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005.18.37-9. Transition from Early Childhood to Kindergarten Special Education Program.

AR ADC 005.18.37-9Arkansas Administrative Code

West's Arkansas Administrative Code
Title 005. Department of Education
Division 18. Special Education and Related Services
Rule 37. Part III: Program Guidelines
Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.37-9
005.18.37-9. Transition from Early Childhood to Kindergarten Special Education Program.
Currentness
The purpose of the Preschool Special Education Program is to provide services to children with disabilities, 3-5 years of age, in order to enable them to enter kindergarten needing little or no special education services. Through the transition process, it is determined whether a child has achieved age appropriate skills or if he/she needs to continue to receive special education services in the school-aged program. A carefully planned transition process should benefit children with special needs and their families and facilitate the education of children in the least restrictive environment.
1. To ensure an orderly transition for any child who has been in the preschool special education program, both sending and receiving programs agree to begin the pre-transition process in January prior to the child enrolling in kindergarten.
2. A transition team consisting minimally of the parent, the preschool early childhood representative and a local education agency representative will meet to define activities that will take place throughout the transition process, the timelines in which these activities must be completed, and person(s) responsible for carrying out these activities.
TRANSITION GUIDELINES
The purpose of these Transition Guidelines is to establish a cooperative transition plan at the administrative level. Use of these guidelines is an important step toward providing comprehensive and uninterrupted services. It is in the pre-transition period that the transition process is initiated and responsibilities are assigned. At the administrative level, the transition process involves representatives from both sending and receiving programs in joint planning along with the child's parent(s)/guardian(s). Through discussion, agency administrators plan transition strategies and activities within the established timelines for activities. Administrators and staff members must have a thorough working knowledge of services provided in order to facilitate a smooth transition.
The Strategy Outline provides a framework for the activities which will take place during the transition process. The primary areas to be addressed are:
A. Transfer of Records, Child Data Information
B. Timelines for Transition Activities
C. Awareness of Programs
D. Parental Involvement
E. Decision-Making Process
Each phase of the transition process indicates when the activity should be initiated, what objective is to be accomplished, the accompanying activities for implementing the objective, who should be involved, who should be primarily responsible for the activity, and what materials will be required to complete the activity.
TRANSITION STRATEGY OUTLINE -THE NEXT STEP
“R” denotes required timeframe
“S” denotes suggested timeframe
“*” Denotes primary person responsible for activity
NOTE: Where EC Coordinator and/or local Special Education Supervisor is listed, other appropriate personnel may be designated for transition responsibilities.
TIMEFRAME
OBJECTIVE
ACTIVITIES
PERSON(S) INVOLVED
MATERIALS
R: January and
1. To provide the local
1. EC Coordinator
1. Early Childhood
Special
February (and
education agency
completes and submits
(EC)
Education Early
through end of year
names of children
the Data Notification
Coordinator/DDTCS
Childhood Child
as new children
enrolled in the
Form to the Special
designee
Data Notification
enroll in EC
Preschool Special
Education supervisor.
2. Local Special
Form
Program)
Education Program
2. LEA Supervisor will
Education Supervisor
Letters to
This is an ongoing
who will be eligible to
inform parents of local
Parents
process.
enter kindergarten in
school programs through
the fall.
a letter and/or local
2. To provide parents information regarding the transition process and local school district programs.
meeting.
S: March
1. EC Coordinator
1. and 2. *EC
Appropriate
communicates with
Coordinator
information on
parents and discusses
Parents
transfer of
transition including
Local school district
records and local
transfer of records and
personnel
school district
local school district
programs (i.e.,
programs.
Chapter 1,
2. EC Coordinator will encourage parents to visit public schools by providing Kindergarten Round-up date, setting up group meeting between parents and local school district staff, assist with transportation, etc.
Section 504, regular kindergarten, Kindergarten Waiver, School Choice and Sp. Ed. 5-21 Programs.) School Choice and Special Education 5-21 Programs.
S: March-April
To obtain and share
1. Administer
1. -4. * EC
Current data,
current data in
appropriate assessments,
Coordinator and Staff
including written
preparation for
if any.
Parents
evaluation
Annual Review or
2. Submit a Child
Local school district
report(s)
Separate
Information Profile to
personnel
Child
Programming
local Special Education
Local Special
Information
Conference
Supervisor for analysis.
Education Supervisor
Profile
3. Coordinate dates for Annual Review/Separate Programming Conference with local Special Education Supervisor.
Written parental notification of Annual Review/Separate Programming Conference
4. Reasonable prior notice must be given to parents and local Sp. Ed. Supervisors for the Annual Review/Separate Programming Conference.
R: Date of Annual
To conduct Annual
1. EC Coordinator meets
1. * EC Coordinator
