Referral to Special Education

The District is obligated to find and identify individuals with exceptional needs who reside in the District and to notify all parents of their rights pursuant to Education Code Section 56300.

Any parent suspecting that a child has exceptional needs may request an assessment for eligibility for special education services through the school principal. Students also may be referred by teacher or agency personnel. If you have a private school or preschool student that you would like to refer for special education services, please contact the Special Education department at 510-818-4208. You will need to prove residency prior to any assessment.

Students are eligible for special education when assessment and evaluation results demonstrate that the degree of the pupil’s impairment requires special education, adversely affects educational performance and cannot be corrected without special education and related services.

Assessment and Evaluation: When a student is referred for special education eligibility, a team from a school site or District will contact the parent and, if appropriate, develop an assessment plan.

After obtaining parental consent, assessments are conducted by qualified District staff. Parents are provided with a written report of results at an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting where the IEP team will discuss and explain the results of the assessments, including: educational eligibility criteria, the adverse effect of the disability on the student’s educational performance, and areas of educational need.

If the student is eligible, the IEP team shall identify goals and objectives for the student and offer an appropriate special education program or service.

Parents of eligible students will have at least one IEP meeting per year to discuss and understand their student’s placement and services. Students can be withdrawn from enrollment in special education with a written request to the Director of Special Services.

PARENT RIGHTS

Parents will receive a copy of their Procedural Safeguards upon referral for assessment and at least once per year.

English

Multiple Languages

Parents have a right to disagree with all or a portion of an IEP or an evaluation. When disagreements occur, parents can refer to their Procedural Safeguards and should contact the site staff or the Director of Special Education. Parents wishing to request an independent educational evaluation for their student should refer to the Guidelines for Independent Educational Evaluations, available by request from the Special Education Department.

Step 1: Gather all required documentation

• One Proof of residency

  • Owner: current property tax statement, current mortgage statement

  • Renter: current lease or rental agreement

  • Current utility bill: water, garbage, or electricity bill

  • Voter registration

  • Pay stub

(*Please note: The name of the parent/legal guardian coming to enroll should be on the proof of residency documents.)

• Proof of birthdate

  • Birth certificate

  • Passport

  • Duty attested Baptism certificate

• Current Immunization records 

• Most recent Physical Exam, completed by a physician

• Tuberculosis (TB) test or assessment (Physician must complete below information)

  • Date test was given

  • Date test was read 

  • Results of the TB test

**Date test was given and date test was read is mandatory. If the doctor deems the TB test unnecessary, we must have a signed statement stating that a screening was done and that the child has “No Risk Factors” from the doctor.** 

 

Step 2: Fill out your Application

• Request an application from the Special Education Department in-person at (5715 Musick Ave.) Monday - Friday 8:15 am- 3:30 pm or contact Adrienne Notarte (Phone: 510.818.4208 / email: anotarte@newarkunified.org )

Step 3: Submitting Enrollment Application/Child Find Questionnaire

• Bring in your Enrollment Application/Child Find Questionnaire along with the required documents to Adrienne Notarte in the Special Education Office (5715 Musick Ave.) Monday - Friday 8:15am- 3:30pm or by email. 

Step 4: Next steps

• Once ALL documents are submitted and verification is completed, you will be contacted within 15 days of receipt of your completed packet by the Assessment Team Coordinator, Alissa Bauer (abauer@newarkunified.org).

 

Downloads:

Child Find Questionaire:  English  Spanish

1. Does this cost anything?

Special Education services such as assessments are provided at no cost to you. 

2. Why haven’t I been contacted by the Preschool Coordinator?

Your enrollment application is not yet verified and possibly missing the required documents. It can take up to 15 days after verification to be contacted by the Preschool Coordinator.

If your enrollment application has been verified, please contact abauer@newarkunifed.org 

3. What other help is available if my child exhibits evidence of a disability, but does not meet Special Education eligibility criteria?

If the IEP Team determines that your child does not meet eligibility requirements for Special Education at this time, the team will be able to provide you with recommendations that may support your child.

If new concerns arise over time, do not hesitate to reach out to the Assessment Team Coordinator to discuss those concerns.  

4. I turned in my Preschool Enrollment Packet/Child Find. Now What?

The Assessment Team Coordinator will contact you within 15 days to set up a virtual intake meeting. At the Intake Meeting, your coordinator will gather further information from you about your child. At the end of the meeting, she will propose one of three options; A Full Comprehensive Evaluation, a Speech and Language Evaluation or that no assessment is needed at this time. You may contact the Assessment Team Coordinator at anytime with questions. Alissa Bauer abauer@newarkunified.org 

5. When and how does the Assessment happen for my 3-5 year old?

There are two types of assessments that are typically proposed when your child is between the ages of 3-5: A full Comprehensive Assessment or a Speech and Language Assessment. A Full Comprehensive Assessment means the district will assess your child in all areas of development including; Speech and Language, Cognitive, Social-Emotional Skills, Self-Help/Adaptive, and Motor (Fine and Gross). A Speech and Language Assessment  means the district will assess your child only in the area of Speech and Language skills. You will be sent an assessment plan, which must be signed before the district can legally begin assessing your child. Once the assessment plan is signed, the district has 60 days to complete the assessment process.

6. I just finished my child’s IEP meeting and my child is eligible. Now what?

You will receive your child’s IEP paperwork to sign. Once you sign your child’s IEP your child is able to begin services, as agreed upon on the Services Page of your child’s IEP.

• If your child is eligible for a classroom placement, your child will return to the Early Childhood Special Education program at Schilling Elementary school Monday-Thursday, 3 hours/day. Your child will receive any specialized services he/she is eligible for within those hours.

• If your child is eligible for Speech and Language services your child will go to Birch Grove Primary school for those services during his/her designated speech times during the month.

7. Does my child need a TB test to complete the Preschool Enrollment/Child Find?

Yes. Your child’s Preschool Enrollment Packet/Child Find must be fully completed before the Assessment Team Coordinator can start the assessment process. The TB test is part of this packet. 

8. My child is not up-to-date with their vaccinations. What should I do?

Please schedule an appointment with your child’s doctor as soon as possible to schedule any missing vaccinations. Refer to the vaccination chart to determine what is missing. The Assessment Team Coordinator will not begin the assessment process until all necessary vaccinations are completed.

9.What are Related Services?

Related services are supportive services provided to help a student benefit from a special education program and are based on assessed needs. The educational need is determined through an assessment during the IEP process. Assessment results and eligibility will determine services for students who qualify for a self-contained classroom or general education with or without related services.

A child’s entitlement to special education and related services is a right established under federal law. Students who are found eligible by the IEP team may receive related services based on need. Related services may be provided by the following service providers:

1. Occupational Therapist (OT) 

2. Physical Therapist (PT)

3. Adapted Physical Education Teacher (APE)

4. Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)

5. Deaf Hard of Hearing Specialist (DHH)

6. Vision Specialist

7. Behaviorist