Promotion Standards

Step 1: Referring your child for special education services.

If you feel your child has a disability and would benefit from a specialized instruction program, you can refer your child to receive special education services.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about referring your child to receive special education services.

How do I make a referral for my child? Who else can make referrals for my child? What happens after the referral is made?

How do I make a referral for my child?

To request a referral for special education, send a written request to the Regional Chairperson for the Committee on Special Education (CSE) in your region. You should also send a copy (or "CC") to the principal and school psychologist in the School Based Support Team at your child's school. You can fax the request (be sure to save your confirmation!) or send it by certified mail. The important thing is that you keep proof that the letter was sent and received by the Region.

Please click here for a list of CSE contact information.

When a referral has been received, you should receive, within 30 days, a notice of referral from the CSE asking for your consent to an evaluation of your child.

Who else can make referrals for my child?

You, the parent, can always make a referral for your child to the Committee for Special Education Services (CSE).

In addition, referrals may be made by designated persons at...
• The State Department of Education
• The Region or Community School District administrative authority
• Your child's school
• Other public agencies that work with schools (for example, special education services providers).

What happens after the referral is made?

1. The Committee on Special Education (CSE) will ask you to consent to have your child evaluated. After the region receies a referral, the Committee on Special Education (CSE) will send you a Notice of Referral (also known as Form R-1P, click here for a sample). The CSE will then as your consent to evaluate your child (click here for more information about evaluations and giving consent).

2. If you give your consent, then an evaluation will be conducted and you will be notified of the results. A group of experts, such as special education teachers, will observe and interact with your child in a classroom setting and will also seek input from you, the parent, regarding your child's specific abilities and needs. Various additional examinations may also be conducted. Please click here for more information about evaluations.

The school region is required to conduct this evaluation within 60 days of receiving your consent.

The Department of Education will notify you of the results of your child's evaluation, and will ask you to meet with the CSE to discuss them. If you feel that the tests administered were inadequate or disagree with the results, you can get an independent educational evaluation (IEE) at the expense of the region. If you bring the results of the IEE to the CSE meeting, the Committee is required to consider them when assessing your child's needs.

3. The CSE will meet with you to discuss whether your child is eligible for special education. After the results of the evaluations are received, the CSE will schedule a meeting to discuss them and to determine whether your child has a disability requiring special education. This is an important meeting, and you should make every effort to attend. If you cannot attend, you have a right to ask the region or the School Based Support Team (SBST) at your school to change the time or place of the meeting.

4. Implementing the CSE's recommendation. The Department of Education must arrange for the student to receive the recommended special education services or programs starting with the July, September or January starting date of those approved programs or no later than 30 school days from the date the CSE made its recommendation. There may be no delay in implementing a child's Individualized Educational Plan (IEP).

Step 2: Parental consent.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about parental consent.

What does it mean to give my consent? When will my consent be requested? When is my consent not required?

Consent means that:

1. You have been informed in the language you speak, or using other kinds of communication that you understand, of all the information about the activity.

2. You understand and agree in writing to the activity. Your consent describes, in writing, the activity to which you agree, including a list of any record(s) that you authorize to be released and to whom.

3. Your permission is given freely and may be withdrawn at any time.

4. However, actions that were taken after consent was given but before consent was revoked will still be considered valid (i.e., will be viewed as having been consented-to).



Your consent will be requested when:

1. Your child will be evaluated for the first time by the Committee on Special Education (CSE) or Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) to decide if (s)he has a disability requiring special education.

2. Your child is recommended to receive special education services and programs for the first time.

3. Your child is recommended to receive twelve-month special education services (programs during July and August) for the first time.

4. Your child will be reevaluated.

5. The school region proposes to use your private insurance. In this case, you must be notified that if you refuse to allow the region to use these funds, the region is still responsible to provide all required services at no cost to you.

6. Another agency other than a school requests to review records about your child. The request for consent will include information about the records that will be released and to whom they will be given.

