Best Practices for Implementing Section 504 Dr Elissa

Best Practices for Implementing Section § 504 Dr. Elissa Brown Director, Section § 504 NC Department of Public Instruction ebrown@dpi. state. nc. us 0

Section § 504: AGENDA Authority Definition/Who is covered Processes & Procedures IHP, 504, IEP Team Members Accommodations Best Practices

§ 504: Authority OCR is the administrative authority to enforce § 504 (1973; ADAAA 2008) State departments of public instruction have no enforcement authority for issues arising under § 504 LEAs must identify the person responsible for ensuring compliance § 504 provides procedural safeguards

Who is covered? To be protected, a student must be determined to: 1 2 3 Have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities ; or Have a record of such an impairment; or Be regarded as having such an impairment 34 CFR § 104. 3(j)

Drill down deeper (1 st prong) Have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (this generally creates the catalyst for referral for Section 504 plan) A physical or mental impairment That substantially limits One or more major life activities or major bodily function

Substantial Limitation …is the inability to perform a major life activity or major bodily function when compared to how the person in the general population performs the same major life activity or major bodily function

Major Life Activities …means functions such as caring for one’s self; performing manual tasks; walking; seeing; hearing; speaking; breathing; learning; or working ADAAA 08 added…reading, concentrating, thinking, sleeping, eating, lifting, bending, communicating, and the operation of a major bodily function such as the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder functions

§ 504 Intent The question of whether an individual’s impairment is a disability under the ADA should not demand extensive analysis

Did you know… An impairment in and of itself is not a disability. The impairment must substantially limit one or more major life activities in order to be considered a disability under§ 504

Cultural, Economic, & Environmental Factors …. three parts of definition specifies physical and mental disabilities…thus, cultural, economic, and environmental factors are not themselves covered. Such as… -Homeless -Migrant -Poverty -Divorce -ESL -Military deployment -Attendance problems -Death or other family crisis

Annual Notice of Nondiscrimination • A recipient that employs 15 or more people • Initial and continuing steps to notify participants, beneficiaries, applicants, and employees • Does not discriminate in admission or access • Shall identify the official responsible for ensuring compliance • Multiple methods of dissemination • If the service area contains limited English language, public notifications must be disseminated in native language

Annual Notice Scenerio: What’s missing? In compliance with Federal Law, Best Bet Schools administers all education programs, employment, and admissions with out discrimination against any person on the basis of gender, race, or religion

Child Find A public elementary or secondary education program shall annually: Undertake to identify and locate every qualified handicapped person residing in the recipient’s jurisdiction who is not receiving a public education; and Take appropriate steps to notify handicapped persons and their parents/guardians of the recipient’s duty under this subpart

Clarifying terms and degrees of impairment/disability Temporary impairment Individual Health Plan (IHP) Section 504 Individual Education Plan (IEP)

Temporary Impairment A temporary impairment does not constitute a disability for purposes of Section 504, unless its severity is such that it substantial limits a major life activity for an extended period of time Case-by-case basis Consideration of 1) duration of impairment and 2)extent to which it limits major life activity

Side-by-Side: IDEA and § 504 IDEA SECTION 504 Funding Statute Non-funding statute Discrete categories of disabilities Broadly defines disabled children Procedural Due Process “Pure” Section 504 children are not covered under IDEA All IDEA children are covered by Section 504 IEP’s reasonably calculated to convey educational benefit Meet the needs of the disabled students as adequately as nondisabled Child Find Consent for Evaluation

Side-by-Side: IDEA and § 504 IDEA SECTION 504 Evaluation Eligibility-Adversely Affects Eligibility-Substantial Limitation Annual Review No Annual Review (mandated) LRE Consent for Placement No consent for placement Special Education Accommodations Re-evaluation Discipline-Manifestation

Individual Health Plan (IHP) Responsibility of School Nurse to develop State policy (not federal statute) Each LEA shall make available a registered nurse for assessment, care planning, and on-going evaluation of students with special health care service needs

IHP; Section 504; IEP With a partner or small group: Discuss the similarities and differences between an Individual Health Plan (IHP), a Section 504 Plan, and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) When would you choose one or the other? When is an IHP enough and when do you need a 504?

