Special Education

PUBLIC NOTICE

  • The purpose of this notice is to describe:
    • the referral & eligibility processes by which the district screens and evaluates students to determine eligibility for special education and related services 
    • the types of disabilities that might qualify a child for such programs and services
    • specialized instruction
    • the continuum of special education programs and related services that are available
    • the special rights that pertain to children and their parents or legal guardians
    • the resources available for parents & teachers
  • The North Smithfield School Department (NSSD) provides special education and related services to resident children with disabilities who require specialized instruction, between the ages of three and twenty-one. 
  • Individual students from North Smithfield who have been identified as students in need of special services will be educated in the least restrictive environment. Efforts will be made to remediate students' weaknesses in academics or social areas so that he or she may remain in the least restrictive classroom settting.
  • The Pupil Personnel Services Department is required to develop and maintain services for students with diverse needs based on the mandate provided by 42 U.S.C. 1401, et seq (as amended) 20 U.S.C. 794 sec 504 and RIGL Title 16 Ch 24-26. 
  • Individual programming is carried out through collaboration and consultation with professional staff, parents and students.
  • Please contact the Pupil Personnel Services office at 769-5492 X2212 or contact the principal of the school building your child attends for further questions and/or information.


REFERRAL


 


ELIGIBILITY

  •  


SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTION

 

 

 

PUBLIC REPORTING: DISPROPORTIONALITY

 


FOR FAMILIES WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

 

  • Estate Planning for Families with Members Who are Disabled 

Thursday, May 2, 2013 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm at Sargent's Rehab Center, Warwick

Legal Presentation by: Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP

(Click here for the flyer)

Bullying can have a devastating impact on youth resulting in poor academic performance, depression, anxiety and absenteeism, to name just a few. For some, the impact is so devastating it can affect them well into adulthood. In North Smithfield, we’ve taken this issue very seriously by forming an Anti-Bullying Workgroup to study the problem and to recommend changes in policy and programs.  There has been a particular emphasis on prevention. Join us for an informative evening. We’ll start by dispelling some myths about bullying. Then we’ll watch a video about the topic, followed by a discussion of how parents can be a part of the solution. We’ll end with an update on the efforts of the Anti-Bullying Workgroup and will include a summary of what is currently being done in the district to prevent, identify and respond to allegations and any instances of bullying. This event is co-sponsored by the Anti-Bullying Workgroup, N. Smithfield Prevention Coalition and SELAC.

The entire North Smithfield community is encouraged to join us Tuesday, February 12th, at 6:30 PM at the Kendal-Dean Administrative offices at 83 Greene Street Slatersville, Rhode Island, to welcome License Clinical Social Worker Leigh Raposa, Program Manager for the Youth Suicide Prevention Project, as she shares awareness and prevention principles our entire community needs to know about Teen Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention.   
PARENT ADVISORY:  Special Education Local Advisory Committee (SELAC)
  • SELAC is a group of parents of children with special needs who work collaboratively with district personnel and administration on advocating for programming and services appropriate for chldren with diverse needs.  SELAC meets monthly with the Director of Pupil Services at the Kendal Dean Administrative Offices at 83 Greene Street, Slatersville, Rhode Island  02876 from 6:30-8:oo PM the first Wednesday of each month. 

 

MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT

 

  • On February 14, 2013, the Department published in the Federal Register IDEA Part B final regulations that change the requirements in 34 CFR 300.154(d) related to parental consent to access public benefits or insurance (e.g., Medicaid). Previously, public agencies were required to obtain parental consent each time access to public benefits or insurance was sought. These final regulations, which take effect on March 18, 2013, will make it easier for school districts to access public benefits while still protecting family rights.
  • The new rules— 
  1. ensure that parents of children with disabilities are informed of all of their legal protections when public agencies seek to access public benefits or insurance to pay for services; and
  2. address the concerns expressed by State educational agencies and local educational agencies that requiring parental consent each time access to public benefits or insurance is sought, in addition to the parental consent required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and section 617(c) of the IDEA, imposes unnecessary costs and administrative burdens.
  • Specifically, these final regulations require that public agencies—
  1. obtain a one-time written consent from the parent, after providing the written notification described below, before accessing the child’s or the parent’s public benefits or insurance for the first time. This consent must specify (a) the personally identifiable information that may be disclosed (e.g., records or information about the services that may be provided to a particular child); (b) the purpose of the disclosure (e.g., billing for services); and (c) the agency to which the disclosure may be made (e.g., Medicaid). The consent also must specify that the parent understands and agrees that the public agency may access the child’s or parent’s public benefits or insurance to pay for services.
  2. provide written notification to the child’s parents before accessing the child’s or the parent’s public benefits or insurance for the first time and prior to obtaining the one-time parental consent and annually thereafter. The written notification must explain all of the protections available to parents under Part B, as described in 34 CFR §300.154(d)(2)(v) to ensure that parents are fully informed of their rights before a public agency can access their or their child’s public benefits or insurance to pay for services under the IDEA. The notice must be written in language understandable to the general public and in the native language of the parent or other mode of communication used by the parent, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so.

