EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT SERVICES

Legacy Traditional Schools’ Exceptional Student Services department oversees programming for students with disabilities and maintains compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. LTS provides a free, appropriate, public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal statutes and regulations.

Special Education

To qualify as a student with a disability under IDEA, a child must be of school age, be in need of specially designed instruction, and meet the eligibility criteria for one or more of the following physical or mental disabilities, as set forth in the Arizona Revised Statutes: autism; developmental delay; emotional disability; hearing impairment; other health impairment; specific learning disability; mild, moderate, or severe intellectual disability; multiple disabilities; multiple disabilities with severe sensory impairment; orthopedic impairment; speech/language; impairment; traumatic brain injury; and visual impairment.

LTS engages in identification procedures to ensure that eligible students receive FAPE, including special education and related services, individualized to meet student needs. To identify students who may be eligible for special education, various screening activities are conducted on an ongoing basis. These

screening activities include a review of data (cumulative records, enrollment records, health records, report cards, and achievement test scores), hearing and vision screenings, and speech/language screenings. Students who struggle academically or behaviorally may be referred to the school’s Intervention Team for pre-referral interventions. When screening or pre-referral intervention results suggest that a student may have a disability, the school’s special education team seeks parental consent to conduct a multidisciplinary evaluation. Parents/guardians who suspect their child may have a disability may request a multidisciplinary evaluation by submitting a request to the school.

When a student is identified as eligible for special education, the school’s Special Education Multidisciplinary Team will develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in order to identify the student’s needs for special education and related services. At least annually, the student’s IEP will be reviewed and revised. At least triennially, the student will be re-evaluated to determine if he/she still meets the eligibility criteria as a student with a disability in need of specially designed instruction.

LTS provides special education services to all eligible students in the least restrictive environment and in alignment with their individual needs. LTS provides specially designed instruction in academic and behavioral strategies, itinerant vision and hearing services, speech therapy services, occupational therapy services, physical therapy services, counseling services, and other required related services for the student to benefit from the special education program.

Section 504

To qualify as a student with a disability under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a child must be of school age and must have a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. If determined to be eligible for protection under Section 504, a student will receive a 504 Plan to outline accommodations and services necessary to provide the student with equal access to the school's programs and facilities.

Identification procedures for Section 504 are similar to those of special education. Upon suspicion that a student may meet the Section 504 definition of a student with a disability, the school will follow multidisciplinary consent and evaluation procedures similar to those for special education identification. However, evaluations under Section 504 are not limited to formal evaluation instruments, because the definition of a student with a disability is broader under Section 504 than under IDEA. Parents/guardians who suspect their child may have a disability may request a multidisciplinary evaluation by submitting a request to the school.

Child Find

As a charter school, Legacy Traditional Schools meets IDEA’s Child Find obligations by identifying, locating, and evaluating all children with disabilities who are in need of special education and related services within the enrolled population of the school.

Confidentiality of Student Records

Legacy Traditional Schools maintains records for all students, including students with disabilities. In order to release student records or personally identifiable information, parental consent or consent of an eligible student who has reached the age of majority under state law must first be obtained, except as permitted under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Confidentiality of personally identifiable information is protected by LTS at the collection, storage, disclosure, and destruction stages.

Destruction of any education records of a child with a disability is done in accordance with IDEA regulatory requirements.

For more information or to file a complaint, contact the following agencies:

Exceptional Student Services

Arizona Department of Education

1535 W. Jefferson St. Bin 24

Phoenix, Arizona 85007 / 602-542-4013

Family Policy Compliance Office

US Department of Education

400 Maryland Ave., SW

Washington, DC 20202 / 1-800-872-5327

Questions/Additional Information

Parents/guardians may obtain additional information about programs and services for students with disabilities and parental due process rights by contacting the vice president of Exceptional Student Services:

Vice President of Exceptional Student Services

3125 South Gilbert Road

Chandler, AZ 85286

Phone: (480) 270-5438