Special education services are designed to provide assistance to students with disabilities. Evaluation and intervention services are provided to students by the Child Study Team, special education instructional staff, and related services specialists. A referral to the Child Study Team may be initiated by a parent/guardian, teacher, school nurse, school administrator, special services staff, medical specialist and other professionals or agencies concerned with the welfare of students when an educational disability may be suspected.

An educationally disabled student is one who may be experiencing difficulties of a physical, emotional, academic, intellectual, or social nature to the extent that the student is not able to function effectively in a regular education program. A Child Study Team evaluation is necessary to determine the basis of the difficulties and whether the student is eligible for classification as educationally disabled. If the student is determined to be educationally disabled, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed to provide an appropriate special education program based upon the nature and severity of the educational disability.

With federal passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) in December 2004, parents/guardians are an integral part of the IEP Team that plans an appropriate school program and an IEP for the educationally disabled child. Parents and school personnel work together throughout this process in developing an appropriate program to meet the unique student needs. The school provides the full continuum of programs options as outlined in the New Jersey Administrative code (NJAC 6A: 14). The complete rules and regulations pertaining to Child Study Team procedures and students with disabilities are contained in the New Jersey Administrative Code, Title 6A, Chapter 14, Special Education. Parents/Guardians may obtain this document by contacting the Child Study Team @ 973-278-7707 or by accessing the website @ http://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/

The Child Study Team is a multi-disciplinary educational team whose responsibility it is to identify, evaluate, determine eligibility, and develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for students suspected of having educational disabilities. The team consists of a the school lead, school social worker, specific classroom teachers, and in some cases, a speech-language specialist. The Child Study Team is expected to follow Federal and State laws and regulations in order to fulfill its responsibility to determine whether a student exhibits an educational disability and if so, to recommend an appropriate special education program and/or service. Counseling and consultative services are available for any school-aged student experiencing an educational disability. The Child Study Team (CST) together with district’s teachers, administrators, and the building level Intervention Referral System I&RS committees make recommendations for programs and placements which will appropriately address the needs of students who are experiencing school-related problems.

The Intervention and Referral Service (I&RS) team serves as a resource for teachers and is an integral part of the pre-referral process. I&RS members typically include, but are not limited to, the school principal, nurse, counselor, CST member(s) and teachers. I&RS may also include parents, special education supervisors, speech therapists, or reading specialists. The purpose of the I&RS is to address any possible concerns teachers may have regarding their students’ academic, social, or emotional functioning. Based on meetings with teachers, the I&RS team develops case-specific strategies for use in regular education classrooms. Teachers then implement these strategies according to I&RS recommendations. Parents are informed about the progress of their child through contact with the teacher. If the strategies are not effective, they may be revised or if it is suspected that the student is potentially educationally disabled, a referral will be made to the Child Study Team.

Parents can request their child be brought before the I&RS team. They would do this by
contacting the child’s teacher to principal.

*Parents should be notified if their child is referred to I&RS. Parents can always request a CST evaluation before, during, or after the I&RS process.
Written requests for CST evaluations should be directed to the Case Manager.

IDEA requires school districts to provide parents of a child with a suspected disability, a notice containing a full explanation of the procedural safeguards (legal rights) available under IDEA and other state and federal regulations. This handbook is called, “Parental Rights in Special Education” (PRISE). Parents can obtain a copy of PRISE in the CST office or in the Special Services office or by visiting http://www.nj.gov/education/specialed/form/prise/prise.pdf

When You will Receive the Procedural Safeguards

The procedural safeguards must be given to you one time each school year and at the following times:

• When your child is first referred for evaluation or when you request an evaluation;

• When you request a copy of the procedural safeguards;

• When your child is removed for disciplinary reasons and the removal results in a change in placement;

• Upon receipt of the first State complaint and/or the first due process petition in a school year, if you should file a State complaint or request a due process hearing;

• Upon revision to the procedural safeguards.

Review the Evaluation Process