7. You decide to withdraw a referral for special education for your child.



Your consent is not required:

1. For the region to review, during the evaluation process, information that is already in your child's file.

2. Before giving a test or other evaluation that is given to all students (unless parents of all students must give consent before the test is given).

3. To conduct a reevaluation, if the school region can show that it has taken reasonable measures to get your consent and you have not responded.

Step 3: The evaluation process.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about parental consent.

Introduction: What does it mean to have my child evaluated?

An evaluation is a series of tests designed to assess whether your child is eligible for special education services. Click here to learn about the specific types of tests involved. The tests may be conducted at a time and place of your choosing, and are paid for by the Department of Education.

Even if the evaluation determines that your child is eligible, special education will not be provided without your consent. This means that even if you are not certain whether you want your child to receive special education services, an evaluation can still be a useful tool for learning about your child's abilities and needs.

After the evaluation is conducted, you will receive the results and can meet and discuss them with school officials. Your input will be solicited and considered carefully in determining the region's recommendation. If you disagree with the results of your child's evaluation or want additional tests performed, you can also get an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE).

What kinds of evaluations are necessary for my child to be found eligible for pre-school special education?

Specific tests that will be administered. If your child is being evaluated for the first time, then the following tests must be included as part of the evaluation:
• a physical examination
• a social history
• observation of your child in his or her curent educational setting
• any other necessary tests (e.g., psychological evaluation; speech and language, occupational therapy, and/ or physical therapy evaluation(s)).

If your child is being re-evaluated, the evaluation may only cover areas where the child has a suspected disability, or where previous difficulties were determined to exist.

Who will conduct the evaluation?

A team of evaluators will assess your child's status and needs, and this team must include at least one person (such as a special education teacher) who is knowledgable about your child's suspected disability.

The people who give the tests will be trained, knowledgable, and certified to give them. Where feasible, the tests must also be administered in the language that your child speaks, or in a mode of communication that your child uses.

Most importantly, the evaluation must include input from you, the parent. Click here for a complete list of the rules governing evaluations.

Where and when will the tests be administered? Once a referral is received by the region, the parent receives a notice of referral (also known as form R-1P, click here for a sample) from the region which entitles the parent to select an evaluator from a list of approved evaluation sites. The parent is then responsible for scheduling the evaluation at the chosen site.

Goals of the evaluation:
1. To measure a student's abilities and traits in the following areas:

• Academic performance / learning characteristics.
• Social and emotional development.
• Health and physical development.

2. To identify a student's strengths and weaknesses in each of these areas, so that parents and schools will be better able to:

• Formulate realistic expectations for achievement.
• Discover which teaching strategies will be most beneficial for the child.

3. To collect and organize information that the IEP team can use to determine a student's need and eligibility for special education services.

Complete list of rules governing evaluations: an evaluation must....

• Be administered with parental consent.
• Be complete in evaluating all areas of suspected disability.
• Be fair, and not discriminate on the basis of race or culture.
• Use more than one procedure to determine the student's educational program.
• Use a team to evaluate the student's status and needs.
• Include input from:
• Parents
• A group of evaluators including at least one person knowledgeable about your child's suspected disability (e.g., a special education teacher).
• Wherever feasible, the evaluation must be administered in the language that your child speaks or in a mode of communication that your child uses.
• The people who give the tests must be trained, knowledge, and/or certified to give them.

What is an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)?

An independent educational evaluation (IEE) means testing done by a qualified professional who does NOT work for the Department of Education.

If you disagree with the results of the region's testing, you may ask the region to pay the full cost of an IEE.

