Announcing "Parent Connections"A new service provided by Evanston Citizens for Appropriate Special Education (CASE)A monthly meeting for parents of children with special needs in Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and ETHS District 202
Next meeting on Thursday, January 19th, 7-9 pm Boocoo Café 1823 Church St. Meeting Topic: "My kid is in trouble at school! Now what?" Discipline and Kids with Disabilities Learn about the legal requirements of school districts when a child is suspended, what a truancy charge means, and what to do if your child gets frequent ODR's, or when suspension backfires. This presentation will be given by Cari Levin, LCSW, Founding Director of Evanston CASE; Jill Calian, Special Education Attorney at Calian and Gross, LLP.; and Kathy Lyons, Special Education Attorney at the Moran Center for Youth Advocacy. Please call or email to register: (847) 556-8676 info@evanstoncase.org Welcome to CASEEvanston Citizens for Appropriate Special Education (CASE) provides an organized voice for parents of children with
special needs. We work to educate the public, the School Board and the Administration about the problems affecting
children with special needs in District 65 and District 202 schools. We are parents, staff and community members dedicated to improving the range,
quality and accessibility of services for children with special needs in Evanston.
When the Special Education system in D65 and D202 fails to provide appropriate services, supports and placement options for students with disabilities, CASE responds. When policies and procedures are inappropriate, inadequate and violate the law, CASE responds. We are actively involved in presenting the concerns of our members in public forums like School Board meetings and in the press. We believe that this focus will encourage the Administration to make needed changes. We have seen positive change as a result of this approach. Since the founding of Evanston CASE in April 2008, we have advocated for changes in the priorities and focus of the District's special education system. The signs of progress have been encouraging. CASE strenuously advocated for special education related goals to be included in the new District 65 Five Year Strategic Plan. These new goals will increase the inclusion of children with disabilities in general education classrooms, will increase disability awareness, and will provide program stability for students to ensure that they won't be moved to new schools year to year due to space constraints. In 2011, we expanded our focus to include Evanston Township High School District 202. In the coming year, we hope to increase our focus on parent support through webinar workshops and monthly support groups while we pursue our mission to improve services for children with special needs. As of Summer 2011, CASE has over 100 members including parents, concerned professionals, district staff and interested community members. We have a strong and active Board. We have developed a presence in the community and worked to ensure that parents know about our organization. Public opinion is powerful and CASE will continue to educate the community and empower parents to organize and advocate for change. We appreciate your support. Sincerely, Cari Levin, LCSW
Join us! Contact Cari Levin LCSW, founding director, at info@evanstoncase.org or 847-556-8676. As CASE expands, we need lots of help. Please join one or more committees if you have time and energy to offer: Legal Research Committee Research questions regarding special education law and state regulations
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CASE Scope
CASE Expands Advocacy to include Evanston Township High School District 202Over the years we have had parents and staff from D202 contact us for support and information. Up until now, we have focused our efforts solely in District 65. Starting in the fall of 2011, we are formally including D202 in our mission to improve special education services and to provide support and education for families. We look forward to learning more about the issues of concern in D202, and to becoming involved in building working relationships with the Administration and School Board.
