resources
Special Services
Identification of English Language Learners (ELL) Coordinator
Katherine Young
1117 S. Douglas Blvd, Suite F
Midwest City, OK 73130
kyoung@okvirtual.org
405.259.9478 ext. 2173
As part of the enrollment process, all parents provide home language survey answers to indicate if a child speaks another language or first learned another language to determine if the student needs to receive English language services and supports.
Identification of Section 540 Coordinator
Jill Wallace
1117 S. Douglas Blvd, Suite F
Midwest City, OK 73130
jwallace@okvirtual.org
405.259.9478 ext. 2058
Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination based on disability. Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as that of the non-disabled.
Identification of Homeless Coordinator
Raeshelle Sharpnack, MA
1117 S. Douglas Blvd, Suite F
Midwest City, OK 73130
rsharpnack@okvirtual.org
405.259.9478 ext. 2140
McKinney-Vento Act
OVCA provides McKinney-Vento/homeless assistance and support for eligible families. The McKinney-Vento Act defines "homeless children and youth" as:
(A) Individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and
(B) Includes:
1. Children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;
2. Children and youths who have a primary night-time residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
3. Children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
4. Migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).
Children and youth are considered homeless if they fit both part A and any one of the subparts of part B of the definition above.
Identification of Foster Care Coordinator
Raeshelle Sharpnack, MA
1117 S. Douglas Blvd, Suite F
Midwest City, OK 73130
rsharpnack@okvirtual.org
405.259.9478 ext. 2140
Under the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), OVCA shall identify all students in foster care, have a foster care plan developed, and collaborate with the Child Welfare Agency and Tribal Child Welfare Agencies (CWA) to implement Title I educational stability provisions.
Identification of Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Compliance Act Coordinator/Special Programs Manager
Katherine Young
1117 S. Douglas Blvd, Suite F
Midwest City, OK 73130
kyoung@okvirtual.org
405.259.9478 ext. 2173
Request for Parent/Guardian Interpreter Services or Disability Accommodations
Professional interpreter services may be requested at any time for parents/guardians of students with disabilities by contacting Katherine Young at kyoung@okvirtual.org.
Additionally, if any parent/guardian has a disability or other limitation that would impact their ability to participate fully in their child's educational planning process, OVCA would be happy to discuss accommodations that may be available to maximize the parent/guardian's participation. Individuals seeking to discuss accommodations for this reason may contact Katherine Young at kyoung@okvirtual.org.
Child Find
All public schools are mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) to identify, locate, and evaluate students who may demonstrate disabilities through the Child Find process. The intent of Child Find is that all children with disabilities, ages 3–21, are located, identified, and evaluated in order to receive needed supports and services.
As a public school, OVCA provides a Free Appropriate Public Education to children ages 3–21, including those children who qualify for special education services unless the parent refuses special education services. In order for a child to receive intervention or special education services, an evaluation must be conducted to confirm the presence of a delay or disability.
OVCA provides specialized programming through specially trained teachers to provide education-related services for children with disabilities. Supports are provided in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), and range from mild and moderate to significantly more involved supports, for each of the following disabilities as defined by the state of Oklahoma:
Autism
Developmental delay
Deaf-blindness
Emotional disturbance
Hearing impairment, including deafness
Intellectual disabilities
Multiple disabilities
Orthopedic impairments
Other health impairments
Specific learning disability
Speech or language impairment
Traumatic brain injury
Visual impairment including blindness
If through Child Find activities, a child is identified as possibly having a disability and needing special education services, OVCA will seek parent consent to evaluate the child. All such evaluations will be conducted in compliance with applicable federal and state law and regulations. Parents must report that their child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) during the enrollment process. Please contact OVCA Special Services to report students who may need these specialized educational and/or related services.
Consent
OVCA cannot proceed with an evaluation, or with the initial provision of special education and related services, without the written consent of a student's parents/legal guardians. For additional information related to consent, please refer to the Procedural Safeguards Notice [PDF].
Once written parental/guardian consent is obtained, OVCA will proceed with the evaluation process. If the parent disagrees with the evaluation results, the parent can request an independent education evaluation at public expense.
Special Education (IEP) or Service Agreements (504 Plans)
Once the evaluation process is completed, a team of qualified school personnel, parents/guardians, and other relevant service providers hold an evaluation determination meeting to come to agreement on whether the student meets eligibility for one of the disability categories under IDEA.
View the Oklahoma Department of Education's Special Education Handbook for information about eligibility criteria associated with the disability categories defined under IDE+D21A.
If the student is eligible and requires specially designed instruction, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) will be coordinated; during which the IEP team will review and finalize the proposed details of an appropriate educational program to meet the student's documented needs.
