Special Services

Multi-Tier Systems of Support or MTSS is a process and approach to early intervention to students who are at risk with academics, behavioral issues, and social emotional support. MTSS seeks to prevent academic delay through universal screening, early intervention, frequent progress monitoring, and research-based instruction/interventions for children who continue to have difficulty. MTSS is a multi-leveled approach for aiding students that is adjusted and modified as needed.

A 504 plan provides accommodations to “level the playing field” for students who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity such as thinking, learning, or concentrating. The goal is for these students to be educated in regular classrooms with the necessary services or accommodations to support their access and success.

The Jordan School District is committed to providing a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to each student with a disability within the school district’s jurisdiction. It is the district’s intent to ensure that students who qualify under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are identified, evaluated, and provided with appropriate educational supports and services.

Section 504 is a federal anti-discrimination statute designed to ensure equal access to educational programs, services, and activities for students with physical or mental health disabilities.

If a student has an impairment that limits a major life activity, the district must ensure that student has equitable access, similar to their peers. However, a student who is progressing without specific accommodations—or only with universally available accommodations—may still qualify for non-discrimination protections under Section 504, but would not receive a formal 504 plan.

Resources

Minnesota Department of Education – 504 Plans

College Resources for Students with Disabilities

MDE 504 Resources

PACER Action Information Sheet on Accommodations and Adaptations

PACER Action Information Sheet on 504

English learners (ELs) in the Jordan School District are eligible for instructional support in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. In this program, students receive English language instruction in the four domains of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Licensed ESL teachers support the English language acquisition process, and provide this service primarily in collaboration with the classroom teacher and ESL paraprofessionals.

Instructional goals address the English Language Development (ELD) Standards; abbreviated forms of the standards are:

• The Language of Social and Instructional Language
• The Language of Language Arts
• The Language of Mathematics
• The Language of Social Studies
• The Language of Science

The ELD standards for English learners were adopted by the state when Minnesota joined the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium in 2011.

For more information on the standards, visit the WIDA English Language Development Standards.

Program Eligibility, Assessments and Proficiency Levels

A student is assessed for the ESL program if a primary language other than English is indicated at registration. The WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT) or WIDA MODEL is used to determine a language proficiency level and service needs.

The state-required ACCESS test is given annually and measures the overall language proficiency of each student. The data from the ACCESS test helps determine what supports are needed for language development in the content areas prescribed by the ELD standards. Assessment data is compiled annually through this and other state and district assessments, such as Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) and the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) tests.

The WIDA English Language Proficiency Level names and score ranges from the ACCESS test are as follows:

• Entering: 1.0 - 1.9
• Emerging: 2.0 - 2.9
• Developing: 3.0 - 3.9
• Expanding: 4.0 - 4.9
• Bridging: 5.0 - 5.9

These levels describe a range of language proficiency, from knowing very little or no English (Entering), to being fully proficient and able to work in a mainstream classroom without any English language support (Bridging). Students are exited from the ESL program when their English proficiency level approximates that of a native English speaker.

Families are informed of assessment results and proficiency level changes through annual mailings or during conferences. In addition, ESL progress reports and parent-teacher-student conferences inform families about English language and academic progress throughout the year.

Special Education is defined as “Specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.” It is a program that allows a school district to meet students where they are at academically, socially, and emotionally. Special Education also provides additional services, accommodations, programming, specialized placements, or environments to ensure that all students’ educational needs are met.

The Jordan Public School District provides academic and behavioral support through Alternative Delivery of Specialized Instructional Services or ADSIS. The purpose of ADSIS is to provide academic and behavioral support to students who need the extra support to succeed in a general educational environment. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of referrals to special education by identifying struggling students and providing early support.

Help Me Grow is an interagency initiative of the Minnesota Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. The program connects families to various resources for children between birth and two years of age who may not be meeting developmental milestones. Help Me Grow referrals and services are at no cost to families.

Title I is a federally funded program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, which was most recently reauthorized in 2015 as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Title One is a source of funds to assist school in providing additional instruction for students who need it in the areas of reading and mathematics.

Minnesota law (M.S. 125A.21) requires that school districts seek reimbursement from private and public health insurers for the cost of health-related services provided to students who receive special education services. If your child receives health-related services as part of their IEP, IFSP, or IIIP, a member of your child's team may ask your permission to share information with your insurer and/or physician in order to bill for these services. Health-related services are developmental, corrective, and supportive services that are required in order for a student to benefit from their program of specialized instruction. Health-related services include supports such as:

• Diagnosis, evaluation and assessment;
• Speech, physical and occupational therapies;
• Audiology;
• Paraprofessional/personal care assistant (PCA) services;
• Mental health services;
• Transportation; and
• Health services such as nursing.

MA Billing Information from the Minnesota Department of Education

Special Education monitoring provides general supervision and oversight of special education programs in Minnesota public schools to ensure compliance with federal and state legislation. In the Jordan Public School District, this is accomplished through the Minnesota Continuous Improvement Monitoring Process (MNCIMP).

MNCIMP provides the vehicle for MDE oversight of due process and procedural safeguards, conferred education benefit, the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE), and the full provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The Self-Review process brings compliance and special education program evaluation into a single strategic plan to improve due process compliance and program results for students with disabilities. This monitoring option includes record reviews, on-site observations and the collection of stakeholder information.

Assistive Technology is any piece of equipment that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of students with disabilities. (34 C.F.R. §300.5) Assistive Technology is a product or service used by persons with disabilities to complete a task that otherwise would be too difficult or impossible to complete. When considering Assistive Technology, products and services are both explored to meet the needs of all learners.

Product

Assistive Technology Products are used to enhance the functional capabilities of students with disabilities. Assistive Technology Equipment ranges from low to high technology and is considered to make progress towards student progress and independence.

Assistive Technology can be broken down into 3 different categories:

Low Technology: Devices without batteries.

• Examples include: highlighters, slant boards, specialized paper, therapy sit balls, sticky notes, magnifiers, magnetic letters, wipe-off boards, adaptive scissors, and picture schedules.

Mid Technology: Devices with batteries.

• Examples include: calculators, handheld spell checkers, switches for voice output, switch-activated toys, and portable word processors.

High Technology: Devices that can plug into the wall.

• Examples include: computers, laptops, software, scanners, iPads, and Powerlink boxes for switches.

Services

Assistive Technology Services refer to the services necessary to assess needs and support use of the device or equipment. This is the process of selecting, acquiring, and teaching students how to use the product to access curriculum and make progress towards IEP goals. These services include:

• Evaluation of the needs of the child with a disability.
• Purchasing, leasing or otherwise providing for the acquisition of the device.
• Selecting, fitting, customizing, maintaining or repairing the device.
• Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability.
• Training or technical assistance for the professionals working with the student.

Building Contacts for Assistive Technology

• Jennie McDonald, Early Childhood and Jordan Elementary
• Stacey Hess-Norskog, District-wide