Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 39, September 25, 2024
(a) Each board of
education or board of trustees shall appoint:
(1) committees on special education in
accordance with the provisions of Education Law, section 4402, as necessary to
ensure timely evaluation and placement of students. The membership of each
committee shall include, but not be limited to:
(i) the parents or persons in parental
relationship to the student;
(ii)
not less than one regular education teacher of the student whenever the student
is or may be participating in the regular education environment;
(iii) not less than one special education
teacher of the student, or, if appropriate, not less than one special education
provider of the student;
(iv) a
school psychologist;
(v) a
representative of the school district who is qualified to provide or supervise
special education and who is knowledgeable about the general education
curriculum and the availability of resources of the school district, provided
that an individual who meets these qualifications may also be the same
individual appointed as the special education teacher or the special education
provider of the student or the school psychologist. The representative of the
school district shall serve as the chairperson of the committee;
(vi) an individual who can interpret the
instructional implications of evaluation results. such individual may also be
the individual appointed as the regular education teacher, the special
education teacher or special education provider, the school psychologist, the
representative of the school district or a person having knowledge or special
expertise regarding the student when such member is determined by the school
district to have the knowledge and expertise to fulfill this role on the
committee;
(vii) a school
physician, if specifically requested in writing by the parent of the student or
by a member of the school at least 72 hours prior to the meeting;
(viii) an additional parent member of a
student with a disability residing in the school district or a neighboring
school district, provided that the additional parent member may be the parent
of a student who has been declassified within a period not to exceed five years
or the parent of a student who has graduated within a period not to exceed five
years, if specifically requested in writing by the parent of the student, the
student or by a member of the committee at least 72 hours prior to the
meeting;
(ix) other persons having
knowledge or special expertise regarding the student, including related
services personnel as appropriate, as the school district or the parent(s)
shall designate. The determination of knowledge or special expertise of such
person shall be made by the party (parents or school district) who invited the
individual to be a member of the committee on special education; and
(x) if appropriate, the student;
(2) committees on preschool
special education in accordance with provisions of Education Law, section 4410
to implement the provisions of section
200.16 of this Part. The membership
of each committee on preschool special education shall include, but not be
limited to:
(i) the parents of the preschool
child;
(ii) not less than one
regular education teacher of the child whenever the child is or may be
participating in the regular education environment;
(iii) not less than one special education
teacher of the child, or, if appropriate, not less than one special education
provider of the child;
(iv) a
representative of the school district who is qualified to provide or supervise
special education and who is knowledgeable about the general education
curriculum and the availability of preschool special education programs and
services and other resources of the school district and the municipality. The
representative of the school district shall serve as the chairperson of the
committee;
(v) an additional parent
member of a child with a disability residing in the school district or a
neighboring school district and whose child is enrolled in a preschool or
elementary level education program, if specifically requested in writing by the
parent of the student or by a member of the committee at least 72 hours prior
to the meeting;
(vi) an individual
who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results,
provided that such individual may also be the individual appointed as the
regular education teacher, the special education teacher or special education
provider, the school psychologist, the representative of the school district or
a person having knowledge or special expertise regarding the student when such
member is determined by the school district to have the knowledge and expertise
to fulfill this role on the committee;
(vii) other persons having knowledge or
special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as
appropriate, as the school district or the parents shall designate. The
determination of knowledge or special expertise of such person shall be made by
the party (parents or school district) who invited the individual to be a
member of the committee on preschool special education;
(viii) for a child in transition from early
intervention programs and services, at the request of the parent, the
appropriate professional designated by the agency that has been charged with
the responsibility for the preschool child; and
(ix) a representative of the municipality of
the preschool child's residence, provided that the attendance of the appointee
of the municipality shall not be required for a quorum.
(b) Each child care institution,
as defined in Education Law, section 4001, maintaining a school, shall appoint
a committee on special education in accordance with the provisions of Education
Law, section 4402.
(c) The board of
education in a city school district in a city having a population in excess of
125,000 inhabitants shall appoint subcommittees on special education to the
extent necessary to ensure timely evaluation and placement of students with
disabilities. Boards of education or trustees of any school district outside of
a city having a population in excess of 125,000 inhabitants may appoint
subcommittees on special education to assist the board of education in
accordance with Education Law, section 4402 (1)(b)(1)(b) and the provisions of
this subdivision.
(1) The board of education
shall determine the number of subcommittees to be appointed, upon the
recommendation of the committee on special education.