• The region should respond to this request within a reasonable time and, when it responds, must provide information about:
• Where the IEE may be obtained (including the location of the evaluation and the qualifications of the evaluator).
• Any conditions that need to be met in order for the region to reimburse the expense of the IEE.
• The region may ask you to explain why you object to the region's own evaluation, but you are not required to provide this explanation.
• The region may ask for a hearing to determine whether its own evaluation was sufficient. If the hearing officer finds that the region's testing was adequate, you still have the right to get an IEE and to have the results of the IEE considered in determining your child's placement. However, the cost of the IEE will not be reimbursed.
• If the region does not request a hearing, or if the hearing officer finds that the region's evaluation was inappropriate, then the region must pay for your IEE.
• You have a right to have the results of the IEE considered as part of the development of your child's IEP, even if the IEE was not paid for by the region. The results of the IEE can be used as evidence in an impartial hearing regarding your child.
• If you ask the region to pay for the IEE, the region may ask, but may not require you to explain the reason why you object to the region's evaluation.
• The region may not unreasonably delay your request, and should either: provide the IEE; or, ask for an impartial hearing to defend its own evaluation.

Step 4: The Committee for Special Education (CSE) Meeting

What is an Individualized Education Program (IEP)? How is it decided whether my child is eligible for special education services?

Do I have a right to be there? If so, how should I prepare for the meeting?

What is purpose of the Committee for Special Education (CSE) meeting?

What is an Individualized Education Program (IEP)?

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is an extremely important document that is developed during the course of the CSE meeting. The aim of the IEP is to outline a set of special education programs and services that will meet your child's unique needs. Among other things, it tells teachers and school administrators about your child's:

• Disability and how it affects his or her progress in school.
• Current performance in school.
• All the services your child is entitled to receive.
• Annual goals.
• Testing accommodations and modifications.
In this way, the IEP functions as a roadmap for both you and your child's educators to ensure that his or her needs are being met.

How is it decided whether my child is eligible for special education services?

• Eligibility for special education services are determined by the results of your child's individual evaluations. After looking at these evaluations, those present at the CSE meeting will decide whether your child falls within one of 13 classifications.
• Why? This is because, in order to qualify for school-age special education, your child must fall within one of 13 categories of disabilities. This is in contrast to pre-school special education, during which all children are placed within a single classification.
• The decision of the proper classification, if any, will be made during the CSE meeting. If the team determines that the student does not qualify for one of these classifications, he or she will not be eligible to receive special education services.
• The State's definitions for the thirteen classifications are presented in the table below:

Classification	Definition
Autism	ß         A student with a developmental disability, significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction that adversely affects educational performance. ß         Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines and unusual responses to sensory experiences. ß         The term does not apply if a student's educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the student has an emotional disturbance. A student who manifests the characteristics of autism after age 3 could be diagnosed as having autism if the above criteria are otherwise satisfied.
Deaf-Blindness	ß         A student with concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for students with deafness or students with blindness.
Deafness	ß         A student with a hearing impairment that is so severe that the student is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects the student's educational performance.
Hearing Impairment	ß         A student with an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects the student's educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section.
Emotional Disturbance	ß         A student who exhibits one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects the student's educational performance: o       an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. o       an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; o       inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; o       a generally pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or o       a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. ß         The term "emotional disturbance" includes schizophrenia. It does not apply to students who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.
Learning Disability	ß         A student with a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, which manifests itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. ß         The term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. It does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing or motor disabilities; of mental retardation; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage. ß         A student who exhibits a discrepancy of 50 percent or more between expected achievement and actual achievement, determined on an individual basis, shall be deemed to have a learning disability.
Mental Retardation	ß         A student with significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects that student's educational performance.
Multiple Disabilities	ß         A student with concomitant impairments (such as mental retardation-blindness, mental retardation-orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which cause educational needs that cannot be accommodated in a special education program solely for one of the impairments. The term does not include deaf-blindness.
Orthopedic Impairment	ß         A student with a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a student's educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by congenital anomaly (e.g., clubfoot, absence of some member, etc.), impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, etc.), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputation and fractures or burns which cause contractures).
Other Health Impairment	ß         A student with limited strength, vitality or alertness including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that is due to chronic or acute health problems, including but not limited to a heart condition, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, nephritis, asthma, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, epilepsy, lead poisoning, leukemia, diabetes, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or tourette's syndrome, which adversely affects that student's educational performance.
Speech or Language Impairment	ß         A student with a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects that student's educational performance.
Traumatic Brain Injury	ß         A student with an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force or by certain medical conditions such as stroke, encephalitis, aneurysm, anoxia or brain tumors with resulting impairments that adversely affect that student's educational performance. ß         The term includes open or closed head injuries or brain injuries from certain medical conditions resulting in mild, moderate or severe impairments in one or more areas, including cognition, language, memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem solving, sensory, perceptual and motor abilities, psychosocial behavior, physical functions, information processing and speech. ß         The term does not include injuries that are congenital or caused by birth trauma.
Visual Impairment	ß         A student with an impairment in vision including blindness that, even with correction, adversely affects that student's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

