Information for Parent/Guardians

An Intro to Special Education

Introducción a la Educación Especial

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Special Education in Plain Language

Educación Especial en Palabras Sencillas

Procedural Safeguards Notice - English

Avisos de Garantías de Procedimiento

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Evaluation Timeline

IEP & Placement Timeline

Families and schools have a “built-in” partnership with the student as the focus. This partnership will grow when parents/guardians and school staff work together. Disagreements may happen, but working together improves your student’s education.

What can you do if questions or concerns arise?

• If concerns arise, families are encouraged to first talk directly with the people involved as soon as possible (local contacts – ex: your student’s teachers, principal, special education leadership team members, other school administrators)

• First, call to schedule an informal meeting to discuss the situation

• Then, prepare for the meeting by making a list of concerns and some possible solutions

What can you do in the meeting?

• Identify student strengths and acknowledge what is working

• Identify concerns of families and educators

• Use active listening in order to understand the other person’s perspective

• Ask questions or restate ideas so the team has a clear understanding

• Work together to suggest some possible options to resolve the concerns

• Analyze all of the options to see if you can find areas of agreement

• Discuss what should happen next

What if concerns are not fully resolved in the meeting?

• Request a break or ask the IEP team to meet again and consider including additional team members.

• Call others for suggestions on possible future action.

Problem-solving at the school level gives families and school districts more collaborative options on outcomes for children.

Next Steps: What can be done if these attempts at solving problems don’t work?

• Facilitated IEP: An option for early conflict resolution Wisconsin has chosen to make available to families and schools. A neutral, trained professional helps the IEP team with the IEP process. https://wsems.us/iep-facilitation/

• Mediation: An option for early conflict resolution available at no cost to families and schools. A mediator helps families and schools work toward resolution on special education conflicts/issues. http://www.wsems.us/mediation

• IDEA State Complaints: Anyone who believes a school district violated state or federal special education law has the right to file a complaint with DPI. More information at: http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/dispute-resolution/complain

• Due Process Hearings: Parents, adult students, and schools districts have the right to request due process hearings for special education disputes. More information at: http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/dispute-resolution/due- process

Access to WSPEI Family Engagement Coordinators and the WI Mediation System are provided at no cost to parents. WSPEI information can be found at: 1-877-844-4925 or  www.wspei.org

Verona Area School District (VASD) utilizes a digital format for IEP and 504 documents. Finalized copies of a student’s IEP or 504 documents will be emailed to the primary parent/guardian's email file. Documents that require a parent/guardian's signature will be sent to the primary parent/guardian's email on file for electronic signature.

If you’d like to opt-out of this digital format, please complete this form:

Electronic Document/Digital Signature Opt-Out

 Wisconsin’s Informational Guidebook on Dyslexia and Related Conditions

The informational dyslexia guidebook required by 2019 Wisconsin Act 86 is online at https://dpi.wi.gov/reading/dyslexiaguidebook. The guidebook was created through collaboration between the advisory committee, as outlined in Act 86, and DPI. Per Act 86, the informational guidebook discusses screening, instruction and intervention, and resources that can support improved learning for school-aged individuals with characteristics of dyslexia. The audience for the information is broad and includes but is not limited to parents and families, educators, interventionists or reading teachers, and educational leaders.

The State of Wisconsin and the Verona Area School District participate in a Federal program called Wisconsin Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS). School-Based services (SBS) is a program that allows public school districts to bill Wisconsin Medicaid for medically necessary services provided to Medicaid-eligible children. These services must be listed in a student’s IEP and include: attendant care services, nursing services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology services, specialized medical transportation, psychological services, counseling, social work services, and developmental testing and assessment. In turn, the State receives federal reimbursement for medical services performed as reported in Medicaid students' IEPs.

School-Based Services & Medicaid FAQs

Parental Notices

Medicaid_Parental_Notice-English.pdf
Medicaid_Parental_Notice-Spanish.pdf

The following factors provide the rationale for this decision to monitor access of non-contracted third-party providers to our school buildings during the instructional day: 

1. General liability: The district's insurance carrier provides coverage that does not include third-party, private providers not contracted directly with the school district. Potential injuries, property damage, harassment or other actions of a third-party provider present a substantial liability to the VASD. The district has the right to refuse any request by a third-party provider to indemnify the district. 

2. Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): Federal law protects the privacy of student education records. The potential access to student information violates FERPA. 

3. The VASD is responsible for each student's instructional day and services to the student, including the development and implementation of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) at no cost to a student with a disability. Any portion of the instructional day that is diverted to a third-party provider represents supplanting of educational services, which is not supported by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the requirements of providing a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). 

4. The VASD staff has the obligation to develop an IEP that provides an educational benefit to students with disabilities. We also have the right to select the methodology that will promote progress toward these IEP goals. The district has no obligation to support or implement instructional suggestions from a third-party provider. Furthermore, third-party providers are not permitted to provide any type of professional development to school staff unless granted explicit permission by the Director of Special Education. 

5. Persons delivering services to student(s) during the instructional school day are required by the district to hold appropriate DPI licenses. The VASD will not allocate time for non-qualified staff to deliver services within our schools. 

6. Facility use for “For Profit" organizations must adhere to VASD district rules and policies, which outline general conditions relating to school use. 

Requests for Third-Party Involvement: A parent or third-party provider must contact the Director of Special Education for the VASD with any requests to seek access to student(s) during the instructional day. The Director of Special Education reserves the right to approve or deny any requests based upon all other points in this letter and also upon review of a plan of explicit involvement that includes the following: 

1. A clear indication of why the provider is present, the provider's plan of intervention with the student, length of the plan of intervention, and person to contact in the event of a report of alleged inappropriate behavior on school premises, such as, but not limited to abuse or harassment. 

2. A release of information is required for a third-party provider to observe a student on school premises and to also exchange student information. The release includes an expectation that the third-party provider will share its data and results with relevant district staff.

Supported Third-Party Activities: The district supports the following arrangements relative to collaborating with non-contracted, third-parties with an interest in a student's well-being: 

1. The district will work in partnership with a third-party provider to provide appropriate opportunities for observations of a student within the school setting. Observations will be contingent upon a signed release of information and clearly defined purpose of the observation. Frequency of these observations might depend on the needs of the students, but typically would not occur more than once per month or once per quarter. 

2. Exchange of information between school staff and third-party providers will occur at a defined frequency that meets the needs of both parties and only secondary to a valid release of information.

3. Third-party providers are able to attend IEP meetings when invited by the parent.

4. Third-party student-specific medical personnel are able to support a student's medical needs in the school environment per arrangement with the Director of Special Education. 

The Verona Area School District is a strong collaborative partner with several third-party providers and agencies serving the students of our district and value their collaboration in service of the students of the district. These parties adhere to the aforementioned guidelines. 

We recognize that third-party providers deliver services to children beyond the school day and seek continuity for the child across settings. We understand the value of communication and collaboration among school staff and third-party providers and encourage this communication and interaction to occur in a manner that adheres to the parameters noted in this communication.

Questions?  Please contact Dr. Sara Halberg at (608) 845-4325 or halbergs@verona.k12.wi.us.