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Pupil personnel services outlines special-education procedures, MTSS plans and nonpublic consultations
Summary
The district’s assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services described updates to IEP procedures, timelines for parent requests, consultation with nonpublic schools, and plans to implement a multi-tiered system of support focused on literacy and social-emotional needs.
The East Ramapo Office of Pupil Personnel Services presented a multi-part update on special education procedures, professional development and a district plan to implement a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) focused on literacy and social-emotional outcomes.
Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services Miss Marconi listed staff members and described the range of providers the department supervises, from special-education teachers and speech-language providers to occupational therapists, social workers and assistive-technology specialists. She said special education is a set of services defined by state regulations (Part 200) and explained that eligibility depends on a disability that prevents a student from benefiting from general education without supports.
Marconi said the department is updating Committee on Special Education (CSE) and CPSC procedures for preschool and school-age students, developing clearer processes for referrals and reevaluations, and will engage in consultations with nonpublic schools about child-find responsibilities, use of federal funds and special transportation.
On timelines, Marconi said parent requests for special-education services must be received in writing by June 1 for the preceding school year; she and board members then discussed transportation deadlines. A board member cited an April 1 deadline in education law for transportation; Marconi said the department will aim to complete nonpublic IEPs ahead of April 1 to give families time to request transportation, and that some IEPs are not finalized until September because of timing of evaluations and classifications.
Marconi also described professional development provided this year, including training on special-education law, IEP meeting protocols, behavior assessment and progress monitoring. She said the district is partnering with the MTSS Integrated Center at SUNY Albany and is focusing on a literacy-first instructional approach, noting COVID-related learning loss and an “upside-down triangle” scenario in which many students need core supports.
Why it matters: special-education procedural clarity and MTSS implementation affect timelines for services, transportation and federal-funding allocation to both public and nonpublic students. The board did not vote on procedure changes at the meeting but was briefed on planned steps.
