Family Connection Nights

Students participate in Enrichment classes based on the needs identified in their Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), as determined by the IEP team. These classes are designed to support students in developing essential skills, including problem-solving strategies, self-advocacy, emotional regulation, time management, stress management, self-motivation, and task initiation strategies.

All IEP goals should be SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound). If they are not, the IEP team still has work to do! Feel empowered to speak up during an IEP meeting if you feel like the goal is difficult to measure and inappropriate for the student. In the background, rest assured that the Student Services department provides frequent support and professional development for writing effective and appropriate IEP goals.

The IEP process is a constant that bridges grade levels and buildings. Here's what you can except at each level:

1. The process starts with a referral and special education evaluation. If your child if found eligible, an Initial IEP is created and you provide consent for us to implement that plan.
2. After the Initial, IEP teams are required to meet at least once every 365 days - more often, if needed.
3. At the IEP, the following will be discussed:
   1. Your child's strengths and needs.
   2. Your child's present levels of performance - both academic and functional.
   3. The goals we'll focus on for the next year - including how we measure those goals and how often you'll receive updates about your child's progress in meeting them.
   4. Special factors that may be impacting your child at school - including things like communication, grading, and necessary accommodations. 
   5. Your child's participation in assessments - both state and district level.
   6. The services required for your child to make progress toward those established goals. This includes a discussion about participation with nondisabled peers.
   7. The location where the services will be provided.

Frequent communication and collaboration with your child's school, teachers, and special education providers will keep you informed about what the focus in your child's grade level, general education classroom, and special education classroom. Your knowledge of this information will guide your reinforcement of learning at home. For more targeted feedback, we suggest the following:

1.  Ask the teacher or provider - don't hesitate to email, call, or chat in the parent pick-up line!
2. Attend school events regularly.
3. Attend Conferences and ask your child's teachers, "What skills can we focus on at home?"
4. If you have concerns, reach out to your child's teacher or case manager. If your child has a 504 or IEP, request a formal meeting to discuss your concerns and/or skills you can focus on at home.

The district and state monitor multiple components of special education data including:

1. Head count of students receiving special education services.
2. Student participation in the general education setting.
3. Student demographics & proportionality in eligibility and placement. 
4. The use of restraint & isolation.
5. Discipline
6. Compliance with IDEA regulations
7. The use of federal funding

All of this information constantly informs district practices, professional development, and oversight. To a lesser degree, this data can inform School Board Policies and Procedures because they are more generalized and aligned to IDEA and Washington Administrative Codes - providing a framework for operation. 

Reevaluations are required every three years. At the time of the reevaluation, the IEP team decides if formal assessment is required to address on-going special education eligibility, area(s) of services, or new area(s) of concern. If the team determines new assessments are not necessary, a review of existing information is conducted. In both scenarios, the reevaluation team must determine the following:

1. Does the student have a disability?

2. Does the student demonstrate an adverse educational impact?

3. Does the student require Specially Designed Instruction?

The 504 Process

• The parent or any staff member makes a Referral for a 504 Eligibility Determination to the classroom teacher, school counselor, or building administrator.

  • From the date of Referral, the District will decide if they will or will not evaluate the student for 504 Eligibility. Typically, this involves having a meeting with all relevant team members to discuss all areas of concern for the student.

    • If we do not evaluate the student for eligibility, the parent will receive a Prior Written Notice explaining that decision.

  • If we do evaluate the student for eligibility, the school counselor will ask the Parent for written Consent - allowing us to initiate the process.

  • Once Consent is given, the District will gather a team of relevant members to facilitate the Eligibility process. The team must determine the following:

    • Does the student have a physical or mental impairment?

    • Does the student’s physical or mental impairment affect one or more major life activities?

    • Does the student’s physical or mental impairment substantially limit one or more major life activities?

    • Does the student need accommodations, aids, and/or services during school activities in order for their educational needs to be met as adequately as those of their non-disabled peers?

If your child does not qualify for a 504 Plan, the parent will receive a Prior Written Notice explaining that decision.

• If your child does qualify for an 504 Plan, the District will draft an Initial 504 Plan for review.

  • From this point, the team will  meet at least once per year and;

  • The team will reevaluate your child at least every three years.

