utilize data obtained from support in Tier 1 and Tier 2.
Is the Student Support Team required to begin implementing interventions with progress monitoring
this school year? Yes, the SST has always recommended specific interventions to address student needs.
However, this school year and in subsequent years it is now expected that interventions and progress
monitoring data are collected in the area(s) of delay.
Are students with speech or language issues required to have interventions through the Georgia
Student Achievement Pyramid of Intervention? Yes, any student presenting with a delay must be
provided evidence based interventions in the area of concern.
What is considered adequate response to instruction? The research findings have defined adequate
response as an increase of one standard deviation on a formal measure of progress monitoring.
However, systems are not required to utilize a formal measure for progress monitoring.
Can a child have a primary disability and a secondary disability? A child may present with more than
one disability.
What medical diagnosiss does not require physician documentation? Under OHI, students who are
ADD/ADHD may have the medical diagnosis made by a licensed psychologist who has a community
based practice.
Are two IQ scores required prior to determining a student eligible under Intellectual Disability? As has
been the standard for many years, at least two assessments of intellectual functioning must be
conducted prior to determining Intellectual Disability eligibility.
Who is responsible for completing the structured observation required to determine eligibility for
Intellectual Disability? Any member of the eligibility team may complete the observation.
Did Intellectual Disability remain an exclusionary factor for determining Emotional Behavior Disorder?
Yes, an Intellectual Disability is an exclusionary factor for Emotional Behavior Disorder; however, a team
must determine if an Intellectual Disability and Emotional Behavior Disorder exists concurrently or if the
observed behaviors are a characteristic of the Intellectual Disability.
Can a student with an articulation be eligible for special education? Yes, as long as there is
documentation of the student not responding to prior interventions and the articulation or other
communication impairment adversely affects the student's educational performance.
Can a gifted child be considered a student with a specific learning disability? Yes, a child may be gifted
and also eligible for special education if the child meets the specific criteria for eligibility.
Can initial eligibility under Significant Developmental Delay occur during the school year the child
turns seven? Initial eligibility must occur on or before the child’s seventh birthday.
If a child is dismissed from special education, must the eligibility form be completed? There must be a
review of the data indicating that the child is not a child with a disability. This must be shared with the
parents. To meet the requirements of prior written notice, the parents must be informed of changes,
what data was considered, what options were considered. Completing or updating the eligibility form
will document this.
SST
How is eligiblity for the ESOL program determined?
If the need to screen is determined based on information gatherered at enrollment, a student must be administered
the W-APT language placement test and the parent/guardian notified of the results within ten days of enrollment.
Parent/guardian permission is not needed to screen for eligibility. The school system is required by law to identify
and screen students who may qualify for the ESOL program. If the sudent qualifies, the parent/guardian is notified
and services are begun. Students who qualify for ESOL services will be tested annually with the ACCESS for ELLs
test to measure growth and to determine continued eligibilty for the program.
What if I don’t feel my student needs the services provided by the ESOL program?
Parents/guardians do have the right to refuse services and sign a one-year waiver of services. Even if services are
waived, the student must be tested with the ACCESS for ELLs test, the annual language proficiency exam, in
January/February. Based on the test results and exiting criteria set by the Georgia Deparmtent of Education, Title
III Office, students will be either eligible to receive services the following school year or will exit the ESOL program.
What are the benefits of having your child/children participate in the ESOL program?
The ESOL program assists students in acquiring both social and academic language in English. Many teachers and
parents struggle with the fact that their child/children can communicate socially but cannot perform academically
in the classroom. There is a significant difference between language that is used for daily communication and
language used for academic purposes. It can take anywhere from five to seven years for students to develop
academic language which includes many language structures used in academic writing and reading. Students
whose parents waive services do not receive the specialized instruction given in the ESOL program that assists in
the acquisition/learning of the skills needed for success in the regular educational environment. While these
students may appear to being doing well academically, certain skills are not acquired/learned and will continue to
compound as language deficits as they continue through their educational career. In particular, writing skills may
suffer as well as their ability to comprehend complex text.
What curriculum is followed for ELLs in the ESOL program?
The Fulton County ESOL Department has a curriculum and adopted instructional materials for grades K-12. The
ESOL curriculum and materials are used in all ESOL classrooms at TMSA in order to provide language instruction
appropriate for the students’ language levels. The materials and curriculum are aligned to the CCGPS standards for
Language Arts and the WIDA standards (state standards for ESOL).
What are the WIDA standards?
The WIDA standards are the state adopted language proficiency standards. There are five standards and four
domains for each standard. Students are measured on these standards on the annual language proficiency exam,
ACCESS. ACCESS scores directly correlate to the success ELLs will have on standardized AYP measures. All staff
members who work with ELLs have been trained to use the WIDA standards (as required by the GA DOE, Title III
Office).
How many segments are recommended for each ELL in the ESOL Program?
ELL Y students in grades K-3 typically receive one segment of ESOL daily. Students in grades 4-8 typically receive
one or two segments each day. Two segments are recommended for students who fall into the language proficiency
range of 1→4.5. The number of segments will depend on a variety of factors, including number of ESOL teachers,
number of ELLs at the school, proficiency levels, etc.
Students who qualify for special education and ESOL are to be served in both programs as required under Federal
law.
What does ELL M – Monitored mean?
When students no longer qualify for the ESOL program, they are monitored for two calendar years to ensure a
smooth transition into mainstream classes. TMSA's ESOL Specialist is responsible for monitoring the
ELL M students. These students are eligible for instructional and testing accommodations if needed. The school
will create an annual testing plan for each student.
TAG
Frequently Asked Questions: RTI, SST, IEP, TAG and ESOL
Special Education
ESOL
