How are arrangements made for a case conference committee meeting?

How are arrangements made for a case conference committee meeting?

The date, time and place for the case conference committee meeting is provided to the parent in the form of a notice.  The notice of the case conference committee meeting is provided to the parent in his/her native language or mode of communication.  The notice of the meeting must be early enough to ensure that one or both parents have the opportunity to attend. In addition to the date, time and place of the case conference committee meeting the notice should also inform the parent of the purpose of the meeting, who the public agency representative is and other expected participants who will attend the meeting. 

Additionally, the notice must contain a two part statement that:

1. the parent or public agency may invite any other individual whom the parent or public agency has determined has knowledge or special expertise regarding the student, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
2. the determination of the knowledge or special expertise of any invited individual must be made by the person (parent or public agency) who invited the individual to participate in the case conference committee meeting.

The notice must also include a statement and an explanation of:

1. That in the case of a child who was previously served under Part C of the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, an invitation to the initial case conference committee meeting must, at the request of the parent, be sent to the Part C service coordinator or other representatives of the Part C system to assist with the smooth transition of services.
2.  that the student will be invited to the case conference committee meeting when a purpose of the meeting is to develop or revise the transition individualized education program; and
of any other agency that will be invited to send a representative.

To whom should the notice of case conference committee be sent?

To whom should the notice of case conference committee be sent?

1.  The parent, regardless of the age of the student.
2.  The student, beginning with the first meeting at which the case conference committee will develop a statement of needed transition services.
3.  The student who is eighteen (18) years of age and not adjudicated incompetent, regardless of the purpose of the case conference committee meeting.

Are there additional requirements if the is the first case conference committee meeting?

Are there additional requirements if the is the first case conference committee meeting?

For the case conference committee meeting is the initial case conference committee meeting, the public agency must provide to the parent written notice no later than five (5) instructional days prior to an initial case conference committee meeting. 

The written notice provided no later than five (5) instructional days prior to the initial case conference committee meeting must contain the following:

1. A description and overall findings of each evaluation, procedure, assessment, record, or report the public agency used as a basis for any proposed action.
2. A description of action that may be proposed by the public agency; and
3. An explanation of why the public agency may propose an action.

Who must participate in the case conference committee meeting?

Who must participate in the case conference committee meeting?
It is the responsibility of the public agency to ensure the following people participate in the case conference committee.
1. The designated public agency representative as described in subsection
2. The student’s current teacher of record (or, in the case of a student with a language or speech impairment only, the speech-language pathologist) or, for a student whose initial eligibility for special education and related services is under consideration, a teacher licensed in the area of the student’s suspected disability.
3. Not less than one (1) of the student’s general education teachers, if the student is or may be participating in the general education environment. For purposes of early childhood, a general education teacher may be:
(A) a general education teacher who provides services to nondisabled students in the public agency’s preschool program;
(B) a general education kindergarten teacher who provides services to nondisabled students if the student is of kindergarten age; or
(C) an individual knowledgeable about early childhood development, curriculum, and integrated placement options if the public agency does not have a general education preschool program.
4. An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results, who may be a member of the case conference committee.
5. The parent of a student less than eighteen (18) years of age, or the student of legal age unless the parent or student of legal age choose not to participate.

Are there times when other professionals must attend a case conference committee meeting?

Are there times when other professionals must attend a case conference committee meeting?

The public agency must ensure the participation in the case conference committee of additional individuals in the following circumstances:

1. When the purpose of the meeting is the initial consideration of the student’s eligibility for special education and related services, at least one qualified professional who is a member of the multidisciplinary team that evaluated the student.
   
2. When the purpose of the meeting is to develop, review, or revise the IEP for a student to be enrolled or currently enrolled in an alternative school or alternative education program, a representative of the alternative school or alternative education program who is authorized to commit resources or recommend admission.
   
3. When the purpose of the meeting is to develop, review, or revised the IEP for a student to be enrolled or currently enrolled in a state-operated school or state-operated facility, a representative of the school or facility who is authorized to commit resources.
   