The IEP Process

• The parent or any staff member makes a Referral for Special Education Evaluation to the classroom teacher, school counselor, school psychologist, or building administrator.

  • From the date of Referral, the District has 25 school days to decide if we will or will not evaluate the student. Typically, this involves having a meeting with all relevant team members to discuss all areas of concern for the student.

    • If we do not evaluate the student, the parent will receive a Prior Written Notice explaining that decision.

  • If we do evaluate the student, the school psychologist will ask the Parent for written Consent - allowing us to initiate the formal assessments. A Prior Written Notice will be included which explains which areas will be evaluated.

  • Once Consent is given, the District has 35 school days to complete the evaluation. Once completed, an Evaluation Feedback meeting is scheduled to review the results. The team must determine the following:

    • Does the student have a disability?

    • Does the student demonstrate an adverse educational impact?

    • Does the student require Specially Designed Instruction?

If your child does not qualify for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), the parent will receive a Prior Written Notice explaining that decision.

• If your child does qualify for an IEP, the District has 30 calendar days to draft and schedule the Initial IEP meeting.

  • From this point, the team is required to meet at least once per year (from the date of the previous IEP) to review and update the IEP. And,

  • The team is required to reevaluate your child at least every three years.

Still have questions? Please reach out!

In general, the District does not provide tutoring services from third-party tutors.  Families are encouraged to explore local organizations or regional tutoring centers independently.

At a minimum, special education providers are required to provide progress toward IEP goal(s) updates once per semester and aligned to distribution of general progress reports. Teams can determine more frequent updates. If you would like to receive a different frequency of communication, reach out to your student’s case manager, teacher, or building administrator.

We focus on teaching empathy, communication skills, and conflict resolution to prevent children from being labeled as a bully. In the SVSD, bullying is addressed through education, intervention, and fostering a supportive school and community environment. All schools encourage positive behavior and intervene promptly if there are any signs of bullying. For additional questions,  please contact your child's school counselor and/or administration team.

The district promotes inclusion and celebration of neurodiversity consistently throughout the school year. In the 2023-24 school year, district level administrators and staff set the tone by working cross-departmentally to host Blast 2023, which is rooted in the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Inclusion theme. This two-day event included keynote speakers with expertise in UDL/Inclusion, training sponsored by the Technology, Teaching & Learning, and Student Services departments, and training led by Teacher-Leaders from across the district. As the year has progressed, professional development in UDL, inclusion, and neurodiversity has continued at the district and building level, including Ukeru, Understanding Behavior for the transportation department, Special Education Release days, Building Directed Training, and District Directed Training. The Student Services Department also continues to expand its Continuum of Services to maintain attendance at the neighborhood school and in-district.

We are not sure which Hybrid Model you are referring to, but Specialized Transportation is available in some circumstances and is determined by the IEP team. Specialized transportation can be provided for students with significant health concerns, significant safety concerns, or students who attend (in part or in whole) a non-neighborhood school as a placement decision.

Mount Si High School is adjusting its course selections by reducing the number of co-taught science and social studies classes while expanding English Language Arts and math classes. Additionally, a new process will be implemented to ensure that students with 504 plans and Multilingual Learners (MLs) are not disproportionately placed in co-taught classes. This intentional approach to class rostering ensures that co-taught classes are not used as a general education intervention.

Extra help for students can take on multiple forms including but not limited to:

1. What-I-Need Reading and/or Math (Elementary)

2. Multilingual Specialist Support

3. School Counseling

4. Social Worker/Mental Health Counselor support

5. Referral to Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports Team

6. 504 Plan with Accommodations

7. IEP Plan with Accommodations and/or Modifications

8. Home Hospital Services

9. School-Specific Extra Curricular Activities and Clubs (e.g., Homework Club)

10. Success Coordinator Support (Middle & High)

11. Community Engagement Board to address school absences

SVSD offers a wide continuum of services for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). That includes, but is not limited to, any combination of the following:

