Students with mild to severe disabilities are provided a free appropriate public education at no cost to the child or their parents. These services may include specialized programs, personnel, facilities, materials and equipment needed to promote the individual physical, social, intellectual, and emotional growth of qualifying students.
Whenever possible and appropriate, opportunities for interaction with the total school environment are provided in adherence with the least restricted environment regulations. Cholla Academy is in compliance with the requirements of federal and state law and State Board of Education regulations.
Placement in special education programs is made through a procedure of identification, screening, evaluation, and referral designed to identify all resident children who might profit from special instruction.
A complete psycho-educational evaluation is completed by the school psychologist or by an outside agency.
An I.E.P. (Individualized Education Plan) is developed for each student which outlines student strengths and needs as determined by a team including educators as well as parents.
Signed permission and the administration of Parental Rights are required by law for the evaluation and placement of students.
Child Find
Child find is a component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA ’04) that requires Public Education Agencies (PEA) to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities, aged birth through 21, located within their boundaries of responsibility who are in need of early intervention or special education services.
Child Find applies to children who are:
- Suspected of having a disability, even though they are advancing from grade to grade
- Highly mobile, such as migrants and the homeless
- Wards of the state
- Private school students
- Homeschool students
Cholla Academy is responsible for identifying, locating, and evaluating all children with disabilities within their population served who are in need of special education and related services.
If you know of a child residing within the community who is disabled, regardless of the severity of the disability, and who is in need of special education and/or related services, please contact our Special Education Director at 623-247-9456 for assistance.
You do not need to be related to the child to refer him or her to our office.
Cholla Academy Child Find – Special Education Director – 623-247-6456
Cholla Academy will maintain a record of children who are receiving special education and related Services.
Cholla Academy is responsible for identifying, locating, and referring all children with disabilities including children aged 3 through 21 on how to access special education services and include information regarding early intervention services for children aged birth through 2 years old.
Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) (Birth through 2 years)
If you have an infant birth to 2 years 10 months of age who appears to have developmental delays, please contact Arizona Early Intervention Programs (AzEIP) at (602) 532-9960 to learn about services available for younger children with disabilities. You can also go to https://des.az.gov/azeip for more information.
Cholla Academy is responsible for providing a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for children in grades K-12, which includes special education and related services to children with disabilities at public expense, under public supervision and direction and without charge to parents.
Child Find (3 years through 21 years)
If you know of a child residing within the community who is disabled, regardless of the severity of the disability, and who is in need of special education and/or related services, please contact our Special Education Director at (623) 247-6456 for assistance.
Child Find – Special Education Director – (623) 247-6456.
Cholla Academy does not have a preschool program. Parents of any child 3 years through 5 years (children too young to enroll in kindergarten), who are suspected of a disability will be referred to their Unified School District of residence. Cholla Academy’s special education director will assist with contact information when assistance is needed or requested.
Cholla Academy enrolls students in kindergarten if they turn 5 prior to September 6th of that school year.
It is the responsibility of Unified School Districts to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities within their geographic boundaries who are in need of special education services. Since charter schools do not have geographical boundaries, Cholla Academy, therefore will identify, locate, and evaluate all children (ages 5-21) with disabilities within their population served who are in need of special education related services.
Referral varies by age.
45-day Screening of School-Aged Children
All kindergarten and other new students will be screened within 45 days of enrollment at Cholla Academy using the 45-day Screening Form. Teacher data is collected within 45 calendar days after entry and parent notification of concerns regarding development or educational progress by their child. The screening will be conducted to identify possible problems in the areas of vision, hearing, academic skills, cognitive development, psychomotor skills, communication, and social-emotional development. If screening results indicate a possible concern, the student will be referred to the school’s grade level intervention team or child study team by the Special Education Director to engage in a problem-solving process and initiate interventions.
Cholla Academy will maintain documentation of the identification procedures utilized, the dates of entry into Cholla or notification by parents of a concern, and the dates of the screening. The dates will be maintained in student’s permanent cum records.
After Screenings: If a screening indicates a possible disability, the student’s name will be submitted to the Special Education Director / Teacher for a full and individual evaluation or other services. Note, a parent or a student may request an evaluation of the student. If, after consultation with the parent, Cholla Academy determines that a full evaluation is not warranted, Cholla Academy’s Special Education Director will provide a prior written notice and copy of procedural safeguards notice to the parent in less than 3 school days.
Contact special education director for assistance. Call 623-247-6456.
Child Identification and Referral
- Cholla Academy will require all school-based staff to review the written procedures related to child
identification and referral on an annual basis and will maintain documentation of the staff review. Special education director will keep records of training and review of written procedures. - Identification (screening for possible disabilities) shall be completed by classroom teachers and reviewed by special education director within 45 calendar days after: a.) Any new student enrolled; or b.) Parent notification of concern regarding developmental or educational progress by their child will be completed by special education director or school principal.
- Screening procedures (e.g., statewide assessments, curriculum-based measures, daily work in the
classroom, teacher observations) shall include vision and hearing status and consideration of the
following areas:
a.) Cognitive or academic;
b.) Communication;
c.) Motor;
d.) Social or behavioral; and
e.) Adaptive development.
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.