The School Board recognizes the responsibility of the District to identify children residing in the District who need special education and related services. As required by law, the Superintendent shall establish written procedures for locating children with exceptional needs in order to provide a free appropriate public education to all eligible children. The Board encourages all members of the community to assist the District in its effort to identify children in need of special education and related services within the community.
The Superintendent shall establish and implement an ongoing system to identify and locate children, age 3 through 21 years of age, suspected of having a disability, who reside within the District, regardless of the severity of the disability. The components and procedures of this system will be detailed in a written Child Find Plan. The Plan shall identify a Child Find Coordinator, address coordination of child find activities, provide for annual public notice, referrals, and screening.
Child Find Coordinator
The Superintendent shall appoint a Child Find Coordinator who coordinates the development, revision, implementation, and documentation of the District's child find system.
Annual Public Notice
The Superintendent shall annually inform the community about the right to, and availability of, educational services for children with disabilities. This notice shall inform parents/guardians in writing of the types of qualifying disabilities, the educational needs of children with disabilities, the rights of children to a free appropriate public education, the services available to these children, confidentiality protections, and the District's procedures for initiating a referral for assessment to identify individuals who need special education services.
Referral
The Superintendent shall implement a procedure to receive referrals of children suspected to having a disability. Referrals will be acted upon without undue delay.
The School District shall obtain the informed written consent of a child's parent before conducting an initial evaluation or placing the student in a special education program in the District. If consent is not given for an initial evaluation, and the District believes it should proceed with the assessment, it may initiate due process hearing procedures in accordance with law to determine whether the District can proceed with an evaluation.
(cf.6172- Special Education)
Legal Reference:
ALASKA STATUTES
14.30.191 Educational evaluation and placement
14.30.274 Identification of exceptional children
ALASKA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
4 AAC 52.100 Child find
4 AAC 52.120 Evaluation
4 AAC 52.125 Eligibility
4 AAC 52.130 Criteria for determination of eligibility
4 AAC 52.190 Written notice to parent
4 AAC 52.200 Parental consent
4 AAC 52.540 Parental right to independent evaluation
4 AAC 52.580 Placement of child during proceedings
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
1232g Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
1400 et seq. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 29
701 et seq. Rehabilitation Act of 1973
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 34 ,
99.10-99.22 Inspection, review and procedures for amending education records
300 et seq. IDEA Regulations