1. General Education classroom with accommodations and/or modifications;

2. STREAM;

3. Special Education staff push-in to support in the general education classroom;

4. Special Education staff pull-out to support in the special education classroom;

5. Co-Teaching Classes;

6. Specialized classrooms for complex needs

   1. Developmental Preschool

   2. Specialty (Elementary)

   3. Social Emotional Behavioral Skills (SEBS, Elementary)

   4. Life Skills (Middle & High)

   5. Transition Learning Center (TLC, 18-21 adult students with disabilities);

7. Specialized support staff (non-exhaustive list)

   1. Speech Therapist

   2. Occupational Therapist

   3. Physical Therapist

   4. Behavioral Technician & Board Certified Behavior Analyst

   5. Teacher of the Deaf

   6. Audiologist

   7. Teacher for the Visually Impaired

   8. Interpreter;

8. IEP Placement at local/national Private School;

9. Specialized Transportation; and

10. Extended School Year.

What-I-Need (WIN) Reading and Math do not continue into the Middle and High Schools. Support for math and reading are provided through the MTSS Structure in that individualized intervention is provided in the general classroom unless your child is eligible for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and the team determines he/she will receive reading/math support in the special education setting.

At this time, the District is experiencing Paraeducator shortages. We are fully staffed with Special Education Teachers, Therapists, and Specialized Staffing (e.g., Audiologist). When there are positions that lack staffing, the District utilizes the following strategies to fill the positions:

1. Timely advertisement, interviews, and reference checks through the District Website.

2. Participation in Regional Job Fairs - both general and job specific.

3. Utilizing contracts with staffing agencies.

4. Utilizing qualified substitutes in the interim

Yes - if a student’s IEP team believes an aide is required, they can be provided in all schools in SVSD.

For students with an IEP, you can expect to receive updates about your student’s progress toward goals at the end of each semester - around the time report cards are issued. In elementary, you can also use the feedback that comes home on graded assessments to see progress and report cards twice a year. In secondary, you can use Skyward and Schoology to check regular progress as well as report cards at the end of each semester. 

504 Plans support students with disabilities that need specific accommodations in their classes to be able to participate fully. The benefit of a 504 Plan is the intentional planning to remove barriers to a student’s learning, leveling the playing field.

If a student with a disability is participating in a classroom or program for highly capable learners and is supported by a 504 Plan or IEP, any accommodations therein are applicable in that classroom or program. The team should ensure all appropriate accommodations are accounted for - including a review at the Annual 504 or Annual IEP. For students without a formal plan, they are supported by Universal Design for Learning and strategies that support all learners.

In SVSD, all 504 and IEPs will automatically transition with the student so the process does not need to start over again. In the spring of each year, teachers and counselors collaborate together to make sure the transitions are smooth for the students on their caseload. This year, SVSD Student Services will host a Connections Event to support families in feeling comfortable with upcoming transitions - stay tuned for more details!

In Special Education, IEPs must be reviewed once every 12 months, but reevaluations must be conducted every 3 years. In the years that both an Annual IEP and Reevaluation are due, efforts are made to limit the number of meetings a parent must attend. When possible, you may attend a combined meeting where the Reevaluation and Annual IEP are reviewed together.

When an evaluation is conducted, the team carefully considers if additional assessments are needed because of changing or new concerns or a review of existing information will suffice.

Academic Support: Reinforcing core academic skills such as reading, writing, math, and problem-solving, often through individualized instruction or small-group settings.

Study and Organizational Skills: Teaching strategies for time management, organization, note-taking, and test preparation, which help students become more independent and effective learners.

Self-Advocacy: Empowering students to understand their own learning needs, strengths, and accommodations, so they can advocate for themselves in academic and social settings.

Social-Emotional Development: Building interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, and coping strategies to help students navigate peer relationships and manage stress.

Goal-Setting: Helping students set realistic, measurable academic and personal goals and monitor their progress.

It is the 504 case manager’s responsibility to communicate accommodations outlined in students’ plans. In SVSD, 504 case managers are the school counselors.

Parents/guardians are not limited to communicating with one or the other. Parents/guardians can and should communicate with any staff that work with their child.

