COMD 590 Exam Study Guide: Special Education Law, RTI, and California Eligibility Criteria

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering special education legal mandates (IDEA, FAPE, LRE), evaluation timelines, RTI tiers, and California Code of Regulations Title 5 § 3030 eligibility categories.

In the RTI three-level framework shown in the diagram, what percentage of students receive Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 interventions, and what are the respective intervention levels called?

Tier 1: $80\%$ of students (Core Instructional Interventions); Tier 2: $15\%$ of students (Targeted Group Interventions); Tier 3: $5\%$ of students (Intensive Interventions).

What do the acronyms IDEA, LRE, and FAPE stand for?

IDEA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; LRE stands for Least Restrictive Environment; FAPE stands for Free Appropriate Public Education.

What are the four major components that define FAPE under the IDEA?

Special education and related services that: (A) have been provided at public expense, (B) meet the standards of the state educational agency, (C) include an appropriate preschool, elementary, or secondary school education, and (D) are provided in conformity with the I.E.P.

What are the IDEA requirements regarding testing materials and evaluation procedures?

Testing materials and procedures must not discriminate racially or culturally, evaluations must be in the native language or dominant mode of communication, tests must be evaluated for the specific purpose designed, administered by trained personnel following instructions, and no single procedure should be the sole basis for placement.

Within how many days after a formal referral must the school team present parents with an assessment plan?

The team has $15$ calendar days to present the parent with an assessment plan.

After parents receive a proposed assessment plan, how many days at least do they have to arrive at a decision?

A parent or guardian has at least $15$ calendar days from the receipt of the proposed assessment plan to arrive at a decision.

If a referral for assessment is made 10 days or less prior to the end of the regular school year, when must the assessment plan be developed?

The assessment plan must be developed within $10$ days after school commences the following school year.

How many days after the parent signs the assessment plan does the team have to assess the child, write the report and IEP, and hold the IEP meeting?

$60$ days (excluding days of school vacation in excess of five ($5$) and days that school is not in session).

What is the meaning of the 'Zero reject policy' under special education law?

Zero Reject is the principle that no student with a disability can be denied a free, appropriate public education.

How long is an Individualized Education Program (IEP) effective?

An IEP is effective for $1\text{ year}$.

What is the requirement for 3-year re-evaluations under the IDEA?

At minimum, each student must be assessed at least once every $3\text{ years}$, except when the LEA and parent both agree that reassessment is unnecessary. Students may also be reassessed more often if requested, as often as once per year.

Can school districts request a due process hearing to override a parent's refusal to consent to an initial evaluation?

Yes.

Under California eligibility criteria (5 CA ADC § 3030), what condition is explicitly excluded from meeting the criteria for an articulation disorder?

A pupil does not meet the criteria for an articulation disorder if the sole assessed disability is an abnormal swallowing pattern.

How is an abnormal voice disorder characterized under California eligibility criteria?

A pupil has an abnormal voice when it is characterized by persistent, defective voice quality, pitch, or loudness.

How does California Code of Regulations define a fluency disorder?

A fluency disorder occurs when the flow of verbal expression, including rate and rhythm, adversely affects communication between the pupil and listener.

Under Criterion 1 for a language disorder in California, what standardized test scores are required for eligibility?

The pupil must score at least $1.5$ standard deviations below the mean, or below the $7^{\text{th}}$ percentile, for chronological age or developmental level on two or more standardized tests in morphology, syntax, semantics, or pragmatics.

Under Criterion 2 for a language disorder in California, what is required if a student scores at least 1.5 standard deviations below the mean on only one standardized test?

The pupil must also display inappropriate or inadequate usage of expressive or receptive language as measured by a representative spontaneous or elicited language sample of a minimum of $50$ utterances (recorded or transcribed and analyzed).

Under what condition can the California eligibility criteria for autism NOT be applied?

It cannot be applied if educational performance is adversely affected primarily because of emotional disturbance.

When autism is suspected, which professionals must contribute to eligibility determination and what must their observations describe?

A psychologist and an SLP must contribute; their observations should describe verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and social interaction, using at least one formal/standardized measure for each area.

What are the core criteria for Intellectual Disability under California regulations?

Significantly below-average IQ existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior, manifested during the developmental period, which adversely affects student educational performance.

What conditions are excluded from being classified as a Specific Learning Disability (SLD)?

Learning problems resulting from visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

Once a student meets special education eligibility criteria for a particular condition, what is required for them to receive speech-language therapy?

The child does not need to undergo a separate eligibility process for speech; they only need the recommendation of the IEP team.