Special Education within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

Fourth in a Series

2020

The Davenport Community School District, Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, and the Iowa Department of Education have worked collaboratively to create a series of modules to train general education and special education teachers on the relationship between MTSS and special education services.

Each module was created using evidence-based, best practices. All references are listed at the end of the module should a teacher want to explore the information further.

Each module contains an assessment to measure teacher needs for further information and/or training both at the building and district level.

Recap of Module 3

We continued to gain understanding of the components of the Child Find Process, specifically evaluation and eligibility.

• Learned the purpose of an evaluation and how comprehensive is defined in Iowa
• Became familiar with exclusionary factors and recognized how their manifest can look like a disability
• Gained an understanding of the two prong eligibility decision
• Defined roles within the Child Find Process

​

Module 4: Special Education Services within a Multi-tiered System of Support

FAPE & LRE

Participant Materials

Before we begin, please access this note-taking document via the “Participant Materials” link in the Google Site under Module 4 in order to record your thinking and understanding of FAPE and LRE within MTSS, as well as some ideas for your next steps.

Purpose and Outcomes

Purpose: To gain an understanding of the federal requirements regarding Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

Outcomes:

• To learn the definition of FAPE
• To become familiar with the decision-making process to determine LRE
• To understand the extent of a continuum when determining LRE
• To define roles within the LRE decision-making process

Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

A free appropriate public education must be available to all children residing in the district between the ages of 3 and 21, including children with disabilities who have been suspended or expelled from school

FAPE

A public school district has an obligation to make a free appropriate public education (FAPE) available:

1. To eligible children residing in the district.
2. No later than the child’s third birthday.
3. As the student advances from grade to grade.
4. As determined on an individual basis by an IEP team.

Least Restrictive Environment

Each district must ensure that

• To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled.

​

• Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

​

How does a Team know the LRE for a Student?

​

The team needs to review previous individual student data collected in MTSS Tiers 1 - 3

* Define of student’s needs within

* the curriculum

* Instruction

* environment

* Review the student’s response to interventions/accommodations

​

Given all that data, team considers the Continuum of Options

1. Physical setting – access to general curriculum should occur in any of the settings below

• Instruction in general education classes
• Special classes
• Special schools
• Home instruction
• Instruction in hospitals and institutions

​

2. Supplementary services necessary for child to be successful

• Aids, services, and other supports that are provided in the general education classes or other education settings and in extracurricular and nonacademic settings

​

​

Placement “Decision” - 3 parts

​

IEP teams determine placement decisions by asking three questions

​

1. What?
2. How?
3. Where?

Placement “Decision” - 3 parts

​

1. WHAT….Education program described in the student’s IEP (goals & objectives)
2. HOW….Option on the continuum in which the student’s education program is to be implemented
• General education with consultation
• General education with consultation/accommodations
• General education with direct special education support in the general education classroom
• General education with direct special education support outside the general education classroom
3. WHERE ….Physical setting selected to implement the student’s IEP i.e., general education class, special classes, special schools, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals and institutions)

Reflection Activity

Think about IEP teams on which you have participated in the past.

• What physical settings have teams considered for individual students?
• Did the team begin discussing general education first?
• Did the team consider supplementary aids and services the student would need to be in the general education setting?
• If not, why not?

IEP teams should answer

these Questions!

• What supplementary aids and supports are needed to support the student in the general education setting?
• Why is it not possible for these aids and supports to be provided in a general education setting?
• What is the continuum of placements and services available for the student?

​

Bottomline

General Education should AlWAYS be the first consideration

General Education Teacher Role in FAPE/LRE

​

• Inform IEP teams of the rigorous and Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum based on grade level Iowa Core State Standards

​

• Be familiar with the supplementary aids and services that will enable a student with an IEP to participate in your classroom

​

• Use classroom and subgroup data, including progress monitoring data, to drive instructional decisions

​

• Communicate and collaborate with IEP teams when concerns with student learning persist after SDI has been implemented and monitored in the classroom

​

Assessment

• Now, please click on the assessment link via the “Participant Materials” link in the Google Site under Module 4
• This is your exit ticket for this module.
• Your building principal will be tracking if you completed this assessment.

Resources

Area Education Agency Special Education Procedures

Iowa Administrative Rules of Special Education

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act