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SPECIAL & GIFTED EDUCATION Child Find The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) requires that public school agencies ensure all children (from birth through age 21) with delays or developmental disabilities are identified, located, and evaluated to receive the supports and services they need. This includes all children living within the geographic boundaries of the school district – those who are homeless or wards of the state, are attending private schools, or are home schooled. Public schools and the Arizona Early Intervention Program are responsible for “finding” eligible children and providing services needed for them to reach their developmental milestones or meet their educational needs.
For additional information about child find, please contact the following agencies: Department of Economic Security Dysart Unified School District
Special Education Philosophy and District Policy It is the philosophy of the Special Education Department that all children can learn. All children have the right to a free appropriate public education, regardless of disability, that helps them maximize their potential. It is the policy of the Dysart Unified School District that students with disabilities:
Definition As defined by federal law, special education means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability [IDEA 97 300.26(a)]. Arizona Revised Statutes defines a "child with a disability" as a child who is at least three but less than twenty-two years of age, who has been evaluated and found to have a disability and who, because of the disability, needs special education and related services [ARS 15-761(2)]. Special education is a service not a place. Special education is provided through a continuum of services which include instruction in the general education classroom with supplementary aids and services, services integrated into the general education classroom, specialized instruction in a resource or pull out setting, instruction in a specialized classroom, instruction in a special school, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals or institutions. The removal of students with disabilities from the general educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in general education classes or in a building with non-disabled students, with the use of special education services, cannot be achieved satisfactorily. The district contracts as necessary for the education of students with disabilities in approved public or private agencies when the needs of the student cannot be met within the district. Under federal law, a student can qualify for special education services under the disability categories of mental retardation, hearing impairments (including deafness), speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including blindness), serious emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities [IDEA 97 602(3)(a)]. Arizona state law includes all of these categories, but adds the additional categories of preschool moderate delay, preschool severe delay, preschool speech/language impaired, multiple disabilities, and multiple disabilities with severe sensory impairment [ARS 15-761(2)]. Arizona law also breaks the category of mental retardation into the three separate categories of mild, moderate and severe retardation. Gifted and Talented Program (G.A.T.E.) Mission Statement To deliver educational programs designed to assist gifted individuals to achieve their full potential in intellectual pursuits, community leadership, and creativity. This mission is achieved through the use of sound differentiated instructional strategies that include but are not limited to: complexity, depth, novelty, pacing, independent study, and acceleration. Professional expertise is fostered and exemplary resources are utilized to develop intellectual rigor, humane values, and creativity. The program recognizes and responds to the diverse gifts and talents in children and youth from all cultures, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and socioeconomic groups. Statement of Purpose Based on the unique needs and characteristics of students identified as gifted, the mission of the Dysart Unified School District is to provide an array of services to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of these students in our community. General Information Dysart Unified School District is committed to providing quality services to all students including those who are identified as being exceptional through demonstration of high cognitive ability. Dysart provides two levels of service for students who qualify for services from the Gifted and Talented Program (G.A.T.E.). Students qualify for the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) when they earn a percentile score of 97 or higher on any one of the three areas assessed: verbal, nonverbal, or quantitative. The ILP is written in collaboration with the parent and teachers and is implemented in the regular classroom. Students may be eligible to attend a self-contained classroom for gifted students if they obtain a score of the 97th percentile or higher on the verbal and quantitative subtests and also obtain a score in the 90th percentile or higher on the Nonverbal subtest. These classrooms are open on a space available basis. Students who qualify and whose parents agree to the placement, will be transported to the school where the program is offered. Students may be referred for testing by the parents, the teachers, the principals or the students themselves. All referrals will be reviewed by the Student Study Team at each school. Those students referred on by the SST will be tested on the posted testing dates once parental permission for testing has been obtained. Parents will be notified of testing results within two weeks of testing. Parents must provide consent for GATE services before services will be implemented. Parents of students eligible for ILP services will be invited to meet with the teacher to develop the ILP. GATE Resources Contact Special Education Special Education Department |
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