SECTION 504

TEACHER

TRAINING

YOUR ROLE IN SECTION 504

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WHAT IS §504?

§504 refers to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The ADA Amendment Act of 2008. It is a public-mandated policy prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in classrooms, extra-curricular activities or any programs of school districts.

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What is the purpose of 504?

The purpose of §504 is to prohibit discrimination and to assure that disabled students have educational opportunities and benefits equal to those provided to non-disabled students.

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**Level the playing field**

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CHILD FIND

504 mirrors IDEA – All educators have a duty to locate, evaluate & identify students who may have disability and need services through special education or 504

• Weakness ≠ Disability under 504

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Persistent discipline issues, especially in early�childhood, should be evaluated to see if they are�related to a disability

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WHO IS SERVED THROUGH §504?�

Eligible student is a person who:

(1) has (2) has a record of having or is (3) regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.

Functions of the:

• Immune system
• Normal cell growth
• Digestive
• Bowel
• Bladder
• Neurological
• Brain
• Respiratory
• Circulatory
• Endocrine
• Reproductive

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Major life activities

• Caring for oneself
• Performing manual tasks
• Seeing
• Hearing
• Eating
• Sleeping
• Walking
• Standing
• Lifting

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• Bending
• Speaking
• Breathing
• Learning
• Reading
• Concentrating
• Thinking
• Communicating
• Working

REFERRALS �

• Referral - Can be from anyone
• Teacher or other School Personnel
• Parent / Family member
• Physician
• Must always have on our radar
• After referral, the parent must consent to an evaluation
• Once parent consent is received, an evaluation of all available data is completed by a committee to determine if the student qualifies for Section 504 Services

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DELAYING REFERRALS AND EVALUATIONS

School districts violate Section 504 when they deny or delay conducting an evaluation of a student when it would have been reasonable for a staff member to have suspected that a student has a disability and needs special education or related services because of that disability.

**According to DOE and OCR**

504 RESPONSIBILITIES ON CAMPUS

Teacher: recommends referrals, follows service plan, ensures classroom and test accommodations are provided routinely and regularly, provides input and feedback, participates in annual meetings

504 Case Manager: Lead 504 Meetings, act as “Case Manager” for assigned students, advocates for student needs and communicate with parents of their 504 students, schedule meetings, complete meeting paperwork and service plan in the meeting, communicate with Support Personnel.

504 Support Personnel: One assigned to each campus, responsible for meeting paperwork prep, will communicate about viewing service plans and gather teacher input for upcoming meetings.

Everyone is responsible for attending meetings as requested.

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504 CASE MANAGERS ON CAMPUS

Mental Health & Behavior Related - Counselor

• Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, Autism, Eating disorders, ODD, PTSD, Personality Disorders

Health Related - Nurse

• Diabetes, Asthma, Epilepsy, Cancer, Chrohns, IBS, IBD, Allergies, Concussion, Orthopedic Impairment, Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell, organ failure or disease of the organs�

Learning Related - Other staff as assigned by Administrator

• Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Processing Disorder, Hearing or Vision Impairment, Learning disability�

**Learning disability will take precedence (ex: Dyslexia and Diabetes)**

504 SERVICE PLAN

• Decided on by the 504 committee
• Decisions about eligibility and service plans must take place in a committee, never isolation
• All take place in general education
• Cannot alter the curriculum
• STAAR Accommodations - must routinely receive during the school year to have on state assessments
• NOT Optional

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504 & Extra Curricular Activities

School districts must afford qualified students with disabilities an equal opportunity for participation in extracurricular athletics in an integrated manner to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the student. This requirement means that a school district must make reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, or procedures whenever such modifications are necessary to ensure equal opportunity, unless the school district can demonstrate that the requested modification would constitute a fundamental alteration of the nature of the extracurricular athletic activity.

HOW TO FIND YOUR SERVICE PLANS IN SKYWARD�*These instructions will be sent to you by your Support Personnel each week if you have a 504 student’s plan unviewed/unverified*

Instructions to see your 504 students in Skyward:

1. Click on “Teacher Access”
2. Click on “My Section 504 Students”
3. Click on the triangle to the left of the student’s name to expand the section containing his/her information
4. Click on the triangle to the left of “Section 504 Details” to expand that section
5. Click on the triangle next to the date to expand that section
6. Click on “Print/View All” to the right of “Forms”
7. Skyward will process the request
8. Click on “View Report” once the request is complete. That will bring up a form with instructions for Viewing and Acknowledging the 504 Plan.
9. Click on the down arrow to expand “Section 504 Attachments”
10. Click on the pdf file under “Original File”
11. Click on the PDF form
12. Read/Print the plan

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Students can also be identified with a 5 in Skyward.

VERY IMPORTANT STEP!!!

OTHER SUPER IMPORTANT STEPS!

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YOUR ROLE BEFORE THE 504 MEETING

• Complete teacher input forms and return by email to Section 504 Support Personnel
• Please keep input appropriate and helpful as it will be part of the student’s record (kindly share information).
• Please complete by the due date.
• Prepare to give input to parents in the meeting.

YOUR ROLE DURING THE MEETING

• You are a member of the committee, and often the person or people at your school that know the student best. Your thoughts and input are extremely important and valued.
• Share, as appropriate, both data and anecdotal information with the committee that is pertinent to their disability, academic achievement, and their overall wellbeing in your class.
• Participate as a member of the committee that is making decisions on behalf of a student. Every decision in 504 is a committee decision, so your participation is vital to the process.

YOUR ROLE AFTER THE MEETING:

• You will receive an automatic email from Skyward when a new service plan is added, this is your first notice to view, verify, and implement the new Service Plan.
• If you do not view and verify the plan after the first notice, you will receive an email from your campus’ Support Personnel each week reminding teachers to view the plans. Your principal will be CCd on the email.
• View and file the new services plan, and begin implementing the new accommodations in your classroom within 10 school days.
• Monitor the student’s progress and how the plan seems to be working.
• If you have concerns or see the need for an adjustment to the plan, talk with the student’s 504 Case Manager
• Remember, you cannot change a 504 services plan outside of a 504 meeting, the services plan must be followed as written in every class, including G/T, Pre-AP, and AP courses.

EXPECTATIONS - REQUIREMENTS

• In order to be in compliance with §504 Policy, which is attached to federal law, you must:
• Verify receipt of the 504 Services Plan in a timely manner. Failure to do can be problematic should there be any question as to whether a student is receiving their accommodations. This verification is your documentation that you are in compliance with the law.
• File and implement the most current 504 Plan for each identified student in your class.
• Submit your teacher input forms. This is another form of documentation that shows your due diligence in implementing service plans and monitoring your students’ progress.

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EXPECTATIONS – REQUIREMENTS – CONT’D

• Attend 504 Meetings – this is not optional, we are required to have a committee of knowledgeable persons, including teachers.
• Participate during 504 meetings, you are a member of the committee.

504 Accommodations according to TEA

Accommodations that are written into a Section 504 plan are legally binding. This means that for the student to receive their free and appropriate public education, they must receive the identified accommodations as written in the plan. Compliance with Section 504 accommodations is non-negotiable.

OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS - OCR

Participating in discriminatory behavior, failure to follow Section 504 identification protocols, failure to deliver designated service plans and provide required accommodations puts school employees at risk of being subjected to due process hearings, OCR (Office of Civil Rights) hearings, and lawsuits seeking damages for 504 violations.

SAMPLE SERVICE PLAN

SAMPLE SERVICE PLAN

SAMPLE SERVICE PLAN

QUESTIONS?