Special Programs
Which special programs and services may support my child’s language, disability, academic, or other learning needs?
Students Who Speak a Primary Language Other than English
A student may be eligible to receive specialized support if his or her primary language is not English, and the student has difficulty performing regular class work in English. If the student qualifies for these extra services, the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (“LPAC”) will determine the types of services the student needs, including accommodations or modifications related to classroom instruction, local assessments, and state-mandated assessments.
Legacy Gifted Program
To address the special needs of gifted students, LTS offers pullout gifted classes in grades K–6 and a daily elective for junior high students. The Legacy Gifted Program curriculum challenges academically advanced learners by applying critical, creative, and strategic thinking in a project-based learning environment.
Testing to identify potential new gifted students will be completed twice during the school year: fall and spring semesters. Students may be referred for gifted testing by parents/guardians, teachers, and/or LTS staff. LTS administers the Online Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Complete in conjunction with other quantitative and qualitative measures in the Legacy Gifted Program Texas Eligibility Matrix to identify gifted students.
Aiding Students Who Have Learning Difficulties or Who Need Special Education or Section 504 Services
For those students who are having difficulty in the regular classroom, all school districts and open enrollment charter schools must consider tutorial, compensatory, and other academic or behavior support services that are available to all students, including a process based on Response to Intervention (“RtI”). The implementation of RtI has the potential to have a positive impact on the ability of districts and charter schools to meet the needs of all struggling students.
If a student is experiencing learning difficulties, their parent may contact the individual(s) listed below to learn about the school’s overall general education referral or screening system for support services. This system links students to a variety of support options, including making a referral for a special education evaluation or for a Section 504 evaluation to determine if the student needs specific aids, accommodations, or services. A parent may request an evaluation for special education or Section 504 services at any time.
Special Education Referrals
If a parent makes a written request for an initial evaluation for special education services to the director of special education services or an administrative employee of the school district or open enrollment charter school, the district or charter school must respond no later than 15 school days after receiving the request. At that time, the district or charter school must give the parent a prior written notice of whether it agrees to or refuses to evaluate the student, along with a copy of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards. If the school district or charter school agrees to evaluate the student, it must also give the parent the opportunity to give written consent for the evaluation.
Please note that a request for a special education evaluation may be made verbally and does not need to be in writing. Districts and charter schools must still comply with all federal prior written notice and procedural safeguard requirements and the requirements for identifying, locating, and evaluating children who are suspected of being a child with a disability and in need of special education. However, a verbal request does not require the district or charter school to respond within the 15-school-day timeline.
If the district or charter school decides to evaluate the student, it must complete the student’s initial evaluation and evaluation report no later than 45 school days from the day it receives a parent’s written consent to evaluate the student. However, if the student is absent from school during the evaluation period for three or more school days, the evaluation period will be extended by the number of school days equal to the number of school days the student is absent.
There is an exception to the 45-school-day timeline. If a district or charter school receives a parent’s consent for the initial evaluation at least 35 but less than 45 school days before the last instructional day of the school year, it must complete the written report and provide a copy of the report to the parent by June 30 of that year. However, if the student is absent from school for three or more days during the evaluation period, the June 30th due date no longer applies. Instead, the general timeline of 45 school days plus extensions for absences of three or more days will apply.
Upon completing the evaluation, the district or charter school must give the parent a copy of the evaluation report at no cost.
Additional information regarding special education is available from the district or charter school in a companion document titled Parent’s Guide to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal Process.
Contact Person for Special Education Referrals: The designated person to contact regarding options for a student experiencing learning difficulties or regarding a referral for evaluation for special education services is the principal.
Section 504 Referrals
Each school district or charter school must have standards and procedures in place for the evaluation and placement of students in the district’s or charter school’s Section 504 program. Districts and charter schools must also implement a system of procedural safeguards that includes notice, an opportunity for a parent or guardian to examine relevant records, an impartial hearing with an opportunity for participation by the parent and representation by counsel, and a review procedure.
Contact Person for Section 504 Referrals: The designated person to contact regarding options for a student experiencing learning difficulties or regarding a referral for evaluation for Section 504 services is the principal.
Additional Information
The following websites provide information and resources for students with disabilities and their families: ● Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Special Education Process ● Partners Resource Network ● Special Education Information Center ● Texas Project First
Notification to Parent of Intervention Strategies for Learning Difficulties Provided to General Education Students
LTS will annually notify parents that it provides assistance to students, other than those already enrolled in a special education program, who need assistance for learning difficulties, including intervention strategies.
Services for Title I Participants
Information regarding LTS’s Title I program may be obtained from the District Office.
Students with Physical or Mental Impairments Protected under Section 504
A student with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, as defined by law, and who does not otherwise qualify for special education services, may qualify for protections under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 504”). Section 504 is a federal law designed to prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities.
When an evaluation is requested, a committee will be created to determine whether the student needs Section 504 services and supports in order to receive an appropriate education as required by federal law.