Special Education

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), special education is defined as “specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.”  There are 14 categories of disabilities that make students eligible to receive special education services under IDEA. Students who qualify for special education have individualized goals and a program designed to provide them with accommodations and modifications to make progress toward these goals. 

KCS has a Total Special Education System (TSES) on-site and available for review. Total Special Education System (TSES) Appendices are available for review. 

KCS also has a Restrictive Procedure Plan that is available to view upon request. If you have any questions, please connect with our Student Support Services Coordinator.

Evaluations typically occur after parents or school staff suspect that a disability may be hindering a student in the school setting. The typical first step after a concern is expressed is for KCS's “Student Assistance Team,” comprised of teachers, the school counselor, and, when necessary, representatives from administration and the special education department to meet and recommend individualized interventions (pre-referral interventions) that may help the student.  A special education evaluation will often be considered if the interventions do not show positive results.

An evaluation is conducted to determine a student’s eligibility to receive special education services. Evaluations seek to determine whether a disability is present and, if so, if the child qualifies for special education services. To make this decision, the evaluation team considers various types of information, which often include standardized testing data, observations of the student, and information provided by parents, teachers, doctors, psychologists, and other outside specialists.

KCS's team of professionals, with the input of the student’s parents, will meet to review the results of the evaluation and determine whether the student meets the special education eligibility requirements set by the State of Minnesota. If the student meets the criteria, the team will work with the student’s family to begin planning the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process. If the student does not meet the eligibility criteria, the team will use the evaluation results to recommend further interventions for the student to help them overcome their challenges.

An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a document that outlines a student’s present level of academic functioning and identifies special education needs as well as sets specific special education goals, determined by the evaluation, for the student to work towards. An IEP is required by law for all students who receive special education services. An IEP will typically include the following:

• A statement of the student’s present level of performance
• Specific educational goals for the student
• Special education services, modifications, and accommodations will be provided to help the student reach their goals
• Information on how progress towards the goals will be measured
• A plan to help students transition to life after high school (beginning in ninth grade)

The IEP meeting will consist of the student (if age-appropriate), parents, at least one regular education teacher, special education teachers, service providers, and a representative of the school district. Based on the specific situation, other individuals with relevant knowledge of the child may also be invited by the school or parents to attend the IEP meeting. At the IEP meeting, members of the IEP team will share their thoughts and suggestions about how the student is currently progressing toward their goals. This will often take the format of an open discussion about strengths and areas for growth. Once this discussion is complete, the team will move on to talk about the goals that are appropriate for the child and the types of services that the student should receive. 

Parents and guardians are an extremely valuable part of the IEP team. You can help prepare yourself for the meeting by completing the following:

• Creating a list of your child’s strengths and weaknesses
• Talking to your child about school and specifically about how they feel things are going

Following the initial IEP meeting, parents will be provided a Prior Written Notice form to sign. Special education service can begin when signed and returned to the special education department. A special education case manager will be assigned to the student.  The case manager is a school staff member who will be the first point of contact with the child’s family regarding special education services. The case manager also monitors and reports on the student's progress towards the goals and objectives in the IEP. 

IEP teams meet annually to review the plan. A parent or an IEP team member may request that the IEP team meet again if the student is not making adequate progress.

Once a student is deemed eligible for special education services, they will continue to receive those services as long as the team agrees that the disability still exists and that the specialized services are still needed to meet the student’s educational goals. Re-evaluation meetings must occur a minimum of once every three years to determine if special education services are still required.

There are four different ways that students stop receiving special education services:

• Their parent/guardian may withdraw consent to receive services
• The IEP team may determine that the student is no longer eligible for special education services
• The student may graduate
• The student may become too old to receive services