Committee on Special Education (CSE)
Students who are suspected of having an educational disability are referred to a multidisciplinary team called the Committee on Special Education (CSE). The Committee on Special Education (CSE) is responsible for servicing children with educational disabilities from 5 to 21 years of age. Children who are identified as having an educational disability are referred for special education services. Specially designed instruction, special services or special programs are recommended through this committee to meet the individual needs of students. Special Education programs and services recommended by the CSE are provided for the student at no cost to the parent. If you suspect your child may have an educational disability, please contact your child’s principal or the Office of Pupil Personnel Services at 516-592-4360.
Receipt of Referral
Upon receipt of a referral, the building principal will immediately forward the referral to the PPS administrators. A referral received by the PPS administrator/CSE Chairperson, will be forwarded to the principal as soon as possible. Referrals are time sensitive and must be reviewed by a PPS administrator as soon as they are received to ensure a timely response and compliance with referral timelines.
Within 10 days of the receipt of referral, the district psychologist will request a meeting with the parent and student, if appropriate, to determine whether the student would benefit from additional general education support services as an alternative to special education, or request parent consent to initiate the evaluation process.
If the parent accepts the 10-day meeting and the district and parent agree, in writing, with the provision of additional general education support services, the referral is withdrawn. This written agreement must specify the alternative general education services to be provided to address the identified needs and provide the opportunity for a follow-up conference within an agreed period of time to review the student's progress. A copy of the 10-day form is forwarded to PPS and the school psychologist for the student’s file.
If the referral is not withdrawn, the initial referral process will continue and the CSE chairperson will provide the parent with a copy of the procedural safeguards notice and Prior Written Notice (PWN) receipt of referral to request consent to evaluate the child to determine initial eligibility for special education services.
Individual Evaluation for Special Education Services
Once the parent’s signed consent is received by the CSE, PPS will arrange for the evaluation of the student and schedule a CSE meeting to determine eligibility. The initial evaluation to determine eligibility for special education and related services must be completed within 60 days of the receipt, except under certain circumstances.
The initial individual evaluations must be comprehensive and include a variety of assessment tools and strategies. The evaluation must include at least:
· A physical examination
· An educational evaluation
· A psychological evaluation (if determined appropriate)
· A social history
· A classroom observation
· Other appropriate assessments or evaluations that may be necessary to determine the physical, mental, behavior, and/or emotional factors which contribute to the child’s suspected disabilities. These may include but are not limited to the following:
· Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) for a student whose behavior impedes the student’s learning or that of others
· Speech language evaluations
· Occupational therapy evaluations
· Audiological evaluations
· Transition assessments (students 12 years or older)
Eligibility
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be developed for any student found eligible for special education services and/or programs.