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Identification of English Language Learners (ELL) Coordinator

Jennifer Souza
Federal Programs Coordinator
Jsouza@k12.com
520.640.4268

Districts and charter Schools are required to identify and serve English Learners (EL) through Targeted EL services on English Language Proficiency Standards. For further information click HERE

• Evaluation begins with the collection of the Home Language Survey.
• Within 30 days of the first day of school or 14 calendar days of enrollment thereafter, all K-12 PHLOTE (Primary Home Language Other Than English) students who do not have a current state approved language assessment, will be assessed for speaking, listening, reading and writing English proficiency. Parents will be notified of their child’s eligibility with recommendation for placement.
• Eligible students will be placed in the appropriate SEI (Structured English Immersion) English Language Development and mainstream classrooms according to SEI model requirements.
• Students will exit the SEI program by scoring Proficient on the AZELLA (Arizona English Language Learner Assessment) which is administered every spring.
• Following exit from the program, students are monitored for two years and may be referred for support services if needed.
• While students develop proficiency at different rates, enrollment in the SEI program is generally two to three years. At the high school level, incoming freshman who are identified as English Learners are generally able to be on track to graduate in four years. In some cases, summer school is needed to catch up with credits as students become proficient in English.
• While enrolled in SEI programs, English Learners who are identified as exceptional students may also receive instructional services within special education programs.

Section 504 Coordinator

Kristen Kalvoda
504 Coordinator
Kkalvoda@k12.com
520.284.6612 

Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination based on disability. Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statue that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as that of the non-disabled.

While Section 504 provides for services similar to those available through special education, the intent and requirements of the acts are different. IDEA is a mandate to provide special education and related services to students who meet specific eligibility criteria for one or more of 13 categories of disability and need special education and related services.

Identification of Homeless Liaison

Jennifer Souza
Federal Programs Coordinator
Jsouza@k12.com
520.640.4268

To support the enrollment, attendance, and success of all students, the Insight Academy of Arizona endeavors to identify and provide necessary supports to students and families experiencing homelessness.

Children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care, may qualify for services under the McKinney-Vento Act.

• ADE Parents, Guardians and Youth Information
• Educational Rights of Homeless Children and Youths
  • Information for Parents  |   Información para padres
  • Information for School-Age Youth  |  Información para jóvenes en edad escolar
• FAQ on the Educational Rights of Children and Youth in Homeless Situations
• End of Year Notice
• K12 AZ Education of Homeless Children and Youth Dispute Resolution Process

Identification of Foster Care Coordinator

Jennifer Souza
Federal Programs Coordinator
Jsouza@k12.com
520.640.4268

For further information click HERE.

Identification of American with Disabilities (ADA) Compliance Act Coordinator/Special Programs Manager

Elle Barnes 
Administrator of Special Programs
Ebarnes@k12.com
520.640.3754

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities that are like those provided to individuals on the basis of race, sex, national origin, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, State and local government services, and telecommunications. Insight Academy of Arizona complies with all federal and state regulations regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

For further information on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Education, click HERE.

Individuals seeking to discuss accommodations the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may contact Elle Barnes, Administrator of Special Programs.

Request for Parent/Guardian Interpreter Services

LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT PARENTS

Notification of Language Assistance Services: Any parent who is limited in speaking, writing, or reading English may request the school to provide access to services such as interpreter and/or translated documents. To request services please email Jennifer Souza (jsouza@k12.com). Prompt access to the appropriate services and/or translator will be coordinated.

Asistencia de idioma: Cualquier padre que se limita al hablar, escribir o leer Inglés podrá solicitar a la escuela para proporcionar acceso a servicios tales como intérprete y / o documentos traducidos. Para solicitar los servicios envíe un correo electrónico o llamar al Coordinador de ELL. Se coordinará el pronto acceso a los servicios apropiados y / o al traductor.

Request for Parent/Guardian Disability Accommodations

Professional interpreter services may be requested at any time for parents/guardians of students with disabilities by contacting Elle Barnes, Administrator of Special Programs  at ebarnes@k12.com

Additionally, if any parent/guardian has a disability or other limitation that would impact their ability to participate fully in their child’s educational planning process, K12 would be happy to discuss accommodations that may be available to maximize the parent/guardian’s participation. Individuals seeking to discuss accommodations for this reason may contact Elle Barnes, Administrator of Special Programs at ebarnes@k12.com

Special Education

In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirement that all educational agencies provide parents of students with disabilities notice containing a full explanation of the procedural safeguards available under the IDEA and U.S. Department of Education regulations.

• Procedural Safeguards / Aviso de las Salvaguardias Procesales}
• Special Education Process-ADE

Special Education Grievances or Disputes

ISAZ recognizes that despite best intentions of all parties, disagreements or miscommunications may arise between the school-based team and ISAZ families or students. Should this situation occur, the ISAZ special education case manager will initiate an IEP team discussion where the specific details contributing to any educational concern are fully discussed and addressed as the entire team determines what is most appropriate for the student. Collaboration is a primary focus for this type of meeting. ISAZ’s Special Education Team seeks to establish and maintain the confidence of its families and to maximize their students’ educational success.

