Westland School and the Special Education department provides a continuum of programs and services for students who have learning needs that lie outside the usual range of instructional differentiation provided in general education classrooms.
Special Education, Section 504, Assistive Technology, and Structured English Immersion, are all a part of the Special Education department.
Special Education
Westland School offers students a special education program based upon a partnership between regular education and special education. Student programming, based upon needs and not eligibility categories, ensures that all children can learn and all educators share the responsibility to make learning happen. Services include Specific Learning Disabilities in Reading, Writing, and Math, Speech and Language Therapy, Extended School Year and more.
Section 504
For a student to qualify for Section 504 protection, the student must meet three criteria: (1) a mental or physical impairment, (2) which substantially limits (3) one or more major life activities. If the student has an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, the impairment is a qualifying disability if it creates a significant barrier to the student’s ability to access the same educational opportunities afforded to non-disabled students. It is important to understand that all three criteria must be met before the student is eligible for Section 504 protection.
The 504 Team at your child’s school will consider the nature and severity of the disability, as well as how long, the disability is expected to last. Simply having a condition or disability does not automatically qualify a student for Section 504 protection. The condition must present a barrier to the student’s ability to access the same educational opportunities as that afforded a non-disabled student, or a substantial limitation does not exist. The 504 Team will also examine what mitigating measures have been taken to overcome the impairment. Mitigating measures are devices or practices that a person uses to correct for or reduce the effects of that person’s mental or physical impairment.
Contact Mrs. Ruiz at rruiz@westlandschool.net for more information.
Special Education Policy and Procedures including Child Find
Child Find Information
Who is responsible for child find activities for school-aged students who are homeschooled or those who attend private schools or charter schools?
The regulations that implement the IDEA require each State to have policies and procedures to ensure that “all children with disabilities . . . including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State, and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located and evaluated.” [34 C.F.R. § 300.111(a)(i)] In Arizona, each public education agency must have written procedures for the identification and referral of all children with disabilities within its boundaries of responsibility, including children with disabilities attending private schools and those who are home schooled. [A.A.C. R7-2-401(D)(1)] This is known as “child find.” A school district is responsible for identifying children with disabilities attending non-profit private schools located within its boundaries. [A.A.C. R7-2-401(D)(4)(b)] With regard to children with disabilities attending for-profit private schools, the school district responsible for child find activities is the district where the parent resides. [Letter to Chapman, 49 IDELR 163 (OSEP 2007)] Under Arizona statutes, homeschooled students are considered private school students. [A.R.S. § 15-763(C)] Charter schools are responsible for child identification activities for students enrolled in the charter school. [A.A.C. R7-2-401(D)(4)(a)] However, charter schools are not responsible for outreach under the child find regulations because charter schools have no specific geographical boundaries.
https://www.azed.gov/specialeducation/child-find
Send request for special education records to rruiz@westlandschool.net.