Who will attend?

Besides you, several individuals will attend in order to provide a comprehensive picture of your child's needs. Other members of the CSE meeting are people who have a broad range of experience planning for and working with students with disabilities. Together, the team will ensure that the appropriate programs and services are provided to meet your child's unique needs.

Although some members may serve multiple functions, the following individuals must be present:

• A general education teacher, if your child is currently in general education.
• A special education teacher or provider, if your child is currently receiving special education services.
• A representative of the district.
• A school psychologist.
• A school physician, but only if requested by you in writing at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.
• A parent member.
• Your child, if appropriate.

Note that, unless you and the Committee for Special Education (CSE) agree in writing before the CSE meeting, these individuals must be represented at the meeting in some shape or form.

Do I have a right to attend?

You are a critical member of the CSE team that will decide which special education services and programs are right for your child. You know your child better than anyone else and you have valuable information to bring to the discussion. For these reasons, the CSE meeting is very important and you should make every effort to attend. If you cannot attend, you have the right to ask the Committee for Special Education or the School Based Support Team at your child's school to change the time or place of the meeting.

How should I prepare for the meeting?

You are an important part of the CSE team and preparing for the discussion is important to ensure that your child's interests are adequately addressed. In order to get ready for the meeting, you should:

• Obtain copies of your child's evaluations, as well as any related reports. Look them over. You are entitled to receive copies of these reports prior to the CSE meeting.
• Get to know the range of services and programs available.
• Get to know the nature of your child's disability.
• Consider asking anyone who knows your child and may have relevant information to come to the meeting.

Where will it be?

CSE meetings are generally held either at the regional office of the Committee for Special Education or at the site where the child was evaluated.

Step 5: Placement and Provision of Services

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about placement:

How is placement determined?

What does Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mean?

As a parent, can I refuse a placement?

How do I know if a placement is right for my child?

What services and programs are available? My child has been recommended a placement, but hasn't actually been placed yet, what should I do? Are there any time limits? What is a "Nickerson letter"?



How is placement determined?

During the Committee for Special Education (CSE) meeting, a document called an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be put together. The aim of this document is to identify a set of programs and services that will meet your child's unique special education needs. It is based upon all the information garnered in preparation for the meeting, including evaluations, progress reports, and observations.

Based upon the recommendations made in your child's IEP, a Special Education Program Placement Officer (SEPPO) in the NYC Department of Education will locate a placement and send you a letter telling you about the placement. At this point, you have an opportunity to review the placement and decide whether to accept.

Some other principles are important in determining the appropriate placement:
• Your child must be placed in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) that can meet his or her needs. Click here for more information.
• Placements must be as close as possible to your home. Unless it would not meet your child's unique needs, he or she should attend the same school he or she would have if non-disabled.
• The classification your child has been given does not determine what services your child will receive. Your child has a right to be provided with any and all services necessary to meet his or her needs.
• Placements are to be made according to "functional grouping". Click here for more information.
• Federal law provides that placement decisions must be reviewed on an annual basis. Click here for more information about annual reviews.

What does Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mean?

