6159 Notice 1 6159 Notice 1NOTICE TO PARENTS UPON INITIAL REFERRAL IN COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC ACT 12-173 - INFORMATION ABOUT MEETING; EVALUATIONS; AND IEPs
[Under Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-76d, upon request by a parent/guardian, school districts must provide an opportunity for the parent/guardian to meet with a member of the PPT prior to the referral PPT to discuss the PPT process. Parents/guardians may also request that copies of assessments and evaluations be provided to them at least three (3) days before the initial eligibility PPT meeting. Upon finding a student eligible for special education, and at each PPT for the student, school districts are also required to provide parents/guardians with information and resources relating to IEPs created by the State Department of Education. To comply with these requirements, we recommend sending this notice to parents along with the initial notice of referral. Districts should also document at the PPT whether: 1) the parent requested a pre-PPT meeting and if this meeting was held; 2) the parent requested and received evaluations prior the eligibility PPT; and 3) the district provided the information regarding IEPs. We have developed a second notice which can be provided to parents at subsequent PPTs to comply with additional requirements under state law.]
[Board of Education/School Letterhead]
Dear [PARENT/GUARDIAN/SURROGATE PARENT]:
Your child, [NAME], has been referred to a planning and placement team ("PPT") for consideration of eligibility for special education services. Attached please find the referral form and invitation for a PPT meeting to discuss the referral. If you are unable to attend this meeting at this time/date, please contact my office to reschedule as soon as possible.
Please know that, under Connecticut law, you have the right to request a meeting with a member of the PPT designated by the school district prior to the actual referral PPT in order to discuss the PPT process and/or any concerns that you might have regarding your child. If you would like to schedule a meeting for this purpose, please contact [PUPIL SERVICES/SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPERVISOR or OTHER CONTACT] at [TEL #]. To ensure that we are able to schedule this meeting at a time that is mutually convenient, if you plan to request a meeting prior to the PPT, we kindly ask that you contact us as soon as possible.
In addition, at the initial referral PPT meeting, the team may discuss whether formal evaluations and/or assessments may be needed to determine your child's eligibility for special education. Should the team recommend initial evaluations/assessments, the school district will convene another PPT meeting to review the results of those evaluations/assessments. Under state law, you have the right to request that the school district provide you with the results of these initial assessments and evaluations at least three (3) school days before the PPT meeting at which these evaluations will be discussed for the first time. Therefore, in the event the PPT recommends formal evaluations/assessments, please notify [PUPIL PERSONNEL OFFICE] and/or the PPT team if you would like to receive the results of any such evaluations/assessments prior the follow up PPT.
Finally, Connecticut law also requires that school districts provide parents of students found eligible for special education and related services with information and resources, created by the Connecticut State Department of Education (the "Department"), relating to individualized education programs ("IEPs"). Although your child has not yet been determined eligible for special education, the following list of links to information and resources may be helpful in understanding special education and the PPT process. If you are unable to access these websites, or require a hardcopy of either "A Parent's Guide to Special Education in Connecticut" or the "IEP Manual and Forms," please contact [PUPIL SERVICES/SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPERVISOR or OTHER APPROPOPRIATE CONTACT] at [TEL #] to request a copy at the upcoming PPT meeting.
• Bureau of Special Education Resources, http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2626&q=320730
• A Parent's Guide to Special Education in Connecticut, http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/Parents_Guide_SE.pdf
• IEP Manual and Forms (Third Revision October 2010),
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/IEPManual.pdf
• A Tool to Assist PPTs in Addressing the Unique Communication Needs of Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Language and Communication Plan, http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/Language_Communication_Plan.pdf
• Secondary Transition (Including Building a Bridge: A Transition Manual for Students), http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2626&q=322676
• Helpful CT Resources for Families, http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/Resources_Families.pdf
If you have any questions, you may contact my office. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[APPROPRIATE SPECIAL EDUCATION ADMINISTRATOR]
9/2015