Special Education
Beatrice Public Schools provides a variety of special education services to students with verified disabilities in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Nebraska Rule 51 guidelines. The specific special education services that are provided are determined on a case-by-case basis, through the child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). These services may include home/community-based services for children aged birth to three, preschool services for children aged three to five, school-based services for children enrolled in our elementary, middle, or high schools and non-public schools, and transition services for eligible children aged 16-21. Our goal is to provide students with disabilities the individualized services they need in order to be successful in home, school, and community settings.
If you suspect that your child has a disability, please contact Beth Cordry-Hookstra, Director of Special Education, at 223-1512, to discuss the special education verification process.
The parents of children with disabilities are guaranteed certain rights under IDEA and Nebraska Rule 51. These rights and procedural safeguards are described in the following “Parental Rights in Special Education” brochure produced by the Nebraska Department of Education:
Who May Qualify
Students may receive an educational verification of Autism, Emotional Disturbance, Deaf-Blindness, Developmental Delay, Hearing Impairments, Intellectual Disabilities, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairments, Other Health Impairments, Specific Learning Disability, Speech-Language Impairments, Traumatic Brain Injury, or Visual Impairments. A student may qualify for one or more special education services.
How Are Students Identified
Staff or parents may refer a student to the building Student Assistance Team (SAT). Each Student Assistance Team will provide research-based interventions based on the concerns noted in the referral. If the Student Assistance Team feels the interventions are not sufficient and/or all alternatives have been explored, a referral to special education is initiated. Once parent permission to evaluate is received by the district, a multidisciplinary evaluation is completed. This evaluation will assist in determining whether a student has a disbility and what special education services may be necessary. The multidisciiplinary team (MDT) meets to discuss the evaluation results and determine if the student qualifies for special education services. Once a student is verified for special education services, this evaluation process is required at least every three years. The reevaluation may include all new evaluation information, a review of exsisting data, or a combination of both. Parental permission is required prior to each reevaluation.
Individual Education Program
After a student has been verified with a disability, the parent can approve or deny inital placement into the special education program. If the parent provides consent for services, the team (including the parent) will meet to create an Individual Education Program (IEP). This meeting will develop a plan for the school district to provide specialized programs and/or services. An IEP meeting will then be held at least annually. Parents will receive, at no cost, a copy of the IEP document.
Special Education Services
The student's services are dependent on the student's educational needs as determined by the MDT/IEP teams. To the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities are educated with students who are not disabled. Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Determination of a student's educational services and settings will be made by the IEP team. Written notice shall be given to parents prior to: (1) a proposal to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, verification, or educational placement of a child or the provision of a free appropriate public education; or (2) refusal to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of a child or the provision of a free appropriate public education to the child.