Did you know…. Q: How should the school respond if parents reject IDEA eligibility and demand a 504 plan? A: Parents may not reject the IDEA services and then expect the school to develop a 504 plan. A rejection of services under the IDEA amounts to a rejection of FAPE under Section 504.

Did you know… A 504 plan is not legally sufficient to substitute for an IEP. IDEA sets out specific requirements for the development and content of a student’s IEP

Section 504 Plans & IEPs Section 504 eligibility is not a consolation prize for students who do not qualify for special education (Zirkel, P. Lehigh University) IDEA regulations do not allow a 504 plan to substitute for an IEP. The IDEA and its regulations set out specific requirements for the development and content of a student’s IEP. (Letter to Morse, OSEP: 10 -03 -03)

Consent for Evaluation: 504 Must have parent consent for evaluation but not required to have parent consent for services

Eligibility Procedures Must draw upon information from a variety of sources Document and carefully consider all information, including any new data Team decides…group should be knowledgeable about condition, student, context, capacity LRE appropriate to learner

Accommodation Plan Evaluation drawn from a variety of sources-traditional and nontraditional sources (including aptitude/achievement measures, medical documentation, psychological evaluations, curriculum -based, teacher anecdoctal notes, etc. ) Developed in accordance to LEA procedures

Accommodation Plan Reviewed (best practice annually) as appropriate (frequently as needed) Documented and coherent Includes supplemental aides, related services, field trips, recess, lunch, clubs, athletics Written by the team, communicated & disseminated Procedures should be in place to monitoring plan implementation

Team Members (Multi-disciplinary committee) Speech, OT, PT, child nutrition-match to child’s documented needs General Educator(s) School Nurse School Counselor Administrative personnel Parent, Student, Advocate Persons knowledgeable about child, meaning of data, placement options

Implementation General education teachers must implement the provisions of the Section 504 plans when those plans govern the teachers’ treatment of students for whom they are responsible. If the teachers fail to implement the plan, it can cause the LEA to be in noncompliance If teachers do not implement the § 504, the majority of times, it is a miscommunication issue

State Testing Accommodations Use NCWISE “testing accommodations chart” form www. ncpublicschools. org/accountability/policies. tswd Accommodations that are listed on Section 504 Plan must be used routinely in classroom instruction, classroom assessments, and on state assessments

Procedural Safeguards Notice to parent with accompanying documents Re-evaluation before a significant change in placement Grievance procedures Designation of employee responsible for compliance Public notice of nondiscrimination policy

Procedural Safeguards (cont. ) Parents rights to review educational records, appeal any decision regarding evaluation and placement through an impartial hearing

Discussion questions Discuss how your LEA does the following: What processes are in place for transfer students? What constitute reasonable services under 504? What procedures are in place for 504 re-evaluation? What procedures are in place to monitor plan implementation?

Best Practices Annual Review Parent, student, professional that matches need (eg Child Nutrition) at team meeting Consent for placement Multiple sources of data Instructional and testing accommodations match More detail is better than not enough detail

Best Practices Be proactive-provide accommodations listed in the Section 504 plan; don’t wait for a student to request them Delineate roles and responsibilities for services as well as disability discrimination complaints Do not use learning as the only gauge of § 504 eligibility Update forms

Section 504 Resources http: //www. uwsp. edu/education/pshaw/Portfolios/K IM%20 MEISSEN/inetpub/SOEportfolio/504 resources. html www. eeoc. gov http: //wrightslaw. com/ http: //www 2. ed. gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504 faq. ht ml LRP. com

Future Directions Create state guidance document Facilitate professional development Create process through NCWISE to collect annual reporting data (headcount and/or accommodations) Testing Accommodations Chart-accountability www. ncpublicschools. org/accountability/policies. tswd Continue collaboration between and among agencies (Child Nutrition, Exceptional Children, School Nurses, etc)