4. When the purpose of the meeting is to develop, review, or revise the IEP for a student to be placed to in a nonpublic school or facility by a public agency
   Ù A  representative of the nonpublic school or facility

Ù A representative of the local public agency providing any of the student special education and related services

1. When the student has been unilaterally enrolled in a nonpublic school or facility by the student’s parent, a representative of the nonpublic school or facility.
   
2.  At the request of the parent, when a student is making the transition from a Part C (early childhood) program, an invitation to the initial case conference committee meeting must be sent to the Part C service coordinator or other representative of the Part C system.
   
3. When the purpose is to develop or revise the IEP with regard to transition to adulthood, the student. 

Does participation in the case conference committee meeting mean that members are required to attend the meeting?

Does participation in the case conference committee meeting mean that members are required to attend the meeting?

A member of the case conference committee is not required to attend a case conference committee meeting, in whole or in part, if the parent and the public agency agree, in writing, that the attendance of the member is not necessary because the member’s area of the curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed in the meeting.

A member of the case conference committee may be excused from attending a case conference committee meeting, in whole or in part, when the meeting involves a modification to or discussion of the member’s area of the curriculum or related services, if:

1. The parent, in writing, and the public agency consent to the excusal; and
2. The member submits, in writing to the parent and the case conference committee, input into the development of the individualized education program prior to the meeting.

When should a case conference committee meeting take place?

Article 7 requires that the case conference committee meet for eight (8) circumstances.  Those include:

1. Within 50 instructional days of the date the written parental consent for an initial evaluation is received by licensed public agency personnel.
2. For a student who has been reevaluated, by the student’s next annual case conference committee meeting unless such a meeting will occur in less than fifty (50) instructional days.  If the meeting is occur in less than 50 instructional days, the public agency has fifty (50) instructional days to reevaluate the student.
3. Periodically, but not less than annually, for a student previously determined eligible for special education to:

(A) determine whether the annual goals for the student are being achieved and
(B) revise the individualized education program as appropriate to address any lack of expected progress toward the annual goals, and in the general education curriculum if appropriate.
(4) If either the parent or the public agency believes that a required component of the student’s individualized education program should be changed to ensure the provision of a free appropriate public education.
(5) Within ten (10) instructional days of the enrollment date of a student who has been receiving special education in another state or another district within the state.
(6)  Within 10 instructional days of a disciplinary change of placement to determine whether the student’s behavior is a manifestation of the student’s disability.
(7)  To determine the interim alternative educational setting when public agency personnel remove a student to an interim alternative educational setting, unless the setting has been included in the student’s individualized education program or behavioral intervention plan.
(8)  At least every sixty (60) instructional days when the setting in which the student is receiving educational services is the student’s home or out-of-school location determined in accordance with section 11 of this rule.

It is not necessary for a case conference committee to be convened in order for public agency personnel to discuss issues such as teaching methodology, lesson plans, or coordination of service provision if those issues are not addressed in the student’s individualized education program.

Public agency personnel may engage in preparatory activities to develop a proposal or response to a parent proposal that will be discussed at a later case conference committee meeting.

When a case conference committee is convened, the public agency must take whatever action is necessary to ensure the parent understands the proceedings of the case conference committee meeting, including arranging for an interpreter for a parent who is deaf or hard of hearing or whose native language is not English.

What happens at a case conference committee meeting?

What happens at a case conference committee meeting?

The case conference committee’s main task is to develop the individualized educational program or IEP for the student.  As part of the IEP development process members discuss the student’s progress in the current educational program as well as the student’s needs for success in achieving the goals in the IEP.  The members of the case conference committee consider many factors as it develops or revises the student’s educational program.  The IEP documents the educational supports and services that will be provided to the student throughout the year.

To whom should the notice of case conference committee be sent?

To whom should the notice of case conference committee be sent?

1.  The parent, regardless of the age of the student.
2.  The student, beginning with the first meeting at which the case conference committee will develop a statement of needed transition services.
3.  The student who is eighteen (18) years of age and not adjudicated incompetent, regardless of the purpose of the case conference committee meeting.

4. All other people who must attend the CCC meeting.