Administrative+Guidelines

There are several aspects of RtI that have particular guidelines and/or procedures, which include:
 * Storage & Transfer of Records
 * Organization of RtI Folders
 * Manifestation Determination Guidelines (Who is Protected?)
 * Parent Request
 * Reevaluation for Developmentally Delayed Students
 * Out of State Transfer
 * Expired IEP/evaluation
 * Addition of a new area for Learning Disability
 * Re- evaluation for change of area
 * 504 & RtI
 * School Implementation Team Description
 * Case Manager Description
 * Team Roles Description
 * Checklist for Tier Components
 * Emergency Protocol

Scroll down page to find the procedures. The topics are in the order as listed above.

Storage & Transfer of Records
__Transfer between schools__ Transfer Form || __Storage at the Schools__
 * A designated person from each school will deliver the RtI folders to the receiving school, who will need to designate a receiving person. Using the transfer form, the person delivering the files signs the form and the person receiving the files signs. A copy of the form is sent to Spencer Register at the Central Office ||  || [[file:Transfer of RtI Folders.pdf]]
 * Person receiving the files, gives a copy of the transfer form to the principal and the RtI Team Leader. A procedure will be developed at each school in order to be sure the student's teacher(s) is aware of the plan and gets a copy. ||  ||   ||

RtI files will not be kept in the cumulative folder. Separate folders and/or notebooks will be used. These need to be stored separately from the cumulative folders. Principals can make this decision at their individual schools. Each school is to have a system for in-house transfer of RtI folders.

__EC PEPs__

EC PEPs should not be kept in the student's EC folder. At the end of the year, The PEPs need to be given to the EC case manager for that student, who will distribute them to the appropriate teacher the next year. For students transferring to another school, the EC teacher should give those PEPs to the designated person for delivering PEPs.

__Inactive Folders__

RtI packets can be purged at the end of 3 years of being inactive.

Organization of RtI Folders
__Tier I & Tier II__ For Tier I & Tier II, teachers can choose how they would like to organize the student's file, as long as they maintain confidentiality.

__Tier III__ Folders for students who begin Tier III will be organized in the following way: Half pockets will be in the folder labeled:
 * Tier I forms
 * Tier I progress monitoring documentation
 * Tier II forms
 * Tier II progress monitoring documentation
 * Tier III forms
 * Tier III progress monitoring documentation
 * Screenings/Observations/Social Development History
 * Any other documentation included needs to be placed in a half pocket labeled "other"

Manifestation Determination Guidelines (Who is Protected?)
Although the RtI Problem-Solving Model has been started with a student, the student is not automatically afforded the protection rights of an EC student. The following guidelines are to be used:

__Tier I__

It would be rare for a student to be afforded the protection rights of exceptional children on Tier I. The times a student would be afforded the rights include:
 * 1) The parent of the child has expressed concern in writing (or orally if the parent does not know how to write or has a disability that prevents a written statement) to personnel of the appropriate educational agency that the child is in need of special education and related services.
 * 2) The parent of the student has requested an evaluation of the student for suspected disabilities.
 * 3) The teacher of the student, or other personnel of the local educational agency, has expressed concern in writing about the behavior or performance of the child to the director of special education or to other personnel of the agency in accordance with the agency's established child find or special education referral system.
 * 4) Student has had multiple incidents for the same type of behaviors within a short period of time, which justify the need for the Tier III behavior intervention design.

__Tier II__

A student on Tier II would only be afforded the protection rights if they fall under one of the listed guidelines in Tier I or a student who demonstrates a severe academic delay that has been non-responsive to the Tier II academic design.

__Tier III__

All students on Tier III would be afforded the protection rights under the exceptional children's program.

If a particular situation comes up and you find yourself uncertain whether the student would be afforded the protection rights, contact the EC Instructional Program Facilitator for you school.

The 90-day timeline starts when the parent makes the request.
__Steps__
 * 1) Notify the EC program facilitator for you school.
 * 2) Call parent in and explain the Problem-Solving Model: If they agree to proceed with the model without testing, you need to close the request out. If they insist on the testing, begin the problem-solving model (RtI process) and inform the EC program faciltator.
 * 3) Once the results of the evaluation are complete (needs to be done before the 90-days are up), call a meeting to review the results of the evaluation, as well as the RtI data to that point.

KEY POINT: Once a school has been approved by the state to use the RtI data for placement, you can no longer use the discrepancy model.
 * If the student has a discrepancy, but the RtI data does not support placement, student is not eligible.
 * If the student does not have a discrepancy, but the RtI data does support placement, student is eligible.
 * If at the end of 90 days, there is not enough RtI data to support placement, but the student is still in the model, the student is not eligible at the time, but the student continues within the model. If the student continues to move through the model and later there is enough data to support placement, student is eligible at that time.

