Approval for open enrollment requiring special education services is dependent upon not only district guidelines for open enrollment but also availability of space in a specific special education program and current staff allotment.

Preschool Special Needs Screening

Parents with concerns about their 2.5 to 5 years old child's development are invited to participate in free screenings at Osborn School District's Preschool programs.

Children will be screened in developmental areas, including cognitive/language, motor and self-help/social. Screening will take approximately 15-30 minutes and a appointment is necessary.

If you are concerned and would like some more information about Child Find, and/or would like to refer a child, please call (602) 707-2017.

Preschool screening dates 2007/2008:

12/14/2007 at Solano

02/08/2008 at Montecito

03/28/2008 at Encanto

05/16/2008 at Longview

Statement of Philosophy

Special Education Services in Osborn School District will offer the following to disabled students and their parents:

A free appropriate public education to all disabled students residing in the district
Special education in the Least Restrictive Environment (L.R.E.). Disabled students will be educated with non-disabled students to an extent that will appropriately meet each student's unique needs
A continuum of special education services will be available, including participation in physical education, art, and music
An individualized education program will be developed for each student determined to have special needs. The Individual Education Program will be reviewed at least annually
The student's parents will be consulted on a regular basis regarding student's needs
Student education records will be maintained in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Family Education Rights and Privacy Act
Staff development will include regular in-service training for staff providing educational services to disabled students.

Special Education Services

Osborn's well trained professional special educators effectively serve a broad range of disabled students through individualized planning and instruction.

Specialists serving our students with disabilities include special education certified teachers, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, music therapists, teacher specialists, sign language interpreters, and Para educators trained to serve students, who are at least three but less than twenty two years of age who have at least one of the following conditions: autism/autism spectrum disorder, emotional disability, hearing impairment, other health impairments, specific learning disability, mild, moderate or severe mental retardation, multiple disabilities, multiple disabilities with severe sensory impairment, orthopedic impairment, speech/language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment, (preschool moderate delay, preschool severe delay, preschool speech/language delay).

The Special Education department includes professionals who specialize in working with students who have various disabilities and may need related services. Related services may include speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, adapted physical education and assistive technology. Students must meet eligibility requirements to enroll in a Special Education program.

The goal of Special Education is to help students become independent learners, to teach learning strategies to prepare them to be successful in their regular classes, and to prepare them for high school and post-secondary experiences. This goal will be achieved through a partnership between student, home and school.

Transition services provide purposeful, organized goals designed to help students move from middle school to high school and from high school to post-secondary education and/or employment and quality adult living. Regulations require consideration of transition services for students receiving Special Education by age 14, and each year thereafter.

Learning Resource Center Programs

The Learning Resource Center (LRC) offers various models of small group instruction, support, remediation, monitoring, and consultation of regular education classes.

Team Teaching may occur in regular education classes that serve Special Education students. It involves an agreement between regular education teachers and Special Education staff to develop lessons and share the instructional responsibilities.

Consultation is a component of all classes in which Special Education students participate. This involves the consistent communication between the Special Education teacher and the regular education teacher. This consultation may lead to modifications in a regular class, even though team teaching may not occur there.

Self-Contained Programs

Special classes are provided for students who, because of the severity of their disability, need a more intensive full-time Special Education program. The classes are limited in size to permit flexibility in meeting individual needs. These students are included in the regular classroom setting whenever appropriate.

Social Skills Programs

Lynne Misztal, Social Skills Program Coordinator, 602-707-8224

Special Education Coordinators

Bonnie M Carrico, Special Education Administrative Assistant, 602-707-2014

Adapted P.E. teachers
Braille materials
Class lists
Communication
Community relations
Data collection
District placement review committee
Federal table and reports
Instructional aide staffing
LD specialist
New classroom set-up
New parents class visitations
Occupational therapy
Paraprofessional training
Physical therapy
Screening & interviewing (special education)
Special education transportation
Staff development
Ventures screenings
Vision and Hearing

Jill Hoover, ESY Coordinator, 602-707-2014

Extended School Year (ESY)

Definition:

ESY means additional special education and related services for pupils with disabilities to supplement the normal school year. These services are provided as part of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and documented on the student's IEP.

Issues:

Students with disabilities are not required to attend ESY.
ESY is not day care or respite service for pupils with disabilities; a summer recreationprogram; or a program to maximize the academic potential of pupils with disabilities.