IEP, Annual
Review/Separate
Review/Separate
with parents, local
Parent
Review or
Programming
Programming
Special Education
* Local Special
Separate
Conference. Begin
Conference
Supervisor and others as
Education Supervisor
Programming
60 day timeline for
requested, sharing the
Others, as appropriate
Conference
additional testing, if
information at this
2. Early Childhood
Decision Forms
appropriate.
Programming
Personnel Local School
2. Annual
Conference.
District Personnel
Review/Separate
The local Special
3. Early Childhood
Programming
Education Supervisor
Personnel
Conference
will explain transition
Decision Form
process to kindergarten
3. Written
including:
parental
*evaluation process and
notification of
eligibility for 5 to 21 year
Annual
old Special Education
Review/Separate
Program
Programming
*time lines, and parent
Conference and
rights, and *transfer of
parental
records
notification of
2. The decision to be dismissed from Special Education or the need to determine school age eligibility will be documented on the Annual Review/Separate Programming Conference form. If the decision is to determine eligibility for the school age program, the school district has a maximum of 60 calendar days (from the Parent Notice of Annual Review/Separate Programming Conference Decision date) to conduct additional required evaluations. Upon completion of the testing, the local school district has 30 calendar days to hold an Evaluation/Programming Conference.
decision forms.
3. The content of parent notification of the Annual Review/Separate Programming Conference and Decision forms must contain all relevant information pertaining to both Transition and Annual Review/Separate Programming Conferences.
R: Immediate
Transfer of records
4. The local school
4. Early Childhood
4. Copies of
district will be provided
Personnel
Records
copies of:
Local School District
5. Copies of
• Parental Notification
Personnel
Records
of Conference
5. Early Childhood
• Annual
Personnel
Review/Separate
Local School District
Programming
Personnel
Conference Decision
Form
• Parental Notification of Conference Decision
• Initial Consent to Place
5. In the event that a local school district representative is not present at the Annual Review/Separate Programming Conference the chairperson will immediately forward to the LEA Supervisor the items listed in number 4 above.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING PROCEDURES FOR KINDERGARTEN ELIGIBLE PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
I. REEVALUATION PROCEDURES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BEFORE ANY DISMISSAL OF CHILDREN FROM SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES.
A. The Preschool ESC/LEA team used in IEP development should be the same team used to determine the revaluation needs of the student.
B. The Preschool ESC/LEA team will complete the Reevaluation Data Review Conference Decision Form. Review any existing data. If no additional data are needed to determine eligibility then proceed with the Preschool Evaluation/Programming Conference Decision Form.
C. If testing is needed, preschool personnel must obtain a new Informed Consent. *Reasonable efforts must be made to obtain consent if the parent did not attend the conference. If consent cannot be obtained after reasonable efforts, the Preschool ESC/LEA may proceed with the evaluation. The Preschool ESC/LEA has 60 days to complete any assessments. Thirty (30) days after the completion of assessments, an Evaluation/Programming Conference must be held to discuss the results, determine eligibility, etc.
D. If a parent requests a comprehensive reevaluation of the child, it must be done, even if the committee determined it was not needed for determining continued eligibility.
II. THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES APPLY FOR CHILDREN RECOMMENDED TO CONTINUE RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES IN KINDERGARTEN:
A. The Preschool ESC/LEA and LEA will continue to follow the Transition-Strategy Outline-The Next Step (Revised 2-25-97)
B. The Preschool ESC/LEA will document on the Annual Review/Separate Programming Conference form the need to determine the child's eligibility for the school age program.
C. The LEA will complete the Existing Data Review and Conference Decision Form. Review existing data from the Preschool Special Education Program. The LEA must obtain a new Informed Consent. The LEA has a maximum of 60 calendar days (from the Parental Notice of the Annual Review/Separate Programming Conference date) to conduct additional required evaluations. Upon completion of the testing, the LEA has 30 calendar days to hold an Evaluation/Programming Conference to discuss the results, determine eligibility, etc.
*NOTE: According to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, a reasonable effort on behalf of an ESC/LEA would include some combination of the following: documented phone calls, letter, certified letters with return receipts, and visits to parents' last known address. The certified letter is a good tool for this process, but it alone is not sufficient.
Experience in the field indicates that many people will not sign for certified mail fearing summons or collection agencies. The return of a certified letter should be followed by a visit to the last known address of the parent. Contact should also be made with neighbors, relatives and other agencies in an effort to locate the parent. If these attempts are unsuccessful, all efforts should be carefully documented.

Credits

Amended Feb. 25, 1997.
Current with amendments received through February 15, 2024. Some sections may be more current, see credit for details.
Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.37-9, AR ADC 005.18.37-9
End of Document