Eligibility conference?

Question

Can anyone give me a website that defines what should happen at an eligbility conference (for a child who was just evaluated fro initial eligibility for special ed)

Specifically-NJ

but i should think it is simialr nationiwide

Answer 1

http://www.wrightslaw.com/ and http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/advo.inde... can answer many questions about special education and the laws.

The eligibility meetings I was a part of as a special education teacher involved the school psychologist (who reported on the I.Q. tests they gave the student), school nurse (who went over any significant medical history), principal or vice principal (called the LEA - they are the ones that authorize the school to provide services), speech therapist/teacher (if there is a possibility of any speech or language problems), physical and/or occupational therapists (if there are gross or fine motor problems), special education teacher (who will give the results of the standardized academic tests given to the student), behavior specialist (if the student has behavior problems), the student's teacher (who will talk about the student's performance in the classroom) and the parents (they know the student the best but often are made to feel as though they know nothing).  They will talk about the tests done and what that means concerning the student's education.

The first thing they should do is give you a copy of your Rights as a Parent of a Student in Special Education, even though your child is not yet in special education (this is something that should be done at every meeting) and they should explain your rights to you - make them do that, sometimes they are lazy and don't want to take the time.  They should show you a Bell Curve, where the student's I.Q. is, and where they are performing on the Bell Curve (as determined by the standardized academic tests), and if there is a difference between expected performance (I.Q) and actual performance (test scores).   Generally, if a student's I.Q. is 70 or below, they are classified as having mental retardation.  For a student to be classified as having a learning disability in  math or reading, their scores on the standardized tests must be 2 standard deviations (15 points each on the Bell Curve) below their I.Q.

After everyone has had their say, they will ask you your opinion and if you have any questions for them.  If your child is eligible for special education services they will have you sign a bunch of papers (you get a copy of everything) and they should set a meeting time for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) so your child can start getting services as soon as possible.  If your child is not eligible right now, you do have the right to ask for additional testing later.  If you don't agree with their results you have the right to ask for and get your child tested by someone outside the school district.  Don't let the mass of people intimidate you (trust me, they are intimidating!), ask questions about anything you don't understand, and if you want to read through something, take the time to do it right then (they may act like they have something else to do, but it is their job to be there and take all the time you need to make sure you understand everything that is going on).

Hope this helps you!  Good luck.