The District recognizes that students learn in different ways and at different paces. Some students need additional instruction to master grade level/subject area standards, benchmarks, and objectives. At each grade level, there will be opportunities for students to be placed in intervention groups so the individual needs of pupils may be met more satisfactorily. The placement into intervention groups will be done solely to provide an improved educational opportunity for each child to develop to the maximum of his/her potential.
The Colfax-Mingo Community School District, in conjunction with other state entities, including the Area Education Agency (AEA) and/or Iowa Department of Education, shall attempt to resolve any presenting academic or behavior concerns in the general education environment.
The District shall provide general notice to parents on an annual basis about the provision of general education interventions that occur as a part of the District’s general program and that may occur at any time throughout the school year.
General education interventions may include consultation with special education support and instructional personnel. General education intervention activities shall be documented and include measurable and goal-directed attempts to resolve the presenting academic or behaviors of concern, communication with parents, collection of data related to the presenting problem or behaviors of concern, intervention design, and implementation, and systematic progress monitoring to measure the effects of interventions.
The following criteria are used to determine individual students’ intervention needs:
- A recommendation from the classroom teacher and/or principal with the assistance and advice of other members of the professional staff.
- Achievement of the pupil as reflected in the earned scores the child has achieved on validated standardized tests in specific subject-matter areas with particular emphasis on individual student growth.
- Student demonstrated mastery of the standards, benchmarks, and objectives on an alternative test, as determined by the District.
If students’ scores do not meet the requirements of mastery they will be scheduled into an intervention group. Students will not be able to opt out of the intervention group until they have shown adequate mastery of the identified grade level/subject area standards, benchmarks, and objectives.
In accordance with law, the District provides school year services beyond the standard 1080 hours of the instructional year for students with disabilities who qualify for services. The determination of whether a student qualifies for extended school year services (ESY) is made by the special education team based on student data, as well as the guidelines established by the State of Iowa and AEA.
If the referring academic or behaviors of concern are shown to be resistant to general education interventions or if interventions are demonstrated to be effective but require continued and substantial effort that may include the provision of special education and related services, the agency shall then conduct a full and individual initial evaluation.
The parent of a child receiving general education interventions may request that the AEA conduct a full and individual initial evaluation for special education services at any time during the implementation of such interventions.