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P6164.8
ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY INSTRUCTION ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND SECONDARY Instructional Services Individual and Remedial Services – Individual Educational Programming/Placement of Students with Disabilities It shall be the policy of the St. Louis Board of Education that a plan for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be developed before initial placement and within 30 days after the diagnostic conference when a student is identified as having a disability and being in need of special education and related services. Additionally, the district shall ensure that the IEP for each student with a disability shall be reviewed at least once a year at which time appropriate revisions may be made. This same assurance also applies to students with disabilities enrolled in state approved private agencies and state-operated programs. IEPs shall be developed in accordance with procedural safeguards and shall contain all requirements in accordance with existing state and federal laws pertaining to the education of individuals with disabilities. References Legal: P.L. 94-142 Policy adopted: June 26, 1990 Revised: February 09, 1999 R6164.8 ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULATION INSTRUCTION ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND SECONDARY Instructional Services Individual and Remedial Services -- Individual Initial Individual Educational Programming/Placement Pursuant to Board of Education Policy P6164.8 the St. Louis Public School District shall ensure that an individual education program (IEP) is developed by a student's IEP team no more than thirty (30) days after the diagnostic conference when a student is identified as having a disability and being in need of special education and related services. The IEP developed by this team is the basis upon which placement decisions are made. The membership of each IEP team shall be consistent with state and federal requirements and shall always include the student's parent(s)/legal guardian(s). A particular student's parent/legal guardian may waive the right to participate in an IEP conference but the responsible administrator must ensure that the parent/legal guardian is invited to attend. The administrator must document efforts to obtain parental/legal guardian attendance at the IEP conference. A regular education teacher shall be included in the IEP team if the student participates or may participate in regular classes. The process of convening the IEP conference, developing the IEP, as well as the IEP document itself, must be consistent with requirements set forth in existing state and federal laws and all regulations. IEP teams shall determine appropriate placements based on the following factors: (a) The most current evaluation/diagnostic information; (b) The nature and degree of special education and related services required to meet the unique needs of the student; (c) The strengths of the child and the concerns of the parents for enhancing the education of their child; (d) The extent to which the student may participate in regular education programs; and (e) The requirement that, to the extent possible, a student with a disability shall be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Under the direction of the superintendent or designee, the executive director of special education shall have primary responsibility for implementing placements recommended by IEP teams. IEP implementation shall occur as soon as possible after the IEP meeting. No student shall be assigned to or placed in any special education program without written consent of the parent(s)/legal guardian(s). No building administrator shall place a student in a special education program or class without an assignment notice from the executive director of special education. During the placement process, prescribed procedural safeguards shall be followed, including the opportunity for parent(s)/legal guardian(s) to appeal the placement determined by the IEP team. When parent(s)/legal guardian(s) appeal the IEP determination through due process procedures, the student remains in his original placement until the matter is resolved. However, if the health and safety of the student or others is endangered by this delay, the student may be placed in an interim setting for not more than forty-five (45) days pursuant to state and federal laws and regulations. Changes in Placement Once a student with a disability is initially placed, any subsequent change in educational placement initiated by the district must be based on: (a) a student's current IEP; (b) re-evaluation or supplementary evaluation information; (c) other information pertaining to the student's performance. The executive director of special education shall implement any recommended changes in placement in accordance with prescribed procedural safeguards pursuant to state and federal laws and regulations. Under the direction of the superintendent, the executive director of special education shall ensure that the IEP for each student with a disability in the district is reviewed and revised at least once a year. A student's IEP may be reviewed and/or revised more often if needed. Parent(s)/legal guardian(s) may request conferences to review/revise IEPs at any time. Original copies of all IEPs developed in the schools shall be forwarded to the executive director of special education as soon as possible after an IEP meeting during which they are developed. The executive director of special education shall monitor and review all IEPs; ensure that they are developed according to prescribed procedural safeguards; and ensure that IEPs contain mandated components and are appropriate to the student's needs. The IEP shall be constructed to prescribe educational and related services to enable a student with a disability to derive educational benefit and to progress in the general curriculum, as appropriate and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. References Legal: P.L. 105-17 and Regulations
Revised: December 7, 1999 |
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