Placement

Placement of Students

Before a student can be placed in a special education program and provided services, the multidisciplinary evaluation team (MDT) must verify that the student meets the criteria and the parents of the student must agree to the placement. Students cannot be placed in special education programs unless both the disability has been verified and written permission has been obtained from parents. If the parents do not agree to the placement, the school may seek a hearing to obtain an order for placement. The same requirements apply to both initial placement and future changes in the educational placement.

When making a decision about where to place a student and what types of services to offer, a school must:

1. Use information from a variety of sources, including aptitiude and achievement tests, teacher recommendations, physical condition, social or cultural background, and adaptive behavior;
2. Ensure that information obtained from all of these sources are documented and carefully considered;
3. Ensure that the placement decision is made by a group of persons, including persons knowledgeable about the child, the meaning of the evaluation data, and the placement options; and
4. Ensure that the placement decision is made in conformity with the least restrictive environment rules.

If the school determines that a child has a disability and needs special education and related services, they must develop an individualized education program (IEP) for the child. To read more about the specific requirements schools must meet when placing students, please refer to Rule 51, Section 008.02.

Identification Procedures
Referral
SAT
MDT
Evaluation Procedures
Reevaluation
The Process of Special Education