NEWS
District earns high marks for parental involvement in Special Education
Administrators, teachers and staff who provide special education services to students in Cohoes are exceeding target expectations for parental involvement, according to the findings of a recent state survey.
The survey, which asked parents and guardians of special education students to rate the district's efforts to cultivate ongoing parental involvement, found that 92.6 percent of respondents had a positive parental response. The state's target for school districts is 90 percent.
The district also exceeded expectations for number of parents who participated in the survey. The survey was administered last spring and results were made available to district officials earlier this month. Survey results from Cohoes and districts across the state are tabulated and included annually as part of New York's State Performance Plan. The State Performance Plan is used to evaluate efforts to implement federal requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). The last time Cohoes was required by the state to survey its special education parents was six years ago.
"The results of the survey show what many of us already know," said Karen Kemp, district director of Special Programs. "Staff in these buildings are being responsive and are working in collaboration with parents toward our common goal of educating students and helping them to thrive, in and out of the classroom.”
The school district is committed to providing a continuum of appropriate educational services in the least restrictive environment to all students with disabilities in need of special education, Kemp said. This includes cultivating ongoing parental involvement.
In special education terms, parent involvement includes:
• The opportunity to participate in the student’s
evaluation;
• The opportunity to participate at IEP meetings and the option to
invite other individuals to participate in meetings;
• Understanding the family’s legal rights (Procedural Safeguards
including Due Process Procedures);
• Receiving timely notice of meetings and changes in the IEP;
• Receiving timely notice of meetings and changes in the IEP; and
• Receiving progress reports.
