What's Required
The IDEA guarantees that a student with a disability will be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
Federal law requires that a school district must ensure a continuum of placements is available to meet the needs of students with disabilities (34 CFR 300.115I(b)).
Each school district shall provide services to students with disabilities in order to meet the needs of those students in accordance with 34 CFR §300.26. Instructional arrangements/settings shall be based on the individual needs and IEPs of eligible students receiving special education services.
In the case of the student whose behavior impedes the child's learning or that of others, the admission, review and dismissal (ARD) committee must consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports and other strategies to address that behavior(//CFR 300.324(a)(2)(i)// and //20 USC 1414(d)(3)(B)(i)//)
In order for a student to be educated in a nonpublic school, the student’s ARD/IEP committee must determine that the school district cannot provide the student with the special education instruction and related services necessary to meet the student’s unique needs and must identify a nonpublic school that can provide the student an appropriate educational program. Under 34 CFR §300.146 and 19 TAC §89.61, the school district is responsible for making sure students placed in or referred to nonpublic schools are provided with appropriate special education and related services.
Under TAC § 89.61, a school district may contract for residential placement of a student with a disability when the student's ARD/IEP committee determines that a residential placement is necessary in order for the student to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
Before the school district places a student with a disability in, or refers a student to, a residential facility, the district shall initiate and conduct an ARD/IEP committee meeting to develop an IEP for the student in accordance with 34 Code of Federal Regulations, §§300.320-300.325, state statutes, and commissioner of education rules.
What We Do
Placement Review Process
Follow the Placement Review (PR) Process {Visio-PR Review Process Map (Detailed)5.pdf} below to consider more restrictive placement options (includes possible out-of-district placements) when:
A student does not make adequate academic and/or behavioral progress toward her or his Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals despite review and revision of the academic IEP and/or behavior support and intervention plan (BSIP) and other intervention supports as recommended by the campus evaluation staff (e.g., Evaluation Specialist, Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP)) and/or Special Education Program Specialist for a reasonable period of time; or
A student currently served in a self-contained classroom shows increasingly severe challenging behaviors that pose a threat to the safety of the student and/or other people despite the consistent implementation of the BSIP and other intervention supports as recommended by multiple district support staff (e.g. LSSP, Program Specialist, HISD psychologist, Autism Support Team, HISD Behavior Program Specialist, and social worker) for a reasonable period of time.
The Special Education Chairperson obtains and completes the Placement Review Request Form {Placement Review Request Form (Final) 7-1-15.pdf} .
The Special Education Program Specialist reviews the special education audit folder to ensure all relevant items on the Placement Review Readiness Checklist {Placement Review Readiness Checklist (final) 9-9-15.docx} are implemented. Attach documentation to support the implementation of targeted interventions to address the areas of difficulties.
The Program Specialist contacts the school to schedule the Placement Review (PR) meeting.
At least one teacher and one administrator who work with the student (if currently enrolled) must attend the PR meeting.
The Placement Review Request form, which includes the review team’s recommendations and disposition, is forwarded to the Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD/IEP) Committee for consideration after the PR meeting.
If the PR Committee recommends a change in placement which requires a change from the campus in which the student currently attends:
The designated Program Specialist identifies the school or facility closest to the student’s home that has the recommended program, based on a) Distance in miles from the student’s home; and b) Number of students currently enrolled in the class.
Program Specialists from both campuses collaborate to facilitate placement in consultation with the administrator of the potential receiving school or facility.
The designated Program Specialist notifies the receiving school/facility administrator or designee of the PR committee’s decisions.
The receiving school/facility administrator or designee is given the opportunity to review the student’s needs and to confirm acceptance of the placement within 48 hours of the PR meeting.
The sending school schedules an ARD/IEP meeting within 5 school days of the PR meeting to review and propose the recommendations made by the PR Committee.
The ARD/IEP placement meeting will be held on the receiving school/facility campus.
The receiving school/facility administrator or designee is invited to participate in the ARD/IEP placement meeting.
The completed Placement Review Request Form will be kept in the student's state audit folder.
The sending school completes the ARD/IEP forms and necessary supplements before the placement meeting.
The receiving school/facility Program Specialist reviews and revises, if necessary, the completed ARD/IEP forms and supplements before the placement meeting.
The receiving school/facility Program Specialist facilitates the placement meeting.
The sending school/facility orders transportation at the end of the placement meeting (preferably held on an HISD campus and transportation request can become effective in 1-5 school days).
The sending school withdraws the student before the agreed upon start date for the transfer.
The receiving school/facility enrolls student on or before the agreed upon start date for the transfer.
The sending school ensures that the cumulative records, immunization records, and student’s special education audit folder are sent to the receiving school or assigned SOAR Program Specialist when the student changes schools.
The receiving school/facility implements the new IEP and related services and document student progress.
The receiving school/facility Program Specialist monitors the implementation of student IEP and related services on the new campus.
The receiving school/facility Program Specialist monitors student progress towards the reintegration goals within the estimated timeline.
Note: For a newly identified student approaching their third birthday, the Program Specialist from the Elementary Division will contact the school for whom placement in a self-contained program is recommended. An ARD/IEP meeting must be held at the receiving school prior to the student’s 3rd birthday and services must be provided as soon as the student turns 3-years of age. The decision as to which school the student will attend is based on distance and class size as specified above. The Program Specialist assigned to the receiving school facilitates placement.
Students Transferring into the District Requesting an Out of District Nonpublic Placement
The student must enroll at the zoned school in the district.
The home campus will request the student’s previous records (IEP and other records relating to the provision of special education and/or related services).