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Commentary
RtI: Response to Intervention, or Roadblock to Intervention?In recent weeks there has been a lot of press regarding the Federal educational intervention strategy called Response to Intervention (RtI). RtI is an initiative created for the purpose of providing increasing levels of support in general education classrooms for students who are struggling academically and /or behaviorally. For example, if a student is struggling to read or do math at grade level due to lack of appropriate instruction or Limited English Proficiency (LEP) they could benefit from short-term, research-based intervention strategies. The purpose of RtI is to identify "at-risk" students who are having difficulty meeting grade level academic standards, and to ensure that their lack of achievement is not due to a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Low achievement in and of itself is not necessarily evidence that a child has an SLD. Many school districts are misinterpreting the use of RtI as a gateway or series of steps that every struggling student must navigate before being eligible for special education evaluation and services. RtI is set up around three "tiers" of intervention that are increasingly intensified as needed if a student doesn't respond. This does not, however, mean that a student must exhaust all three levels of intervention, or even participate in RtI at all, before being eligible for evaluation for special education services. If a child is suspected of having a disability, the parent or teacher may request an evaluation for special education eligibility at any time. They do not need to wait a specified period of time while the school tries RtI before conducting an evaluation. This is a very important distinction. Evanston/Skokie School District 65 has been guilty of this misinterpretation, with unfortunate consequences for students and their families. Many parents have reported to CASE that they have been told that RtI must be tried before they are allowed to approve an evaluation for special education services. The District's procedure defined in the Student Handbook provides evidence of this mistake. It states on page 23, "Typically, pre-referral interventions (RtI) are created and implemented in a general education setting prior to most requests for a case study evaluation." In addition, RtI is discussed in the D65's Resource Guide for Parents of Children with Disabilities. This is confusing and misleading because RtI is a regular education strategy, not a special education service. On page 29 the Handbook illustrates the process for determining eligibility for special education services. This flow chart indicates that Response to Intervention (RtI) is the first level of intervention on the special education continuum when a need is identified. This is problematic because it suggests that RtI must be tried before the intervention team can recommend a child for special education evaluation. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) published a memo, dated January 21, 2010, addressed to State Directors of Special Education that clarifies this issue and sets out standards that Districts must follow when implementing RtI. The subject of the memo is titled: "A Response to Intervention (RtI) Process Cannot Be Used to Delay-Deny an Evaluation for Eligibility under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)." The OSEP memo states that school districts are required, "to identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities residing in the state…" under the Child Find provision in the IDEA. This "identification must occur in a timely manner and no procedures or practices result in delaying or denying this identification." The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) also provides a guidance document regarding Special Education Eligibility and Entitlement Procedures to address the timeframe within which districts must implement RtI before conducting a special education evaluation. It clearly states, "…The Illinois special education rules prohibit a district from using a student's participation in a process that determines how he or she responds to scientific, research-based interventions as a basis for denying a parent's request for an evaluation." [23 IL Admin. Code 226.130b] So what can a parent do if they feel their child needs to be evaluated? First, it is crucial to put your request in writing. The school has 10 school days in which to respond to your request. If your request for an evaluation is denied, you have the procedural right to receive a written notice, or written explanation, from the school as to why they are denying the request and the information they are using to make that decision. It is inappropriate for the school to deny or delay evaluation until a child participates in or completes the RtI process. The OSEP memo is very clear on this point, and therefore that is not a valid explanation for denial of evaluation. If you feel your child has not benefitted from general education intervention strategies, or he/she has a history of poor achievement in school and you suspect a disability, a request for evaluation must be honored. If the district denies your request for evaluation, you can file a compliance complaint with ISBE and/or file for a due process hearing. If you have questions or concerns regarding RtI, please contact Evanston CASE. |
News
Strong turnout for IEP WorkshopOver 30 parents attended an IEP workshop conducted last month by CASE Founding Director Cari Levin, LCSW.
Ms. Levin shared real-life strategies, tools and information to help parents advocate for services throughout the IEP process.
Voices on InclusionAt the February 16th, 2010 School Board meeting over eighty parents, staff and community members were present while 15 courageous people spoke to the board about the inclusion plan. CASE compiled a packet of the speeches along with an introductory letter outlining the vision of inclusion that we support. It is defined by two statements:
Dr. Murphy, with the guidance of the District's paid consultant Dr. Cassandra Cole, believes the District should pursue a course toward full inclusion for all children with special needs no matter how severe. This course of action runs contrary to the values and beliefs of parents of the most vulnerable and severely disabled children in our community - those who attend Park School. CASE also believes that the District must improve and create programming and services for kids already attending general education schools. Inclusion in District 65In June, 2009 District 65 Administrators announced the planned implementation of inclusion for all pre-school and kindergarten students beginning in September, 2009. Parents and staff were shocked and angered that the District revealed this sweeping initiative in the last days of the '08-'09 school year, with no time for review or discussion.
D65 Board: No Decision to Close Park School (Evanston Roundtable, February 2, 2010) Parents slam plan to close special ed school (Chicago Sun-Times, December 19, 2009) Park School parents air inclusion concerns (Evanston Review, December 15, 2009)
CASE Presents 2009 Annual Report (click to expand)CASE Responds to Dr. Cole's New Report (click to expand)"Including Samuel" Event a Big Success (click to expand)CASE submits recommendations to D65 Strategic Planning Committee (click to expand)CASE Successfully Influences the Administration and School Board to Revise Its Proposed Policy (click to expand)CASE Submits Recommendations to D65 Board (click to expand) |
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About CASE
Evanston Citizens for Appropriate Special Education (CASE) was formed in April 2008 by a group of six concerned parents. All of us had struggled to obtain appropriate services for our children in District 65 with varying degrees of success. The common thread was that our children suffered unnecessarily in a system that couldn't serve their needs. We decided that the only way to protect other children from this fate was to work to change the system.