Requirements:

1. Schools are required to provide ESY for pupils with disabilities when such a program is necessary to:
- Prevent irreparable harm to the pupil's ability to maintain identified skills or behaviors.
- Accommodate critical learning periods for pupils who are unlikely to receive another opportunity to learn or generalize skills or behaviors.
2. Schools should develop ESY criteria in the following areas:
1. Regression-recoupment factors
2. Critical learning stages
3. Least restrictive environments (LRE) considerations
4. Teacher and parent interview and observations
5. Data-based observation of the pupils
6. Consideration of the pupil's previous history
7. Parental skills and abilities

Example:

The School would compare pre/post testing after every break in instruction (winter, summer, spring breaks) to decide whether the student has regressed too far to recoup the skills learned during the previous instruction period on specific skills designated as "essential skills" on the IEP.
Schools may not use the students' categorical eligibility as a determining factor.
The School should review previous IEP's to determine if the student has a history of eligibility for ESY and interview the parents and consider whether the student might succeed in a less restrictive environment, if ESY was provided to the student the prior summer.
Go to http://www.ade.az.gov/ess/AZTAS/ on the ADE ESS website and see the document on ESY for additional information.

Section 504

Definition:

Section 504 is a civil rights law passed in 1973, which prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities including employees, students, and parents. It requires that a School Districts not discriminate in its employment practices; that buildings be accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); and that students with disabilities who are not eligible for special education be provided with reasonable accommodations in their regular education program.

Disability:

Section 504 protects all qualified individuals defined as having any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities include: walking, seeing, breathing, working, taking care of oneself, and learning.

Methods:

School Districts must establish a policy and procedures for Section 504 to conduct identification, evaluation, services, and notice to any eligible individual with a disability. The policy and procedure should include:

Ways to inform parents, employees, and students about Section 504 - Post notices in prominent places, write a section of parent/student handbook about Section 504, requesting Section 504 accommodation plans on enrollment packets.
Set up a 504 Team at each site - Review students with medical or other handicapping conditions for eligibility (lupus, asthma, ADHD, cancer, heart problems, temporary orthopedic conditions).
Conduct an evaluation of the student - Request a medical statement from the student's doctor if necessary.
If the student qualifies for Section 504, use your site 504 Team to develop a 504 Accommodation Plan.
An "appropriate education" means an education comparable to non-disabled students, requiring that reasonable accommodations be made in order for the student to receive such education.
The 504 plan needs to be reviewed periodically.
Re-evaluation is required before any significant change in placement. The Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services (ADE-ESS) has developed an excellent resource document:

David Roberts, Assistive Technology Coordinator, 602-707-2011

Assistive technology training
Assistive technology evaluation assistance
Assistive technology screening
Assistive technology staff development
Device procurement
Device training
Device programming
Specialized software installation

Rebecca McNany, Child Find, 602-707-2017

"Looking for Special Children"

Does your child talk? Can you understand your child? Can your child pick up small objects? Can your child walk? Does your child get along with other children?

If you answered NO to any of these questions, then your child may be in need of special education services. If you are concerned and would like some more information about Child Find, and/or would like to refer a child, please call (602) 707-2017 or come in to speak with someone about Child Find, at the Osborn School District office 1226 W. Osborn Road.

"Buscar a Niños Especiales"

¿Su niño habla? ¿Puede usted entender a su niño? ¿Peude su niño tomar objetos puequeños? ¿Puede su caminata del niño? ¿Su niño puede comunicar con otros niños?

Sí usted contestó NO a cualesquiera de estas preguntas, entonces su niño puede estar en necesidad de los servicios de la educación especial. Sí usted le consierne quiere sabre más información sobre Hallazgo Del Niño, y/o quisiera referir a un niño, llame por favor (602) 707-2017, o venga hablar con alguien sobre Hallazgo Del Niño, en la oficina del distrito Osborn, 1226 W. Osborn Road.

Patty Simcox, Autism Specialists/Structured Teaching Model Consultant,480-484-5081

Autism evaluations
Autism programming/consultation
Autism staff training
STM materials development

Jill Hoover, Special Services Initiatives, 602-707-2014

Support and mentor emergency certified teachers
Participate in the State Improvement Grant for Reading Instruction and Curriculum Imbedded Evaluation (district wide)
Expand MIPS qualified billing services
Expand Student Led IEP Process across school
Consistently address Child Find for students with eligibility indicators
Develop and provide positive behavioral support training with all staff
Support Instructional aides in attaining status as "qualified"
Implement our IEP Management System, e-IEPPRO
Continuously improve the screening and evaluation of preschool students
Develop a full and individual evaluation system for ADD/ADHD
Provide Differential Instruction Training with staff at Solano, Longview, OMS as well as train the trainers

Miriam Arene, Preschool Program Coordinator, 602-707-2521

Early childhood programs
DHS compliance
DHS licensing
Preschool certified staff training
Preschool classified staff training
NAEYC accreditation

Links on this Page

Special Education Department

Osborn School District #8

Welcome to the Special Education Department

Administrator / Special Education

Open Enrollment