Your child must be placed in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) that can meet his or her unique special education needs. To the greatest extent possible, your child should be educated alongside students who are not disabled and placement in special classes or schools should only occur when necessary to meet your child's educational needs. In the range of services and programs available to your child, general education is considered the least restrictive environment, while hospitalization or residential programs would be considered the most restrictive. Click here to learn more about the range of services available.

As a parent, can I refuse a placement?

As a parent, your consent is required for your child to be placed in a special education program or service. Hopefully, your active participation in the decision-making process during the CSE meeting will ensure that your child is offered an appropriate placement. However, if you disagree with a recommended placement, then you should contact either the Committee for Special Education (CSE) or the Special Education Program Placement Officer (SEPPO) in the NYC Department of Education and request an alternative placement.

How do I know if a placement is right for my child?

There are several ways you can learn about the placement your child has been offered:
• Get to know the school. Obtain the school report card and reviews from www.insideschools.org and http://schools.nyc.gov.
• Determine whether the school is low-performing or in "need of improvement" under a federal law known as the No Child Left Behind Act. Click here.
• In New York City, parents have the added protection provided by a federal lawsuit called "Jose P".
• (1) You are entitled to receive a "class profile" for any placement, a document which describes the social, academic, and management needs of the other children in the offered placement. Examine the "class profile". Your child cannot be placed in any class in which the students are functioning more than 3 years above or below your child's level in any subject area or in which any student is 36+ months older, or younger, than your child.
• (2) After receiving the class profile, you have the right to visit the class before accepting the placement. Visit the recommended placement and speak with the teacher and school administrators.

What services and programs are available?

The following table outlines the range of special education programs and services available to your child. Your child may be placed in one of these or recommended a mix of several services. Please note that the table begins with the least restrictive option and ends with the most restrictive options. Click here to learn what the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) means. To view the Department of Education's Pamphlet on the range of available services, click here.

