Special Education Policy

Special Education Policy

Lindley Academy at General David B. Birney Charter School (Lindley Academy) provides a full continuum of services to scholars with disabilities who qualify for Special Education or related services. These services include– but are not limited to –counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, learning support, and remedial reading instruction with a reading specialist.

If you are concerned about your scholar’s academic, social or behavioral performance or their progress in school, please speak to your scholar’s teacher about your concerns. As a school, we monitor our scholars’ academic, social and behavioral progress closely. When you are working on your scholar’s academics at home it is important to note that there may be a problem if your scholar’s reading level is more than one year below grade level, if your scholar has memory retention issues, or an inability to remain on task and complete assignments. If you believe that your scholar may have special needs, please contact the Special Education Liasion to discuss the options that Lindley Academy can offer.

At any time you think your scholar may qualify for special education, you may initiate testing procedures by forwarding a written statement to the CEO/Principal stating your concerns and that you request your scholar to be tested.

Special Education law states that the School has 60 days to complete the testing process after receiving this request. Your scholar will remain in his/her present educational placement until testing is completed. No change in educational placement will be made unless both you and the school agree to the change in placement. If any disagreement arises regarding the recommendations following testing, the scholar will remain in his/her current educational placement while the disagreement is resolved following established special education procedures.

After testing is completed and a report prepared, there will be a meeting to discuss the results. You have the right to discuss and offer input into the goals that will be set for your scholar. When this discussion results in differences that cannot be resolved, you have the right to request a pre-hearing conference, mediation, or an impartial due-process hearing. You may also request a combination of these alternatives.

For further information on the evaluation procedures and provisions of services to protected handicapped scholars or scholars with disabilities, contact:

Elaine Latimer, Special Education Liasion
elatimer@ap-schools.org