Special Services

All children with disabilities who are between the ages of 3 and 21, and have not yet graduated from high school are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). District 200 is committed to providing a continuum of special education programs and services for children ages 3 through 21 with special needs who qualify for special education services. 

District 200 uses a variety of methods to identify children with disabilities including: 

1. Referral by parents or guardians, concerned adults, and children themselves 
2. Preschool screening for children ages 3-5 at the Verda Dierzen Early Learning Center 
3. Hearing and vision screenings at regular intervals during the child’s career 
4. An ongoing referral process completed by teachers and other professional personnel identifying children who exhibit difficulty performing in the classroom 

When a referral is made, a team of professionals will meet to determine whether a case study evaluation is warranted. If so, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Team will meet with parents to collect information from parents or guardians, teachers and others to review existing information and determine the specific domain areas to be assessed in an evaluation. This domain meeting will address the areas of Health, Vision, Hearing, Social/ Emotional Status, General Intelligence, Academic Performance, Functional Performance, Communication Status, and Motor Abilities. Once the domain areas have been determined, the parents will then give consent or refuse consent for evaluation of the determined assessments. 

After determined assessments are completed, a meeting to share the results will be held within 60 school days. This purpose of this meeting will be to summarize, interpret and document evaluation results, and determine eligibility for special education services. 

A child eligible for special education programs and services is one whose disability significantly impacts educational performance in the classroom. 

This disability interferes with the child’s ability to learn in the classroom environment without specific accommodations, modifications and specialized instruction. 

If the child is eligible for special education services, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) will be developed that will enable the child to be involved in and progress in the general education curriculum.

The IEP includes: the child’s strengths and needs, annual goals and short-term objectives/benchmarks, appropriate special education and/or related services, and appropriate educational placement. 

If the child is eligible for special education services, the child’s IEP will be reviewed annually. At this annual review, information regarding the child’s progress will be shared. After reviewing the current IEP, a new IEP will be developed that will enable the child to be involved and progress in the general education curriculum. The goals and objectives will be updated quarterly and again at the annual review of the IEP. 

The child’s eligibility will be reevaluated every three years. A meeting will be scheduled to review existing evaluation data, in collaboration with the parent or guardian, to determine the specific assessment(s) needed to evaluate. The parent or guardian will give or refuse consent for the reevaluation. The eligibility meeting will take place, and if the child is found eligible, an IEP will be developed and appropriate special education and/or related services and educational placement will be determined. 

A special education student’s educational rights are transferred from the student’s parents to the student on the student’s 18th birthday. District 200 will provide written notice of the transfer of rights at an IEP meeting during the year in which the student turns 17, and again when the student turns 18. 

This evaluation process is standard for all children within District 200’s boundaries whether enrolled in a District 200 school or not. However, home-schooled students or students enrolled in a private or parochial school that are found eligible for special education services are only entitled to services relevant to a Proportionate Share Plan. 

Children who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired may be eligible for the services of the Illinois School for the Deaf or another local school that provides similar services. Eligibility for entrance is determined by the student’s IEP (Individualized Education Plan) team. Questions about these services can be directed to Lisa Pearson, Director of Special Services, 815-337-5146.