Service or Program	Description
Supplementary Aids and Services	Within a general education environment, the child is offered assistance, services, and other supports to enable him or her to learn alongside non-disabled students to the greatest extent possible while fulfilling their individual needs. These aids and services may include: ß         Behavior intervention plans ß         Curriculum accommodations, changing how students access information and demonstrate that they have learned the information. ß         Curriculum modifications, changing the way the curriculum is delivered on the instructional level. ß         Individualized supports.
Related Services	Related Services are defined as "developmental, corrective and other support services" that are required to assist students with disabilities so that they can benefit from the lessons that are given to them. Related Services are intended to help your child do the following: Meet the objectives of his or her instructional program Get involved in the general education curriculum Experience success in his or her classroom setting Be educated with non-disabled students who are their peers.   Related services may include but are not limited to: Counseling Hearing educational services Occupational therapy Orientation and mobility Services Physical Therapy School health services Speech/language therapy Vision education services   Has your child been recommended related services but is yet to receive them? Click here for more information about how to obtain these services for your child.
Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS)	With SETSS, students are provided specially designed instruction by a special education teacher. This may be provided either in the general education classroom ("pushing in" services) or at a separate location outside the classroom ("pulling out" services). SETTS is provided in groups of 8 or less for a minimum of 2 hours/week and up to half the school day.
Special Class in an Integrated Setting/Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT)	In this program, the child attends school in an approved program that includes children with and without disabilities. The classroom usually has at least one special education teacher and one paraprofessional. The two teachers collaborate throughout the day, ensuring that the entire class has access to the general education curriculum.   CTT is generally provided full-time, but may be provided less than the entire day, particularly where schools operate by changing classes on a subject-by-subject basis.   Often, however, the case is that the non-disabled students are in actuality students with considerable need for attention and support, but their parents have not consented to special education services.
Special Class in a Community School	In this program, the child attends school in an program that has only students with disabilities. Since this is generally considered a restrictive environment that should be avoided if an alterative exists that will fully meet the childís special needs, they include children with disabilities that cannot be met in the general education environment. The following staffing ratios are available (students:teachers:paraprofessionals): 15:1, 12:1, and 12:1:1.
Special Class in a Specialized School ("District 75 Schools")	District 75 Schools provide instructional services and specialized environments for children with severe disabilities who require greater structure and more intensive learning environments. These schools may be located in separate school buildings or, alternatively, in regular public schools. The following staffing ratios are available (students:teachers:paraprofessionals): 12:1:4, 12:1:1, 8:1:1, and 6:1:1.
State Supported Schools ("4201 Schools")	These schools provide very intensive special education services to children who are deaf, blind, severely emotionally disturbed, or physically disabled. Some of these schools provide 5-day residential care for children requiring 24-hour programming.
Non-Public Schools	If the CSE determines that no public school can meet a childís special needs, it will then attempt to identify a state-approved non-public school. These schools may be day-time or residential facilities:   Day Schools. Non-public day schools serve students for whom, due to the severity and nature of their disabilities, it has been determined that no public facility is available. The student requires structured learning situations or intense supervision with little or no interaction with non-disabled students for academic and non-academic activities. Students appropriate for these day schools may demonstrate a need for: total supervision during activities of daily living intensive practice and reinforcement to sustain their educational gains intensive programming to meet their educational goals and to maintain their educational progress intensive programming to accommodate physical and/or emotional disabilities which interfere with their educational progress   Residential programs are provided for students whose severe educational needs require related and rehabilitative services on a 24 hour basis.  Students appropriate for these settings may demonstrate a need for: total supervision during activities of daily living intensive programming beyond the school day to meet their educational goals and to maintain their educational progress intensive programming to accommodate the physical and emotional disabilities which interfere with their educational progress   These programs are highly restrictive and segregated in nature, providing little or no opportunity for participation with other non-disabled students.  This high level of care is only appropriate for students where the lack of an appropriate public facility for instruction has been documented in detail.  Before considering these programs, the IEP team must determine that appropriate public facilities for instruction are not available and must document these findings.
Home and Hospital Instruction	Provided to children with disabilities who cannot attend school for an extended period of time. These placements are temporary. Home instruction must be provided at least 2 hour/day for high school students and 1 hour/day for all other students.

My child has been recommended a placement, but hasn't actually been placed yet, what should I do?

Please select one of the following:
• My child has not been provided a placement in a special class, program, or residential facility.
• My child has not been provided Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS).
• My child has not been provided a related service.

My child has not been provided a placement in a special class, program, or residential facility

Once you child has been recommended a placement, the Department of Education must act fairly quickly to make sure that placement is actually provided. If it has been either (1) 30 school days since the Committee on Special Education (CSE) meeting or (2) 60 school days from when you consented to your child's evaluations, then the Department of Education must give you what is called a "Nickerson letter" (or a "P-1" letter).

A Nickerson Letter allows you to place your child in an approved non-public school at no expense to you. However, there is little available space in these programs and it may be highly difficult for you to find a spot for your child. Since it is your responsibility to review the list of approved schools and contact them about openings, this may be a difficult and time-consuming process. In the end, having a Nickerson letter does not guarantee your child will find a spot in one of these schools.

My child has not been provided Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS) If your child was recommended Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS) in his or her Individualized Education Program (IEP), and it has been either (1) 30 school days since the Committee on Special Education (CSE) meeting or (2) 60 school days from when you consented to your child's evaluations, and you child still has not received these services, then the Department of Education must issue you what is called a "P-3" letter. This letter provides that the Department of Education will pay for individual tutoring for your child.

Step 6: Annual Reviews

Each year, your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP) should be reviewed to determine whether the child is making progress. This process parallels that of the initial Committee for Special Education (CSE) meeting. If the team determines that your child requires special education services and programs, then a new IEP will be written and an appropriate placement will be located.

A CSE Review meeting may also be held at any time at the request of a parent, caseworker, or other service provider if concerns arise regarding the adequacy of the existing IEP.