For students confirmed to present with special education needs, once the IEP team agrees on the IEP and the student's educational placement, a prior written notice (PWN) will be sent to the parent/guardian for signature. This must be signed and returned to OVCA. OVCA can only proceed with implementing the student's IEP (or 504 Plan) upon receipt of the signed PWN. Some students are found to present with one or more disability, but do not meet the eligibility criteria outlined under IDEA (special education); however, their disability may still require OVCA to develop a 504 Service Agreement (504 Plan) to outline the special provisions a student may require for adaptations and/or accommodations in school-based instruction, facilities, and/or activities.
Students may be eligible to certain accommodations or services if they have a mental or physical disability that substantially limits or prohibits participation in or access to an aspect of the school program and otherwise qualify under the applicable laws. OVCA will ensure that qualified students with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate in the school program and activities to the maximum extent appropriate for each individual student. In compliance with applicable state and federal laws, OVCA will provide students with disabilities the necessary educational services and supports they require to access and benefit from their educational program. This is to be done without discrimination or out-of-pocket cost to the student or family for the essential supplementary aids, services, or accommodations determined to provide equal opportunity to participate in and obtain the benefits of the school program and extracurricular activities to the maximum extent appropriate to the student's abilities and to the extent required by the laws.
View the Oklahoma Department of Education's Special Education Handbook for information related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Parents/Guardians have the right to revoke consent for services after initial placement. Please note, a revocation of consent removes the student from ALL special services and supports outlined on their IEP or 504 Plan. To learn more, view the Oklahoma Department of Education's Special Education Handbook.
Privacy and Confidentiality (FERPA)
To maintain privacy of students' special education records, both within its central office and across school systems and databases, OVCA follows protocols consistent with the federal regulations associated with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Visit the U.S. Department of Education website for an inclusive list of FERPA rights.
Notice of these rights is available, upon request, on audiotape, in Braille, and in languages other than English. Should you need further assistance or information regarding any of these accommodations, please contact Danielle Shaw at dashaw@okvirtual.org or any member of your child's OVCA team for guidance.
Special Education Grievances or Disputes
OVCA recognizes that despite best intentions of all parties, disagreements or miscommunications may arise between OVCA's team and OVCA families or students. Should this occur, OVCA's special education case manager will initiate an IEP team discussion to fully address any educational concerns most appropriate for the student. Collaboration is a primary focus for this type of meeting. OVCA's special education team seeks to establish and maintain their families' confidence by serving their students to maximize their educational success.
Dispute Resolution Options
IEP Facilitation—IEP facilitation is a voluntary process that can be used when all parties at an IEP meeting agree the presence of a neutral third party would help facilitate communication and the successful drafting of the student's IEP. This process is not necessary for most IEP meetings. Rather, it is used most often when the participants sense the issues at the IEP meeting are creating an impasse or acrimonious climate.
Mediation—A voluntary process in which both parties seek to resolve issues with an unbiased, third-party mediator from the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE). The mediator will write up the details of the agreement the parties reach through the mediation conference, both parties sign the agreement, and the agreement is mandated to be implemented. This process is less time-consuming, stressful, and expensive than a due process hearing (see below).
Formal Due Process
Families are NOT obligated to pursue the above alternatives to due process should they feel their concerns can only be resolved through a formal due process hearing. If a formal complaint against OVCA is submitted to the OSDE, the complaint must be written and include a statement that the local education agency (LEA) has violated a requirement under IDEA, Part B; the facts on which the statement is based; and the signature of the person(s) filing the complaint.
Learn more about a formal due process hearing.
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Special Education Services
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard, Suite 412
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Phone: 405.521.3351
Fax: 405.522.3503
Rights of Parents with a Special Needs Child
Parent Rights and Procedural Safeguards
Parents and guardians of children eligible for or currently receiving special education services have certain rights according to state and federal laws. For more information, view the OSDE Parent Rights in Special Education: Notice of Procedural Safeguards.
Parent Revocation of Consent for Services Under the IDEA
The parent of a child with a disability who receives special education and/or related services under the IDEA may submit a written request to the district revoking consent for the continued provision of those services. Upon receipt of the written revocation request, OVCA will follow a procedure consistent with legal requirements to terminate all of the child's special education and related services and identify the child as a general education student for all purposes.
Annual Public Notice of Special Services and Programs
In accordance with federal and state regulations, OVCA will provide an annual public notice to families informing them of OVCA's Child Find responsibilities, procedures involved in the identification of educational disabilities, and determination of students' service and support needs.
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Oklahoma State School Report Cards
Under the ESSA, beginning with information from the 2017–2018 school year, report cards must be posted annually on district websites. (ESEA section 1111(h) (1) (A), (B)(iii) and (h)(2)(A), (B)(iii).) At the core of the Oklahoma school report cards is the belief that all students can grow, and all schools can improve. While no student report card tells the full story of a child, no school report card tells the full story of a school. Education is far more than a single score or letter grade, but it is important that families and communities can see both strengths and areas that need support and improvement. View Oklahoma school report cards.
