🌟 Congratulations to Heather Troyer (EC Teacher at Level Cross Elementary) for being named this year's Educator of Excellence. 🌟
Exceptional Children
Parent Rights & Responsibilities in Special Education: NC Notice of Procedural Safeguards
Parent Rights & Responsibilities in Special Education: NC Notice of Procedural Safeguards
This handbook is designed to support families with the understanding of the rights and responsibilities specific to the special education process. Acronyms and terms often used in special education and resources can be found in the appendices.
If, at any time, you suspect your student may have a disability and is in need of special education and/or related services, you may request an evaluation, in writing, to your student's school principal, teacher, or the Randolph County Department of Exceptional Children.
EC Division Website
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Exceptional Children Division
The mission of the Exceptional Children Division is to ensure that students with disabilities develop intellectually, physically, emotionally, and vocationally through the provision of an appropriate individualized program in the least restrictive environment.
Multi-Tiered System of Support for Families
What is NC MTSS?
Family engagement within MTSS is defined as the active and meaningful partnerships that educators build and maintain with students' families for the purpose of supporting student learning. It embodies the idea that all parties are equally invested in the student's educational experience and all parties bring knowledge and skills of equal value to the table to work together.
This linked infographic is intended to support NC families in understanding what NC educators are referring to when they are talking about a multi-tiered system of support
What is "support"?
NC schools that are implementing MTSS may talk about support for students. To further define that support, NC organizes theses supports around the instruction, the curriculum, and the environment.
This linked infographic is intended to promote understanding and conversations around how school teams are providing these supports to all, some, and a few students based on needs.
New to the Randolph County School System
In order to make your student's transition into the Randolph County School System go smoothly, it is very important to provide your student's new school copies of the following information during registration:
Most recent psychoeducational report, eligibility, evaluation and/or reevaluation report;
Current Individualized Education Program (IEP); and
Contact information for your student's previous school and school district.
These items will support a successful transition between your student's old and new school, and will ensure that appropriate services and supports are made available.
What to Expect
For out-of-state students:
Once you have shared your student's special education records, school staff will invite you to a meeting to discuss comparable services, or services similar to or the same as, provided on your student's most recent IEP. During the meeting, school staff will also describe the initial eligibility process that occurs when students move from out of state and the timeline in which an initial North Carolina (NC) IEP will be developed.
For in-state students but new to the Randolph County School System:
School staff will begin implementing your student's current NC IEP on their first day of school. An invitation to review and revise your student's IEP may be scheduled. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss your student's transition to a new school and to determine if any adjustments to the services and supports currently being provided are needed.
Dispute Resolution
From time to time, disagreements between families and schools may occur regarding the development and implementation of a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP). The Randolph County School System and the NC Department of Public Instruction, Exceptional Children’s Division, provide a range of resources to address concerns and resolve disagreements. Concerns should be received and addressed at the level closest to which the concern originated. The process at each level is outlined below.
Classroom Level:
Talk to your child's teacher(s) about your concerns
School Level:
Discuss concerns with student's principal
Request an IEP team meeting
District Level:
Contact the principal
Contact the Exceptional Children's Program Facilitator assigned to the school
Contact the Director of Exceptional Children’s Services
State Level:
Contact the Exceptional Children Division's consultants for dispute resolution and consultants for instructional support and related services.
For more information on Dispute Resolution and governing policies follow the link to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's webpage
Student Transfer Process
If you are new to the Randolph County School System and have a child who has been receiving special education services, you will need to register your child at his/her designated home school.
Enrollment Process for EC Students Transferring into RCSS:
Contact the appropriate home school to complete the registration process.
Provide a copy of the student’s IEP or documentation to verify the provision of EC services from the previous school.
The principal will contact the Exceptional Children’s Department if a child was previously served in a separate classroom setting.
Programs
The North Carolina Standard Course of Study is used throughout Randolph County School System. Our Exceptional Children teachers use a variety of strategies to help students progress through the curriculum, including co-teaching with general education teachers. At the high school level, students with disabilities may participate in the Occupational Course of Study, a pathway leading to a North Carolina diploma.
Students with significant cognitive disabilities participate in the Extended Content Standards of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. This curriculum teaches the essential elements of the traditional course of study while also emphasizing the acquisition of functional skills.
Eligibility
Eligibility is determined by the IEP Team, which includes a Local Education Authority (LEA), Special Education Teacher, Regular Education Teacher, the parent(s) and any other service provider that may work with the student. Decisions are made based upon data and qualifications that are determined by the Public Schools of North Carolina, Exceptional Children Division. They provide local units with detailed procedures for the delivery of special education services. These rules and regulations are detailed in Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities, Department of Public Instruction.
Services are provided under the following areas of identification:
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Deaf/Blindness
Deaf
Developmental Delay
Serious Emotional Disability
Hearing Impairment
Intellectual Disability
Multiple Disabilities
Other Health Impairment
Orthopedic Impairment
Specific Learning Disability
Speech/Language Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Visual Impairment
Transportation
EC Transportation Questions and Answers
Do all special education students ride on special buses?