The following continuum of services is provided in SVSD:

• Early Childhood Education @ SES Transition to Kindergarten
  • Developmental Preschool
  • Itinerant Therapy Services
• General Education supported by Universal Design for Learning @ all schools
• General Education supported by accommodations and/or differentiation @ all schools
  • 504 Plans
  • Multi Lingual Support Plans
  • Highly Capable Cohorts
• General Education supported by Push-In Services @ all schools
  • Multi Lingual Services
  • Special Education Services
• General Education supported by Pull-Out Services @ all schools
  • What I Need (WIN, elementary only)
  • Multi Lingual Services
  • Special Education Services
  • Honors and AP Courses (high school only)
• Specialized Classrooms @ some schools
  • Specialty @ NBES and TRES
  • SEBS @ FCES
  • Life Skills @ TFMS and MSHS
  •  STREAM (Highly Capable) @ SES
• Private Schools Out of District - Special Education Only
• Residential Schools Out of District - Special Education Only

A1:  Enrichment Course: Built into a student's daily class schedule.  This course takes the place of an elective. Covered in the class:

Academic Support: Reinforcing core academic skills such as reading, writing, math, and problem-solving, often through individualized instruction or small-group settings.

Study and Organizational Skills: Teaching strategies for time management, organization, note-taking, and test preparation, which help students become more independent and effective learners.

Self-Advocacy: Empowering students to understand their own learning needs, strengths, and accommodations, so they can advocate for themselves in academic and social settings.

Social-Emotional Development: Building interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, and coping strategies to help students navigate peer relationships and manage stress.

Goal-Setting: Helping students set realistic, measurable academic and personal goals and monitor their progress.

A2:  Social Health Course: Built into a student's daily class schedule.  This course takes the place of an elective. Covered in the class:

Self-Advocacy: Empowering students to understand their own learning needs, strengths, and accommodations, so they can advocate for themselves in academic and social settings.

Social-Emotional Development: Building interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, and coping strategies to help students navigate peer relationships and manage stress.

Social-Engagement Development: Build relationship skills within a school setting and community.

Goal-Setting: Helping students set realistic, measurable academic and personal goals and monitor their progress.

A3:  School Wide Extracurricular Activities: After or Before School

Schools offer a variety of after school extracurricular activities that are open to all students. Please visit each school’s individual websites to see the offerings.

The Student Services department will host three additional Connections Events with targeted Content. Please attend the following tentatively scheduled events:

1. 09/24/2024: Introduction to Our Department
2. 12/05/2024: Preparing for a 504 or IEP Meeting
3. 03/05/2025: Safety Care for Families
4. 05/29/2025: Preparing for Transitions to the Next Level

Most cognitive tests include a core of subtests that are used to calculate a person’s general intellectual ability, sometimes referred to as a full-scale IQ score.  Additional tests may be added to the core subtests to help answer a referral question and/or to help identify a person’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses.  Different cognitive tests measure different areas of cognitive functioning such as crystallized knowledge, fluid reasoning, visual-spatial reasoning, working memory, or processing speed.  Some cognitive tests are designed to measure a person’s nonverbal reasoning ability if they have significant challenges with English language verbal tasks. Some tests are more appropriate for younger children than older ones.   Some of the most common cognitive tests that evaluators use are the Wechsler (WPPSI-IV, WISC-V; WAIS-V), DAS-II, KABC-II, RIAS-2, WJ-IV-COG, UNIT, and C-TONI.  All of these have sufficient reliability and validity.  As far as ‘most thorough’, that depends on the purpose of the evaluation and what questions need to be answered.  We surely do not want to ‘over-test’ a student.  One thing to remember is that the school district uses tests to help determine special education eligibility and not to make diagnoses that a private evaluator may provide.

Teachers utilize your child's 504 Plan by implementing specific accommodations tailored to their individual needs, ensuring they have equitable access to learning. This involves familiarizing themselves with the plan, providing supports like extended test time or modified assignments, and maintaining regular communication with both your child and you to monitor progress. While your child's self-advocacy is important, the teacher plays a key role in fostering an inclusive learning environment and adapting strategies as needed. By staying proactive and collaborative, we can ensure your child’s success.

All post-secondary schools are required to accommodate people with disabilities even though formal 504 Plans and IEPs are not utilized. Each campus will have an office or collections of resources for people with disabilities - look for names like, “Disability Resource Center”. Many students with disabilities attend post-secondary schools of all kinds!