Special Education Services and Support
Insight School of Oklahoma is responsible for providing a free and appropriate education under the federal Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). The special education manager and special education teacher assist parents in accessing and coordinating services pursuant to a current Individualized Education Plan. Parents must indicate that their child has an Individualized Education Plan on their enrollment form.
All students identified as eligible for special education services whose enrollment into the special education program has been approved will have an ISOK IEP meeting conducted within the timeframe established by Oklahoma Imposed Policies 34 CFR § 300.301(c)(1)(I) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. § 1414(a)) or within 30 days of enrollment with the appropriate team members in attendance. The appropriate notices/invitations will be issued addressing the virtual nature of the school setting. The IEP will include a statement of the student’s current level of academic and functional performance and how the student’s disability affects his/her ability to progress through the general education curriculum; a statement of measurable goals; and a statement of educational services, program modification and support necessary for the student to be involved in the general education coursework, including assistive technology. The means for learning and demonstrating proficiency will be aligned to the Oklahoma academic standards. Assessment accommodations or alternative instruction procedures will be based on the objectives in the student’s IEP.
If a student has a behavioral need, the IEP team will consider strategies including positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and support to address that behavior through the IEP process. ISOK staff may also conduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment and implement a Behavioral Intervention when appropriate.
ISOK believes that the IEP is a working document that is to be amended to reflect the student’s current academic and functional performance. The IEP will be reviewed at a minimum of once per year and upon evaluation/re-evaluation.
Students with disabilities will participate in the general education program to the greatest extent possible offered by ISOK and as determined by the IEP team. The ISOK special education teacher will support students with disabilities and provide specially designed instruction through synchronous and asynchronous contact which may include phone conferencing, email, and direct “real-time” interaction through web-conferencing tools. With web conferencing, the special education teacher/general education teacher can provide real time support to the student and assessment of progress towards IEP goals. In addition, parent education can be effectively delivered using web conferencing.
Students with disabilities will fully participate in all general education classroom activities with their classmates including outings and field trips. If necessary, transportation will be provided to accommodate the special needs of the student as determined by the IEP team.
Students will receive special education services in the least restrictive environment. The student’s IEP will determine the type and amount of services necessary to meet the goals of the IEP. Related service providers, if required, are located within the geographical vicinity of the student. These related services may be provided through contracts with the student’s district of residence or a private agency/provider.
Oversight and compliance monitoring in a distance learning setting is assured through many means including detailed monitoring of student progress and achievement both in the general education curriculum and on IEP goals through work sample collection, synchronous instruction and assessment, and assessment data collected through the online school by a highly qualified general education teacher; file review and monitoring of timelines by the special education coordinator.
ISOK believes that it takes a complete team of individuals to serve the student with a disability to ensure academic success. As such, frequent and relevant synchronous and asynchronous communication between all parties is delivered through phone conferencing, notes, emails, and web conferencing tools. The following illustration depicts this team model.
Accommodations
In addition to the team approach to serving students with disabilities, certain accommodations may be necessary to ensure that students have the opportunity to achieve the applicable Oklahoma standards. The following table provides examples of those accommodations which are instructional and assessment enhancements.
Related Services
Special services required in a student’s IEP will either be provided by the licensed therapist or individual employed by ISOK or contracted by ISOK, ensuring the appropriate licensure and background checks are completed. The following types of related services may be delivered in home, virtually, or face-to-face, or the parent may provide transportation to a contracted therapy agency within a reasonable distance of their home.
- Orientation and Mobility training
- Adaptive therapy
- Assistive technology evaluations
- Counseling services
- Psychological services
- Speech and Language Services
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Transportation (when required)
- Interpreter services for the hearing impaired
- Additional services as determined by the IEP team
Parent Rights and Procedural Safeguards
Parents and guardians of children eligible for or currently receiving special education services have certain state and federal rights. For more information on parent rights in special education, a copy of the Oklahoma State Department of Education Parent Rights in Special Education and Notice of Procedural Safeguards is available the State of Oklahoma website.
See District: Special Services for more information.
Parent Revocation of Consent for Services Under the IDEA
The parent of a child with a disability who receives special education and/or related services under IDEA may submit a written request to the district revoking consent for the continued provision of those services. Upon receipt of the written revocation request, ISOK will follow a procedure consistent with legal requirements to terminate all the child’s special education and related services. The child will then be identified as a general education student for all purposes.
Section 504
Section 504 guarantees students with qualified disabilities full participation and access to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) regardless of the nature and severity of the disability. An eligible student under Section 504 is a student who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. If a student is covered by Section 504, schools must provide such accommodations as are necessary to ensure that the student has equal access to services, programs and activities offered by the school. Section 504 protects students from discrimination on the basis of disability to the same extent as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In order to qualify for a 504, the parent and/or student MUST present a doctor's note describing the mental or physical disability. If the student is going to be absent for three or more days a doctor’s note is required for the absences to be excused. A student with a 504 is still under the general rules of withdrawal if doctor’s notes are not provided for extended absences.
Section 504 Accommodation Plans
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, commonly referred to as “Section 504,” is a federal statute that prohibits discrimination against persons on the basis of their disability by institutions that receive financial federal assistance. It states:
*No otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
Section 504’s purpose is to assure that disabled students have educational opportunities and benefits equal to those provided to nondisabled students. An eligible student under Section 504 is a student who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. If a student is covered by Section 504, schools must provide such accommodations as are necessary to ensure that the student has equal access to services, programs and activities offered by the school. Section 504 protects students from discrimination on the basis of disability to the same extent as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
If your student may need a 504 plan, please contact the 504 Coordinator, Jill Wallace at [email protected]. In order to qualify for a 504, the parent can present a doctor's note describing the mental or physical disability. If the student is going to be absent for three or more days a doctor’s note is required for the absences to be excused. A student with a 504 is still under the general rules of withdrawal if doctor’s notes are not provided for extended absences. The school may create a plan based on evidence collected that there may be a disability present.
This information is from the Board-approved ISOK Handbook for SY 2022-2023, revised September 2022.