Special transportation will be provided for students who need it because of their disability or the location of their program. Otherwise, they will ride the regular school bus. The Special Needs Transportation Department arranges curb-to-curb bus service for students who need it. School bus safety standards are always followed.
When will your child’s bus ride start?
Every effort is made to arrange transportation as quickly as possible. It takes 3 days for the school bus ride to be arranged. When the Exceptional Children’s Office assigns a student to a program two weeks or less before school starts, a bus route may not be arranged by the start of school. Parents may be asked to transport their child until transportation is arranged.
If you move, will your child ride the same bus?
An address change may require a bus change. Parents should call their child’s school office in advance to give them the date you are moving, the new address and phone number. Drivers cannot change routes/stops. Bus route changes take 3 days to start. If you move into a new school district, the students’ needs will be reassessed and possibly the school site changed.
What if a student is picked up and dropped off at an address other than their home?
Bus routes can only allow for one address for the pick-up and one address for the drop-off. One-day changes cannot be made.
Can the pick-up and drop-off time change from day to day?
Special education school bus routes vary according to the needs of each student riding. Be ready and watching for the school bus 10 minutes before it is scheduled to arrive. The school bus waits only 2-4 minutes for the student.
What if your child’s needs change to being bused in a wheelchair or with special equipment?
A bus change may be necessary. Contact the School Office so that necessary arrangements can be made.
School Bus Driver And Bus Monitors Responsibilities
What are the school bus driver’s responsibilities?
School bus drivers are professional drivers with special training and Commercial Driver Licenses. They work directly for the school district. Because of tight routing, they can only wait 2- 3 minutes at a bus stop before going on, and then it is your responsibility to get your child to school. If there is no monitor, the driver performs the assistant’s duties.
What are school bus monitors’ responsibilities?
The school bus monitor works with the driver to be sure all the students are safe on the bus. They secure seat belts, wheelchairs, car seats, necessary supports, etc. The monitor maintains discipline, sees that students stay in their seats, and reports problems to the schools. They seek emergency medical help when needed.
Can a bus monitor come to the door to pick-up and drop-off a student?
Bus Monitors can only work with students on the bus and assist with getting them on and off the bus. They cannot assist a student beyond the curb.
Parent Responsibilities
What are the parents’ responsibilities?
Have your child fully clothed, toileted and ready at the bus stop 10 minutes before pick-up time. Accompany your child to the curb. Call the early office number or the driver when your child isn’t riding. If your child has not ridden for 3 days, the bus will stop coming until you call the School Office to restart your child. Notify the School Office in advance if your address, phone number, or day-care arrangements change.
If your child misses the bus, can it come back?
The driver cannot come back because of traffic and other route trips. Transport your child to school as quickly as possible.
What are the parents responsibilities at drop-off time?
Be at the bus stop 10 minutes before the bus is scheduled to drop off your child. Meet your child at the curb so that the driver can make custodial transfer of your child to you or another responsible person. Students who are not met will be referred to the Department of Social services, if an emergency contact cannot be reached.
How can a parent help make the school bus safe?
Teach your child the school bus safety expectations and appropriate bus-riding behavior.
Why must the parent fill out the transportation data sheet?
Randolph County Schools require that emergency and health information be on file for each student. Parents must provide this information. The form should be filled out at the student’s Individual Education Program (IEP) meeting by school staff and parent together. This information is required before the student can ride the bus.
Student Behavior
What behavior is expected by a student while riding the school bus?
We expect all students to follow the bus safety rules for the safety of your child and others who ride the bus.
How will discipline problems be handled?
Bus behavior problems are reported to the school on incident reports filled out by the bus driver or bus monitor. The Principal’s Office decides what disciplinary action will be taken to enforce safe behavior on the bus including - suspension from school, suspension of bus riding privileges, detention, parent conference, etc.
What if a student does not follow the bus safety rules?
Students who cannot or will not follow the bus safety rules will be suspended or some action taken to ensure the safety on the bus for themselves and all riders. If a student is in a fight or out of control while on the bus, 911 will be called for the sheriff’s department to take the child off bus.
General Information
Ill Students
If your child becomes ill during the school day, you will be expected to pick-up your child from the school.
Questions And Concerns
If parents have additional questions or concerns about special education transportation, they may call the school office or the Special Needs Transportation Department at the number below.
Director And Hours
Director of Transportation is Wendy Anderson
In Office from 6:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Can be reached at Early Office number (Cell) from 6:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Other times, please call office number. If no one is available, leave message on voicemail. Your call will be returned ASAP.
Please use the Bus Garage phone number for emergencies only.
Contact numbers:
Transportation: (336) 633-5144
Routing: (336) 633-5120
Garage: (336) 633-5144
Related Services
Related services help children with disabilities benefit from their special education by providing extra help and support in needed areas. Related services can include, but are not limited to any of the following:
Speech-language pathology and audiology services
Interpreting services
Psychological services
Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
Counseling services
Orientation and mobility
Transportation