Exceptional Education

As the Interim Executive Director of Exceptional Education, I want to welcome you to the DeKalb County School District. Please know that the Exceptional Education Department is committed to providing the most appropriate educational programs for your child.

We have a dedicated team of professionals to assist you. As part of this dedicated team, I am pleased to introduce you to our Parent Mentors: Alexandra Wright and Demetra Williams. Their contact information is found on the this website and on the Parent Mentor website at http://www.parentmentors.org. Select Our Mentors, Find a Mentor and choose DeKalb County.

Parent mentors work to build effective family, school, and community partnerships that lead to greater achievement for students, especially those with disabilities. At the school, district and state levels, these partnerships are essential to the success of parent mentors and ultimately to the enhanced outcomes for students and their families.

Parent mentors partner with parents to support them in becoming more engaged in their children’s educational programs. They share information, encourage participation in IEP meetings, and help identify needed resources and services. In schools, parent mentors partner with teachers, administrators, and other school staff to integrate family engagement into school and district. They are here to help and encourage you to reach out.

Thank you in advance for your continued support and interest.

Regards,

Mrs. Michele Summerlin
Interim Executive Director

Who are Parents Mentors?

What do Parent Mentors do?

• assist families and educators in locating information and resources
• provide workshops for parents and educators
• provide confidential support for parental concerns and questions
• provide a parent’s perspective to educators

Special Education Services and Supports: The GaDOE Division for Special Education Services and Supports includes programs and services that support local school districts in their efforts to provide special education and related services to students with disabilities.

Parents’ Rights: GaDOE webpage containing Parents’ Rights, Parents’ Rights videos (in English and Spanish), and Parent Information Fact Sheets.

Parent Information Fact Sheets: GaDOE webpage containing fact sheets on a variety of topics, from assistive technology and discipline to making sure your preschooler starts on a path towards high school graduation. These fact sheets are also available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish Vietnamese.

Parent to Parent of Georgia: Parent to Parent of Georgia offers a variety of services to Georgia families impacted by disabilities or special healthcare needs.

Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership: The Parent Mentor Partnership was founded in 2002 when six school districts partnered with the Georgia Department of Education Division for Special Education Services and Supports to hire parent mentors to infuse family engagement into school and district activities. Mentors provide information to parents of students with disabilities to assist them in navigating the special education system and in identifying activities that could help improve outcomes for their children.

Student Success: Imagine the Possibilities: The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has required that each State Educational Agency (SEA) develop a State Systemic Improvement Plan that includes a comprehensive, multi-year focus on improving results for Students with Disabilities! Each state must develop a plan that will outline the development of strategies to increase state capacity to structure and lead meaningful change in Local Educational Agencies (LEAs). While the primary focus of the plan is on improvement for Students with Disabilities, the State must also address in its SSIP how the State will use its general supervision systems to improve implementation of the requirements of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Georgia will implement a systemic plan, “Student Success,” in FY16 to improve graduation outcomes for Students with Disabilities.

Dispute Resolution: There are several ways to come to a resolution in a dispute with the district over the rights and services afforded to students with disabilities and their families. The quickest and most efficient method is to contact the Executive Director for Special Education. The Executive Director can often assist a family to work out the differences with minimal time and conflict. When a resolution cannot be worked out locally, there are processes guaranteed to families of students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These include (1) formal complaints, (2) mediation and/or (3) a due process hearing.

What is IEP Team Meeting Facilitation?
IEP Team Meeting Facilitation is a collaborative dispute prevention and resolution process used when members of an IEP Team agree that the presence of a third party would help facilitate communication and problem solving. IEP Team Meeting Facilitation can be especially useful when there is a history of communication challenges or a meeting is expected to be particularly complex or controversial.

In a facilitated IEP Team meeting, an impartial facilitator helps to keep members of the IEP Team focused on the development of the IEP while addressing conflicts and disagreements that may arise during the meeting. At the meeting, the facilitator will use communication skills that create an environment in which the IEP Team members can listen to each member’s point of view and work together to complete the development of a high quality IEP.

• IEP Facilitation Parent Guide – English
• IEP Facilitation Parent Guide – Spanish
• Facilitated IEP (FIEP) Promotional Flyer 1
• FIEP Promotional Flyer 1 – Spanish
• Facilitated IEP (FIEP) Promotional Flyer 2
• FIEP Promotional Flyer 2 – Spanish
• IEP Request Form – DeKalb

Public school services include screening in the area of suspected disabilities, such as hearing, motor skills, communication, and general development. Evaluations target the “whole child,” including learning disabilities, speech and language development, physical impairments, vision or hearing problems, mental retardation, emotional disturbances, autism/pervasive developmental disorders, traumatic brain injuries or other health problems.

We offer a full continuum of services for all eligible students enrolled in the DeKalb County School District and for those students who are home schooled or enrolled in a private or parochial school located within the District’s boundaries. Services are provided at no cost to the family.