Referral of students for a full and individual initial evaluation for possible special education services shall be a part of the District’s overall general education referral and Response to Intervention (RTI) screening process. Prior to referral, students experiencing difficulty in the general education classroom will be provided all support services available such as tutorial, remediation, compensatory and other services through the RTI leveled system. The child centered process begins with a referral from a student’s home campus through the Problem Solving Intervention Team. Anyone involved with the child’s education may initiate the referral:  parents/guardians, teachers and other school personnel who work with the student, or professionals in related fields such as medicine, psychology and social services.

With written parental informed consent, a Full Individual Evaluation is completed within a 45 school day timeline and an Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee meeting is held to determine eligibility for special education services.  If the student is eligible, an individual educational plan of instruction is developed. The ARD/IEP meeting is held within 30 calendar days of the report date.  Any parent who feels his/her child may have a disability is encouraged to contact his/her child’s counselor or RTI Specialist, school principal, or the Special Education Services Office at (409) 761-3920 for additional information.