Members of CASE care deeply about children with disabilities. We know that a child suffering at school worsens their already challenging lives, with implications that can last a lifetime.
Our membership continues to grow at a steady pace. We respond to phone calls and emails on a regular basis to assist parents with questions and concerns. Our website serves as an information hub, a community connection, and a place to publish our reports and press coverage. Advocacy organizations, special ed attorneys and special ed professionals from around the state contact us for information. We hope to expand our reach to families in District 202 in the future.
Special Ed in District 65
Evanston has a disappointing history of poorly serving students with special needs
Historically, special education policies and procedures in D65 have been inappropriate, inadequate and have sometimes violated the law. The concerns raised have been specific and well-documented:
On occasion, when more serious violations of compliance are brought to our attention, we work to hold the Superintendent accountable for providing an appropriate special education in line with both Federal law and our children's needs.
Since the founding of CASE in April 2008, we have advocated for changes in the priorities and focus of the District. The signs of progress have been encouraging. CASE strenuously advocated for special ed related goals to be included in the new Strategic Plan. These new goals will increase the inclusion of children with disabilities in general education classrooms, will increase disability awareness, and will provide program stability for students to ensure that they won't be moved to new schools year to year due to space constraints. CASE will continue to take action when necessary to encourage the School Board and Administration to improve services for students with special needs in District 65.
In the News
"D65 Administrators - Progress Made on Inclusion Plan" (Evanston Roundtable)
01/08/10
"D65 Plan Encounters Hurdles" (Daily Northwestern)
08/05/09
"Parents: Inclusion Easy to Do Wrong" (Evanston Review)
06/23/09
"D65 Moves Forward With Inclusion for Students With a Disability" (Evanston Roundtable)
05/27/09
"D65 Tragedy: Quiet ruling shows parents just 'throwing stones at the fortress'" (Daily Northwestern)
05/26/09
"Follow-up Cole Report: School District 65 Has Made Substantial Progress, There Is Still Work to Be Done" (Evanston Roundtable)
05/21/09
"Parents seek stability for 'most vulnerable'" (Evanston Review)
09/22/08
"School Sets Strict Rules for Special-Ed Students" (Daily Northwestern)
09/17/08
"Complaint Challenges Legality of Special Education Program at Haven School" (Evanston Roundtable)
09/12/08
"Complaint Names Evanston District 65" (Evanston Review)
06/26/08
"Parents Call for Closer Special-Education Monitoring" (Evanston Review)
05/20/08
"D65 Parents Say Special Ed Broken" (Daily Northwestern)
05/14/08
"Parents say D65 Failing Children with Complex Disabilities"
(Evanston Roundtable)
04/28/08
"Parents: Address Special Needs Issues" (Evanston Review)
CASE Members in Action
CASE Newsletter - October 2011.doc
07/22/11
CASE Newsletter - Summer 2011.doc
02/16/11
CASE Newsletter: February 2011
04/11/10
CASE Newsletter: Spring 2010
01/10/10
CASE Newsletter: January 2010
12/22/09
Cari Levin Guest Essay in Evanston Roundtable in support of Park School
07/22/09
Cari Levin Letter to the Editor (Evanston Roundtable)
04/26/09
CASE Newsletter: April 2009
01/04/09
CASE Newsletter: January 2009
09/17/08
Cari Levin Letter to the Editor (Evanston Roundtable)
08/25/08
CASE Newsletter: August 2008
06/25/08
CASE Newsletter: Summer 2008
06/19/08
Full-page ad in Evanston Review
05/30/08
CASE Newsletter: Spring 2008
05/22/08
Cari Levin Letter to the Editor (Evanston Review)
05/14/08
Cari Levin Guest Essay in Evanston Roundtable
05/08/08
Nancy Traver Letter to the Editor (Evanston Review)
05/05/2008
Letter to Special Services staff (reinforcing our appreciation and support for their work)
05/01/08
Cari Levin Letter to the Editor (Evanston Review)
04/24/08
Letter to D65 School Board
Evanston CASE strives to empower parents to advocate for their right to appropriate services for their children.