The Special Education Senior Manager will notify the Senior Manager of Special Education Operations/Fiscal Management of the transfer student requesting a nonpublic placement.
A SOAR Program Specialist will be assigned within 24 hours of notice to facilitate the placement with the nonpublic facility.
The Special Education Program Specialist will work with the home campus of the student to verify that the student was receiving special education services in the previous LEA.
The home campus in conjunction with the Special Education Program Specialist will adopt or develop an IEP for the student.
The adopted/developed IEP will be forwarded to the SOAR Program Specialist.
The SOAR Program Specialist will contact a nonpublic facility to review the adopted/developed IEP for placement acceptance within 48 hours of the receipt of the adopted/developed IEP.
The SOAR Program Specialist will work with the home campus and the Special Education Program Specialist in setting up an ARD for the nonpublic placement within 5 school days of the acceptance.
The placement ARD will be conducted at the nonpublic facility.
The receiving facility administrator or designee will be invited to participate in the placement ARD/IEP meeting.
The home campus will complete the ARD/IEP forms and necessary supplements before the placement meeting.
The SOAR Program Specialist will review and revise, if necessary, the completed ARD/IEP forms and supplements before the placement meeting.
The SOAR Program Specialist will facilitate the placement meeting.
The SOAR Program Specialist will forward relevant documents to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for approval.
The home campus will implement the student’s IEP until a nonpublic facility is approved by TEA.
Once TEA approval is received, the SOAR Program Specialist will inform the home campus to order transportation (transportation request can become effective in 1-5 school days).
The home campus will withdraw the student before the agreed upon start date for the transfer.
The receiving facility will enroll student on or before the agreed upon start date for the transfer.
The home campus will ensure that the cumulative records, immunization records, and student’s special education audit folder are sent to the SOAR Program Specialist when the student changes schools.
The receiving facility will implement the new IEP and related services and document student progress.
The SOAR Program Specialist will monitor the implementation of student IEP and related services at the facility.
The SOAR Program Specialist will monitor student progress towards the reintegration goals within the estimated timeline.
Reintegration Process
The attending school/facility Program Specialist monitors the student’s progress in the IEP to determine readiness for reintegration to the HISD zoned campus.
Program Specialists from the attending and zoned campuses collaborate to facilitate student’s reintegration to the zoned campus when student is ready.
The attending school/facility program specialist takes the following actions:
Schedule a site visit to the attending school/facility for HISD Special Education Senior Manager, Special Education Program Specialist, Campus Principal, and Campus Special Education Department Chairperson to observe the student and consult with the attending school/facility staff regarding the student’s readiness to return to the zoned campus.
Facilitate a site visit for attending school/facility staff to the zoned campus considered for the student’s reintegration to observe the proposed placement and to consult with zoned school staff.
Facilitate a site visit for the parents to the zoned campus considered for the student’s reintegration to observe the proposed placement and to consult with zoned school staff members.
Schedule a meeting with the Special Education Senior Manager, Special Education Program Specialist, Principal, Special Education Department Chairperson, and attending school/facility administrator/designee to review and discuss the observations of the site visits and to make a recommendation for reintegration.
Schedule a meeting with the parent(s) to review and discuss the observations of their site visits.
Schedule a meeting with appropriate attending school/facility and zoned school personnel to draft a reintegration plan and timeline for implementation.
Schedule and conduct an Admission, Review and Dismissal /Individualized Education Program (ARD/IEP) meeting to discuss the student’s IEP progress, reintegration plan and implementation timeline.
The Reintegration Team considers the following upon returning a student from the attending school/facility to the HISD zoned campus:
Student Enrollment
Enroll on zoned campus: Student attends the zoned campus for 60% or more of the time or receives instruction in 3 or more of the core courses at the zoned campus
Remain on attending campus: Student stays in the attending school/facility for 60% or more of the time or receives instruction in 2 or less of the core courses at the zoned campus.
Transportation
Special Education Department Chairperson of the campus of enrollment requests transportation.
Monitoring
The Special Education Program Specialist on the attending campus and zoned campus jointly monitor the student’s progress if reintegration on the zoned campus is less than 100% of the time.
The zoned school Special Education Program Specialist monitors the student’s progress if reintegration is on the zoned campus 100% of the time.
For an out-of-district placement, the zoned school Special Education Program Specialist updates the SOAR Program Specialist on the student’s progress.
Grading and Reporting
For an out-of-district placement, if the student is enrolled at a nonpublic school, the assigned HISD classroom teacher(s) update(s) the student’s profile, annual goals and objectives (academic and behavior) for each class taught at a district campus.
Progress reports and grades for classes (courses) taught at the district’s campus will be sent to the nonpublic school administrator.
The HISD campus registrar generates the student’s transcript.
Forms
Placement Review Request Form {Placement Review Request Form (final) 9-11-16e.pdf}
Placement Review Readiness Checklist
Out of District Placement Verification Form ( Page 1 {Out of district placement verification Page 1.pdf} ; Page 2 {Out of District Placement Verification Page 2.pdf} )
Sample Central Placement Review Agenda {Central Placement Review Agenda Sample (Harper).pdf} (Harper)
Sample Central Placement Review Agenda {Central Placement Review Agenda 11-2-15 (1PM).pdf} (SOAR)
SPED Transportation Application
SPED Transportation Existing Service Change Request Form
Central Placement Review (CPR) Schedule (2016-2017)
Reintegration Goal Progress Documentation Form {Reintegration Goal Progress Documentation Form.docx}
Reintegration Plan Template
Tools for Managing Problem Behaviors {Tools for Managing Problem Behaviors (final) 8-5-15f.pdf}
Resources