Special Education

Special education in Blue Valley is specially designed instruction that enables students to make continuous progress in school.

Special education and related services are provided to eligible students with disabilities ages 3 to 21 and to students who qualify for gifted services Kindergarten to grade 12. Infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities are served through Infant Toddler Services of Johnson County.

Special education services are present within each school and are an integral part of Blue Valley's comprehensive school system. The Blue Valley School District philosophy is reflected in the practice of responsibly including students in educational and social activities to the maximum extent appropriate, based on their individual learning needs.

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act

Reauthorized by Congress and signed into law by President Bush in December 2004, the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA-04) guides all special education practices in the United States. IDEA-04 mandates that each student identified as eligible for special education services receive a "free and appropriate public education" in the "least restrictive environment" and be afforded "due process rights" as delineated in the legislation.

The Blue Valley School District uses compliant practices as described in the Kansas Special Education Process Handbook that is published by the Kansas State Department of Education, which is available online.

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

The Individualized Education Program, or IEP, describes the special education services a student will receive from Blue Valley. Written by an IEP team, including the parents and the student, if appropriate, the IEP includes information designed to communicate to the school and the parents a plan for delivering services and measuring student growth toward IEP goals.

The IEP is reviewed with parents at least annually. IEP progress reports are sent home quarterly.

Extended School Year (ESY)

Students between the ages of 3 and 21 with disability-based IEPs may be eligible for Extended School Year (ESY) services through the Special Education Department. The decision for extending services into the summer or other lengthy school breaks is made by the IEP team.

The majority of students who attend ESY work on maintaining skills that the student has developed during the school year. For these students, the team must consider data that indicates the student would lose skills that could not be regained within a reasonable time period upon returning to school without extended services.

The majority of students who are eligible for Extended School Year attend during the summer for a five-week session in the mornings. The service each student receives is individualized and is based on IEP goals that have been attained during the regular school calendar. Related services such as speech and occupational therapy may be continued through Extended School Year based on the decision of the IEP team.

Transportation to and from the student's home will be provided. Accommodations that are provided throughout the school year will be continued during ESY transportation.

Services

Birth-36 Months

Blue Valley Schools supports the Infant and Toddler Services of Johnson County. This community agency provides support services to young children who have been identified as having a developmental delay or a disability. Referrals can be made by parents or through community daycare providers and/or physicians. Children who continue to have developmental delays or a disability transition to Blue Valley Schools at age 3.

36 Months-5 Years

Blue Valley's early childhood special education program offers a range of services characterized by a transdisciplinary, play-based approach. Children with special needs begin preschool services on their third birthday. Decisions for service and placement are made by the Individual Education Program (IEP) team, which includes school staff and the parents/guardians.

Services include therapies on an appointment basis, service provision in a community setting, and services in an Early Childhood Special Education classroom with typically developing peers. Specialized Early Childhood Special Education classes designed for young children with autism are also available for those children whose needs cannot be met in other classrooms.

Grades K-12

Students in elementary, middle and high school receive the educational supports they need based on their IEP. Each student's IEP team determines which services are necessary for the student to achieve the IEP goals which will allow them access to the general education curriculum. Service delivery models include:

Collaborative in-class support - A student is served in the general education classroom with special education staff directly providing periodic assistance to the student. Special education staff also works with general staff to design accommodations or to modify the curriculum and/or materials.
Learning centers or resource rooms - Students receive instruction from a special education teacher in an individual or small group setting but spend most of the day in the general education classroom.
Center-based classrooms - Center-based classrooms provide highly structured, small group instructional activities for students with moderate to severe disabilities. These students receive intense specialized programming and are also integrated into general education classes to the greatest extent appropriate to their unique needs. Programs are located throughout the district, but not at every school. Should an IEP team decide that the center-based placement option best serves the student, transportation will be provided at no cost.

18-21

Blue Valley's 18-21 program provides services to students who are not ready to transition to a post-school environment. While in the program, students continue transition activities that prepare them to live and work in the community. These young adults develop employment skills and may be involved in recreation and leisure activities, community college classes and volunteer projects.

Special Education Related Services

When students qualify for special education services, they may qualify for related services via special education, too. In special education, “related services are developmental, corrective, and supportive services required to assist a child, who has been identified as a child with a disability, to benefit from special education services...” The individualized education program (IEP) team determines what additional services are necessary for the child to benefit from special education services” in the school environment. (K.A.R 91-40-1).

Blue Valley School District provides related services in special education when a student requires them; each area of related service has a process for determining the student’s need and eligibility for the specific related service, including but not limited to the following services:

Assistive Technology
Audiology
Interpreting Services
Music Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Orientation & Mobility Services
Physical Therapy
School Health Services
School Psychological Services
School Social Work Services
Speech & Language Services
Transportation
Other developmental, corrective, or supportive services required for the student to make progress in special education.

Special education related services are not the same as medically based services. In the school setting, the purpose of related services is to allow the student to access and make progress on their special education goals and to access the general education curriculum. See the document to the right for more information about the difference between school-based services and medical therapies.

College Learning Methods for Transition Into Post-Secondary Studies (CLM for TIPS)

College Learning Methods for Transition Into Post-Secondary Studies (CLM for TIPS) is a collaborative program between participating school districts and Johnson County Community College (JCCC). This course is designed to provide college-bound high school seniors who have an IEP or 504 plan the opportunity to experience the realistic demands of college in a supportive environment on the JCCC campus. Topics include, but are not limited to, learning about individual strengths, career interest inventories, money and time management tips, accommodation services in college, life lessons and more. Students will also learn a series of strategies for processing information from textbooks and lectures, and how to effectively study for exams to help them meet the higher level demands encountered in regular college courses.

CLM for TIPS is a 3-hour, elective college credit course. Enrollment is by application only and students must meet the required eligibility criteria. Students who are selected are responsible for their own tuition and transportation. For more information about CLM for TIPS, contact the Transition Specialist at your high school.

Transition Services

Transition services are available for students age 14 - 21. Services focus on post-school outcomes so that students with disabilities are prepared to lead productive and independent adult lives. Blue Valley conducts transition assessment(s) and planning as students prepare to move from school to adult living. In order to facilitate a successful transition for students with disability-based IEPs, Transition Specialists in Blue Valley Schools work with IEP teams, students and families to:

Identify students' needs and areas of strengths, interests, and preferences by conducting transition assessment activities.
Use a variety of assessment data for effective transition IEP planning and goal development.
Support instruction designed to promote independence through the development of self-advocacy, self-determination, appropriate social and behavior skills, as well as other essential adult life skills.
Implement instruction and/or training for staff, students and parents related to best practices for transition knowledge and skills.
Coordinate and facilitate vocational training programs in a variety of school and community settings through the Career Development Opportunities Program (CDOP).
Facilitate enrollment in appropriate transition programs and area vocational technical programs.
Facilitate transition into the district's 18-21 program for students age 18 - 21 who have completed high school graduation requirements but continue to demonstrate a need for ongoing transition support. (The student's IEP team determines eligibility and placement).
Advocate for and provide current information and links to numerous adult services and supports that help students reach their desired post-secondary outcomes.