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Greenville City Schools
Parents are the Key
Diversity is such a broad concept in our world today. As a
society, the idea of diversity is elusive and challenging. Our
society has evolved so much in our understanding of equality and how it
is impacted by diversity. Our state and federal laws help schools
provide rich learning opportunities to diverse groups of
learners. Public education receives supplemental funding to
address learning needs for diverse learners. One of those laws is
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which has been
in effect since 1990, sets strict guidelines for ensuring that all
students with disabilities are served in such a way that they have
access to the same free and appropriate education as their non-disabled
peers.
Thanks to the legislative work of IDEA we have structured standards for
providing special education at Greenville City Schools that put parents
at the fore front for children. According to IDEA, all special
education services start with a clear understanding of how individual
learners learn while at school. Schools need parents to know
students and what students need to be successful. When partnering
with parents, schools can provide learning that is geared to students
and their needs. Through the collection of data regarding the
student and their learning, teacher-parent teams provide high quality
instruction. Typically this process continues for the time that
each student is in school. If at any time, a student’s family or
teachers suspect that a learning difference exists for a particular
student, the teacher-parent team gathers to take a close look at the
performance of the student a determine if a disability is
suspected. According to IDEA the team must include parents,
teachers, and administrators.
Once the team suspects a disability, a multi-factored evaluation is
completed. IDEA guides this process with timelines, participants,
requirements, and criteria for qualifying as a student with a
disability. Once again, the parent-teacher partnership works
together to complete the assessment and utilizes the guidelines from
IDEA to determine if the student qualifies as a student with a
disability.
If the student qualifies as a student, the team works to develop an
individual education plan (IEP) for the student that specifically
outlines the specially designed instruction for the student’s
needs. The supports and services outlined in the IEP are designed
by the team and revisited annually to ensure the student’s needs are
met in the educational setting.
Educational teams work hard for students throughout the special
services process. These teams, including parents, develop and
review the IEP plans. Team members, especially parents are able
to call IEP meetings to review their student’s progress and services if
concerns arise or needs change. The continued conversations of
team members is essential to the success of students. As students
change and grow, their needs change as well. Parents have the
right to request a meeting, revoke consent for specially designed
services or request further review of their student’s needs.
The team process is a great tool for students with disabilities. Parent
participation is critical to the success of students. The
collaboration of IEP teams including parents can dramatically impact
the outcomes for students in a very positive way. IDEA outlines
the process for parents to select the best options for individual
students. Parents are the key to success for all students.
If you have a student with a disability, your input into the
development and review of the IEP as well as your participation in the
IEP meeting is very important to the teachers and staff at Greenville
City Schools. Without parents, the parent-teacher partnership is
only half as effective. Students with diverse needs benefit
greatly from the parent-teacher partnership. If you have any questions
about IEP’s or specially designed services, please contact Andrea
Townsend at atownsend@gcswave.com.
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