(2) The membership of each subcommittee shall
include, but not be limited to:
(i) the
parents of the student;
(ii) not
less than one regular education teacher of the student whenever the student is
or may be participating in the regular education environment;
(iii) not less than one of the student's
special education teachers or, if appropriate, not less than one special
education provider of the student;
(iv) a representative of the school district
who is qualified to provide, administer or supervise special education and who
is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum and who is
knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the school district, who
may also fulfill the requirement of subparagraph (iii) or (v) of this
paragraph. The representative of the school district shall serve as the
chairperson of the subcommittee;
(v) a school psychologist, whenever a new
psychological evaluation is reviewed or a change to a program option with a
more intensive staff/student ratio, as set forth in section
200.6(h)(4) of
this Part, is considered;
(vi) an
individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation
results, who may be a member appointed pursuant to subparagraphs (ii) through
(v) or (vii) of this paragraph;
(vii) such other persons having knowledge or
special expertise regarding the student, including related services personnel
as appropriate, as the committee or the parent shall designate. The
determination of knowledge or special expertise of such person shall be made by
the party (parents or school district) who invited the individual to be a
member of the subcommittee on special education; and
(viii) the student, if appropriate.
(3) Each subcommittee may perform
the functions of the committee on special education pursuant to the provisions
of Education Law, section 4402, except as specified in paragraphs (4) and (5)
of this subdivision.
(4) The
subcommittee may perform the functions of the committee on special education
pursuant to the provisions of Education Law, section 4402, except when a
student is considered for initial placement in:
(i) a special class; or
(ii) a special class outside of the student's
school of attendance; or
(iii) a
school primarily serving students with disabilities or a school outside of the
student's district.
(5)
Upon receipt of a written request from the parent or legal guardian of a
student, the subcommittee shall immediately refer to the committee for its
review any recommendation of the subcommittee concerning the identification,
evaluation, educational placement or provision of a free appropriate public
education to a student that is not acceptable to the parent or person in
parental relationship to such student.
(6) Each subcommittee shall report annually
the status of each student with a disability within its jurisdiction to the
committee on special education.
(d) The regular education teacher of the
student with a disability must, to the extent appropriate, participate in
development, review and revision of a student's IEP, including assisting in the
determination of:
(1) appropriate positive
behavioral interventions and supports and other strategies for the student;
and
(2) supplementary aids and
services, program modifications and supports for school personnel that will be
provided for the student, consistent with section
200.4(d) of this
Part.
(e) Role of the
chairperson of the committee. The chairperson of the committee on special
education, committee on preschool special education and subcommittee on special
education shall preside over a meeting of such committee and carry out the
functions of a chairperson identified in this Part and in the Education Law,
including but not limited to sections
200.2(b)(10)(iii),
200.4(a),
200.5(b)(1)(i)(c)
and, as appropriate, 200.16(b)(1) of this Part, and sections 4401-a, 4402(7)(c)
and, as appropriate, 4410(3) of the Education Law.
(f) Member attendance. Except as otherwise
provided in this section, all members of a committee on special education, a
committee on preschool special education, or a subcommittee on special
education shall attend a meeting of such committee, except that the parent and
the school district may agree that the attendance of a member is not necessary
or that a member of the committee may be excused in accordance with the
following procedures pursuant to sections 4308(2)(f) through (h), 4355(2)(f)
through (h), 4402(1)(b)(1)(b-1) through (b-3), 4402(1)(b)(1)(d), and
4410(3)(a)(3) through (5) of the Education Law.
(1) A member of such committee or
subcommittee is not required to attend a meeting of the committee, in whole or
in part, if the parent and the school district agree, in writing, that the
attendance of the member is not necessary because the member's area of the
curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed at the
meeting.
(2) A member of such
committee may be excused from attending a meeting of the committee or
subcommittee, in whole or in part, when the meeting involves a modification to
or discussion of the member's area of the curriculum or related services if the
parent to the student and the school district consent, in writing, to the
excusal and the excused member submits to the parent and such committee,
written input into the development of the IEP, and in particular written input
with respect to their area of curriculum or related services prior to the
meeting.
(3) Requests for excusal
of a member of a committee as provided for in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this
subdivision, and the written input as provided for in paragraph (2) of this
subdivision, shall be provided not less than five days prior to the meeting
date, in order to afford the parent a reasonable time to review and consider
the request. Provided however, that a parent shall retain the right to request
and/or agree with the school district to excuse a member of the committee or
subcommittee at any time including where the member is unable to attend the
meeting because of an emergency or unavoidable scheduling conflict and the
school district submits the written input for review and consideration by the
parent within a reasonable time prior to the meeting and prior to obtaining
written consent of the parent to such excusal.
(4) Requests for excusals do not apply to the
parents of the student or the appointee of the municipality in the case of a
committee on preschool special education.