Dispute Resolution Options

• IEP Facilitation – IEP facilitation is a voluntary process that can be utilized when all parties to an IEP meeting agree that the presence of a neutral third party would help facilitate communication and the successful drafting of the student’s IEP. This process is not necessary for most IEP meetings. Rather, it is most often utilized when there is a sense from any of the participants that the issues at the IEP meeting are creating an impasse or acrimonious climate.
• Mediation – A voluntary process in which both parties seek to resolve the issues involved in the concern with an unbiased, third party mediator from the Arizona State Department of Education. The mediator who will write up the details of the agreement that the parties come to through the mediation conference, the agreement is signed by both parties, and thus what the document states is mandated to be implemented; This process is overall less time-consuming, less stressful, and less expensive to complete than a due process hearing (see below)
• Formal Due Process– Families are NOT obligated to pursue the above alternatives to due process should they feel their concerns can only be resolved in a formal due process hearing, which requires a formal complaint against AZVA submitted to the Arizona State Department of Education. Learn more.

For more information you may contact K12AZ Special Programs at AZSpecialPrograms@k12.com

Annual Public Notice of Special Services & Programs

In accordance with federal and state regulations, Insight Academy of Arizona (ISAZ) will provide an annual public notice to families informing them of AZVA’s child find responsibilities, procedures involved in the identification of educational disabilities and determination of students’ service and support needs.

Special Education Process-ADE

Identification of Child Find Specialist

Lauren Viste
520.282.7218 
Lmillerviste@k12.com

What Is Child Find?
Child find is a component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA ’04) that requires states to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities, ages birth through 21 years, who are in need of early intervention or special education services. This includes children who are highly mobile, such as migrant or homeless children, children suspected of having a disability even though they are advancing from grade to grade, private school students, and homeschool students. The Arizona initiative for child find is referred to as AZ FIND.

• How to Get Help / Como Obtener Ayuda
• AZ FIND Brochure

Services to students are available, through special education, for all eligible students, age birth through twenty-two.

Special programs are provided to students identified as having a disability in IDEA eligible categories, visit the Eligibility Definitions page HERE

• Birth through age 3: Services are provided through Arizona Early Intervention Program (520-325-6495) and includes screening, referring for evaluation, evaluating, identifying and, as appropriate, referring the disabled child and the child’s family to other agencies for any necessary interventions.
• Ages 3 through 5: Services are provided by the students district of residence preschool, and includes screening, referring for evaluating, evaluating, identifying and placing disabled students into appropriate services.
• Ages 5 through 22: Services are carried out by the district student’s home school, which includes screening, referring for evaluation, evaluating, identifying and placing students into appropriate services. Please direct any questions to the child’s home school principal.

 Screening

• Screening of a student’s abilities in the areas of vision, hearing, cognitive or academic skills, communication, motor, social or behavioral skills and adaptive development shall be completed within 45 calendar days after enrollment for each kindergarten student and new student enrolling without appropriate screening records from his/her previous school.
• In addition offer hearing and vision screening, screening includes the use of teach rating scales, progress reports, and/or observation reports to find students who should be referred for formal evaluation, due to a suspected disability. Screening activities do not include detailed individual evaluation procedures such as psychological testing.
• The school must inform the parents, within 10 school days, of any concerns arising from screening and inform them of the proposed follow-up on the student’s needs. 
• Records of screening results will be maintained in the student’s cumulative file.

Referral to Child Find Specialist
Students about whom there is a concern, as a result of the screening, will be referred to the Child Find Specialist.

• Parent notification within 10 days of referral with areas of concern noted.
  • Child Find Meeting to discuss interventions
  • Prior Written Notice of referral to a Mult-Disciplinary Evaluation Team meeting that will include a copy of the procedural safeguards available to the parents of a child with a disability.
• Children under the age of five should be referred to the school of residence preschool for evaluations to be scheduled. School-aged children should be referred to the Child Find Specialist.

Evaluation and Identification

• A review of existing data meeting will be held by a team which will include the Child Find Coordinator, a general education teacher, and the parent. Permission to evaluate may be provided in all areas of the suspected disabilities will be proposed to the Legal Guardian. The evaluation will include determination of the student’s primary language.
• The evaluation shall be completed within 60 calendar days after obtaining written consent of the parent/guardian for the evaluation, or absent such consent, within 60 calendar days following mediation of due-process procedures.
• The evaluation shall assess the capabilities and limitation of the student in all areas as suspected disability, including where appropriate health, vision, hearing, social/emotional, general intelligence, academic performance, communication, and motor abilities.
• Evaluation data will include evaluations and information provided by the parents of the child, current classroom-based assessments, observations by teachers and related service providers, and additional data, as needed, to determine if the student is a child with a disability under one of the categories of IDEA and state law.
• Children, who are identified as having a disability, will be provided an individual educational program, which required parent consent for initiation.

Initial Placement

Once an evaluation is complete and it is determined your child has a specific disability, you must sign a placement statement in order for your child to begin receiving special education and related services.

If you have any concerns about the evaluation process, an independent evaluation may be required. If you have any concerns about the nature or procedure of the evaluation, please call the Child Find Specialist at 520.282.7218.

Input from others
You may bring anyone with you to attend your child’s IEP team meeting. IEP teams are required to consider information provided by an outside source. The team is not required to implement findings or follow recommendations but should have all the information available in order to implement the best program for your child. 

Additional Information

If you need additional information regarding the referral process please contact the Child Find Specialist.

Accommodations

Notice of these rights is available, upon request, on audiotape, in Braille, and in languages other than English. Should you need further assistance or information regarding any of these accommodations, please contact a member of your child’s ISAZ team for guidance.

Translation Needs

Click https://translate.google.com/ to translate text to a language other than English.