Reevaluation for Developmentally Delayed Students
A minimum of __three months__ before the reevaluation meeting, the following needs to occur:
 * Full Entitlement Schools should begin Tier III of the Problem-Solving Model (vision & hearing should be completed immediately)
 * All other K-8 schools should complete Tier II of the Problem-Solving Model, being sure that all components listed on the referral checklist are completed.

Note: Progress Monitoring needs to take place weekly for at least three months.

Out of State Transfers
Call an IEP Team Meeting and Complete the DEC 1. (To use this option, existing data must consist of all components required for eligibility by __NC Policies Governing Programs and Services for Children with Disabilities__. The IEP Team completes eligibility worksheet(s) and determination and proceeds as appropriate.) Provide parent with __Handbook on Parents’ Rights.__ What information is needed to determine if the student is or is not eligible for special education and related services? Specify what areas of information are needed: Obtain parent permission for evaluation, complete prior written notice, and provide parent with __Handbook on Parents’ Rights__. Eligibility determination, IEP (if eligible), and placement determination must be completed within 90 days of the date that the school received the written referral.
 * After reviewing all the information on the DEC 1, proceed with the following steps based off the IEP Team Determination:
 * No evaluation will be conducted based on the review of existing information. The special education process ceases. Explain decision not to evaluate: Team completes //Prior Written Notice// & provides copy to parent along with the __Handbook on Parents’ Rights__.
 * Determine eligibility based solely on existing evaluation data made available to the IEP Team through the referral process. No additional data are being requested. (For preschool students consider current IFSP.) List the source(s) of existing evaluation data:
 * Conduct Evaluation
 * **Full Entitlement Schools should complete Tier III of the Problem-Solving Model (vision & hearing should be completed immediately).**
 * **All other K-8 schools should complete Tier II of the Problem-Solving Model, making sure all components on the referral checklist are completed.**
 * **High Schools maintain documentation using the RE forms. In addition they need to work with their EC instructional program facilitator and psychologist to document interventions and progress monitoring.**

Expired IEP/Evaluation
If a student enters Chatham County Schools with an expired IEP or reevaluation from a school district **within North Carolina**, please contact your School Psychologist or Program Facilitator for assistance.

**Consideration for the addition of a new area of Learning Disability**
A minimum of __three months__ before the reevaluation meeting, the following needs to occur:
 * Full Entitlement Schools should begin Tier III of the Problem-Solving Model
 * All other K-8 schools should complete Tier II of the Problem-Solving Model

Note: Progress Monitoring needs to take place weekly for at least three months.

At the reevaluation meeting, the team needs to determine if any additional assessment is needed to determine eligibility in the new area (using the DEC 7).

Re-Evaluation for Change of Area
If the team is looking to change student eligibility to AU, Deaf, Deaf- Blind, MU, VI, OI, HI, etc. (that do not require interventions for placement) then the team is required to put 30 days of intervention in place and progress monitor once a week. REASON: To document need for Specialized instruction, which is required for all areas of disability.

If the team is looking to change student eligibility to SED, ID, LD, OHI, TBI, the following needs to Occur:
 * Full Entitlement Schools should begin Tier III of the Problem-Solving Model
 * All other K-8 schools should complete Tier II of the Problem-Solving Model

504 & RtI
Schools should have a separate 504 committee from their RtI Team.

Before a student can be considered for a 504, s/he should receive interventions through the RtI model first, with the exception of the following: An impairment may impact a student's ability to access his or her education when it affects attendance, mobility through the school, ability to attend certain school functions, etc.
 * If the student has a health or physical impairment that impacts the student's ability to access his or her education but does not impact learning, concentrating, reading, thinking or communicating, such as asthma, migraines, physical disorder, etc.
 * If the student has a psychological or emotional impairment that impacts the student's ability to access his or her education, such as depression, etc.

If you have questions regarding a student's eligibility for a 504, you may contact the 504 coordinator of the school or George Gregor-Holt.

School Implementation Team & Case Manager Descriptions
Description: This is a draft of an emergency protocol for handling extreme cases that might require immediate intense interventions. Please use the draft as a guide, until final guidelines are put into place. || ||
 * School Implementation Team || [[file:Implementation Team.pdf]] ||
 * Case Manager || [[file:RtI Case Manager.pdf]] ||
 * Team Roles || [[file:Team Roles for RtI Meeting.pdf]] ||
 * Checklist for Tier Components || [[file:Checklist for Tier Components.pdf]] ||
 * RtI Emergency Protocol