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My professional perspective comes from working in education for three years. I have taught technology education for three years at Lubbock-Cooper High School. I have special education, bilingual, and gifted and talented students all in the same class period. I always have to make sure I am tailoring to their individual needs. I also completed a practicum at the counseling center in the Spring. I set in many Admission, Review, and Dismissals (ARD) meetings as well as went through and checked special education students grades. I have learned a lot about students that are already qualified as SPED, but not what it takes to get there. It is important for me as a high school counselor to know what to look for and what steps to take when qualifying a student for SPED.

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I interviewed Kendall Wuensche, a counselor at Lubbock-Cooper High School. She has been a counselor for 9 years and been in education for 12. We talked about the role counselors, teachers, and parents play when qualifying the student for SPED.

Bio - https://www.lcisd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=428458&type=d&pREC_ID=935435

General Questions & Importance of SPED

Mrs. Wuensche told me that it is still important for high school counselors to know the steps to take when qualifying a student for SPED. Many people believe that most students are already labeled as SPED before they get into high school, and that is not always the case. Just this year we had one student transfer from a different school that got evaluated for SPED. As soon as he qualified and had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) put in place, his behavior and grades drastically changed (Wuensche, personal communication, July 18, 2019).

What role to counselors play when qualifying a student for SPED?
School counselors are the advocate for students. Typically, the counselor receives an evaluation request from a teacher or parent. Counselors cannot decide if the student is eligible for services, but they can be there to help during the process. Once the student is eligible for services, the counselor will assist in IEP and ARD meetings (Wuensche, personal communication, July 18, 2019).

Best practices for qualifying a student for SPED:
- Call a meeting with the parents/guardians of the student
- Have a meeting with general and special education teachers, parents/guardians, administrator, nurse, guidance counselor, and SPED coordinator to discuss temporary accommodations for the student
- Evaluate the students work in the general classroom
(Wuensche, personal communication, July 18, 2019).

Emerging Issues:
Mrs. Wuensche stated that a big issue for high school counselors is transfer students that show signs of SPED. A lot of the times it is students from smaller school districts that never evaluated the student. The issue is that the student is not having their individual needs met when they are not labeled as SPED (Wuensche, personal communication, July 18, 2019).

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Slide #3 - National Association of Special Education Teachers

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Slide #3 - National Association of Special Education Teachers

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The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) is a professional organization for special education teachers. They offer online support and professional development for special education teachers. Here are a few resources from the website:

Students and Disability Info

Board Certification in Special Education

Resources for SPED teachers

IEP Development

National Association of Special Education Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.naset.org/

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Slide #4 - Students with Disabilities Deserve Inclusion

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Slide #4 - Students with Disabilities Deserve Inclusion

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This article discusses students with disabilities and if it helps them or hurts them to take classes with general education students.

Grieco, H. (2019, May 08). Students With Disabilities Deserve Inclusion. It's Also the Best Way to Teach. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/05/08/students-with-disabilities-deserve-inclusion-its-also.html

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This article discusses who decides if a student is eligible for Special Education.

Wrightslaw. (2008). Teachers Trump Psychologist? Who Decides Eligibility? Retrieved from https://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/teachers-trump-psychologist-who-decides-eligibility/

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. § 12101)

Statutory Law

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) is a federal law that assures students with disabilities get the appropriate education and services that meet their needs. The Act was originally known as the Education of Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and amended in 1990 to IDEA. Its purpose is to make sure students with disabilities have access to adequate education, provide support to parents and educations, and provide tools to improve their education.

http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section12101&num=0&edition=prelim
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C § 12101)

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14th Amendment - Constitutional Law

The 14th Amendment creates the foundation for educational equity. “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws” (U.S. Const. amend. XIV).

https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2016/07/08/amending-america-the-14th-amendment/
U.S. Const. amend. XIV

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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Statutory Law

Section 504 is the first civil rights law enacted for students with a disability at a federally funded place. It gives them access to free and appropriate public education (FAPE) regardless of their disability. Section 504 states, “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” (34 CFR § 104).

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=adb2207cd6a3fc53ed52a795084e861b&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title34/34cfr104_main_02.tpl
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794)

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The Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee (TAC § 89.1050)

Administrative Law

School districts are required to establish an admission, review, and dismissal committee to ensure that federal laws and regulations specified on 34 Code of Federal Regulations are met. The ARD committee should include a guardian, special and regular education teacher, diagnostician, and interpreter if needed. The committee works together to create a plan for the student to meet their needs.

http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter089/ch089aa.html#division2
The Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee (T.A.C § 89.1050)

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Lubbock-Cooper ISD Special Education Policy

"All students with disabilities living within the LCISD shall be identified and evaluated in regard to their needs for special education services. All students with disabilities have a free and appropriate public education, which includes special education services to meet each students individual needs" ("Special Education Overview", 2019).

The policy also states that the school district uses Child Find. This process is when public school districts identify and locate children for an evaluation. Anyone who is concerned about a child can contact the schools Child Find representative. It also states that the district is responsible for finding and evaluating the child ("Special Education Overview", 2019).

Special Education Overview. (2019). Retrieved July 18, 2019, from https://www.lcisd.net/apps/pages/specialeducationoverview

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Diagnosis vs Disability

This article is for parents who are looking into a special education diagnosis for their child. It gives them examples, terms, and services for special education.

Diagnosis vs Disability. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.texasprojectfirst.org/node/124

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American School Counseling Association Ethical Standards for School Counselors

A.10. Underserved and At-Risk Populations f. "Advocate for the equal right and access to free, appropriate public education for all youth, in which students are not stigmatized or isolated based on their housing status, disability, foster care, special education status, mental health or any other exceptionality or special need" (American School Counselor Association, 2016).

Part of my job as a counselor is to advocate for my SPED students and make sure their needs are met. If I believe a student qualifies for SPED, it is also my job to try and get them the services they need.

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical standards for school counselors. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

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Best Practices & Recommendations:

If an educator or counselor recognizes a student that shows signs of SPED, call a meeting with the parent/guardians.

Create a pre-referral intervention plan for the student. Have a meeting with parents/guardians, administrator, counselor, general and special education teacher, nurse, and special education specialist.

After the intervention, create a referral for a special education evaluation if a student continues to have problems in school.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires students to be referred to a special education specialist to have an evaluation. They measure the student's intelligence, achievement, behavioral, disability, and medical.

IDEA says that all students are entitled to Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). After the evaluation, the special education services will determine eligibility. Not all students will qualify.

The school and parents will agree on an Individualized Education Program(IEP) for the student. This will describe what special education services the student will receive.

The IEP team is the parents, general & special education teacher, local educational agency, diagnostician, student, counselor, and administrator.

The IEP will need to be signed by all the individuals involved.

There will need to be a reevaluation every year for the student to evaluate their special services.

Special Education Referral Process. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/special-education-referral-process/