 

  • The regulations protect family rights by ensuring that (1) the one-time parental consent specifies that the parent understands and agrees that the public agency may access their or their child’s public benefits or insurance to pay for services under the IDEA; and (2) the written notification provides parents with critical information that they may not have received in the past to enable parents to understand all of their rights and protections when a public agency seeks to access their or their child’s public benefits or insurance.   Click HERE for a PDF copy of the new regulations.  


EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING

 

Definition

 Disorders that Impact Executive Functioning

  • Acquired Brain Injury
  • ADD/ADHD
  • Austism Spectrum Disorders
  • Learning Disabilities/Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities

Classroom Resources & Strategies

  • Executive Functioning Guide
  • Executive Skills Checklist
  • Classroom Practices Inventory
  • Assistance with Other Executive Functioning Skills
  • Help Your Child Get Organized
  • A Notebook System That Aids With Organization
  • Graphic Organizers (Predicting, Note Taking, Long Term Planning)
  • Graphic Organizers (Homework Planning)
  • Assistive Technology Ideas for Studying and Organization
  • Assisting with Executive Functioning Tasks

 Parent Resources

Tips for Parents:  Executive Functioning at Home and School

 

 Research

  • What Are Executive Functions and Self-Regulation and What Do They Have to Do With Language-Learning Disorders? (Singer & Bashir 1999)
  • Children with Executive Functioning Deficits (Samson, 2008)
  • Creating a Daily Report Card for the Home (Center for Children and Families, University of Buffalo, 2002)
  • So…Just What is the Big Deal about Executive Functioning Skills? (DeFrances & Pezzullo, 2007)
  • Principles That Guide the Teaching of Strategies That Affect Executive Functioning (Meltzer, 2007)

 

 


Transition Planning and Services

Notice of Special Education Services for Students with Disabilities

The purpose of this notice is to describe:
  • the referral & eligibility processes by which the district screens and evaluates students to determine eligibility for special education and related services 
  • the types of disabilities that might qualify a child for such programs and services
  • specialized instruction
  • the continuum of special education programs and related services that are available
  • the special rights that pertain to children and their parents or legal guardians
  • the resources available for parents & teachers

The North Smithfield School Department (NSSD) provides special education and related services to resident children with disabilities who require specialized instruction, between the ages of three and twenty-one. 

Individual students from North Smithfield who have been identified as students in need of special services will be educated in the least restrictive environment. Efforts will be made to remediate students' weaknesses in academics or social areas so that he or she may return on a full-time basis to the regular classroom.

The Pupil Personnel Services Department is required to develop and maintain services for students with special needs based on the mandate provided by 42 U.S.C. 1401, et seq (as amended) 20 U.S.C. 794 sec 504 and RIGL Title 16 Ch 24-26.

Individual programming is carried out through consultation with professional staff, parents and students.

Please contact the Pupil Personnel Services office at 769-5492 X2212 or contact the principal of the school building your child attends for further questions and/or information. 

For information on  Early Childhood (3-5 years old), please see the Early Childhood link. 


High School Graduation Requirements for students with special needs:  Update from RIDE


The Rhode Island Department of Education has published new updates to the RIDE Graduation Diploma System requirements, which impacts all special needs students. 


Graduation By Proficiency

As the district continues to improve efforts to increase graduation rates for students with diverse needs, some students may not meet graduation requirements after 2013.  Please refer to any continual updates which will be listed in the North Smithfield High School PBGR Guidebook found on the North Smithfield High School Home Page under Academics: PBGR Docs


Northwest Consortium

The North Smithfield School Department, in conjuction with the Burriville, Lincoln, and Smithfield School Departments, are collaborating in the area of Special Education.  Our goals include combining resources, sharing resources, planning jointly for staff professional development, and accessing programming and services for low incidence populations.


 

 

 

AttachmentSize
Special_Needs_Planning_Seminar_Revised_12-8-10.pdf11.06 KB
PPSD_Newsletter2_1011[1].pdf558.92 KB
Procedural Safeguards.January 2011.pdf1.13 MB
21st Century Student Outcomes.pdf236.41 KB