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Program for Exceptional Students (PES)

Welcome to the Program for Exceptional Students (PES).

Guided by our core framework values of Professionalism, Efficiency, and Stewardship, we are committed to providing high-quality, compliant special education services that support the success of students with disabilities.

This page serves as your central hub for important announcements, resources, guidance, and updates designed to support our schools, staff, students, families, and community partners.

 

Resources

                              Mrs. LaChrista Thornton, Executive Director

What is the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program?

Senate Bill 10, as signed into law on May 18, 2007, created the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) Program. It allows parents of students who receive special education services to choose to transfer their child to another school, public school system, state school, or authorized participating private school.

As long as it is authorized in State law and funded by the Georgia General Assembly, the GSNS Program will be available. Parents/guardians can find out more about the program by visiting the GSNS webpage at http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/Policy/Pages/Special-Needs-Scholarship-Program.aspx. Scholarship amounts for the 2018-2019 school year will be available on the Georgia Department of Education web page by mid-July 2018.

Which students are eligible for the GSNS Program?

A student must meet the following eligibility requirements to participate in the GSNS Program during the school year:

  • Student Eligibility Criteria 1: A student must have a parent/guardian who currently lives in Georgia and has been a resident for at least one calendar year.
  • Student Eligibility Criteria 2: A student was enrolled and completed the prior school year in a Georgia public school in grades kindergarten through twelfth.
  • Student Eligibility Criteria 3: A student was reported attending a Georgia public school by a school district(s) during mandatory student counts conducted in October and March.
  • Student Eligibility Criteria 4: A student does not need to have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the entire school year to qualify for the GSNS Program. A student must have received special education services at some point during the prior school year through an IEP. A student must be reported by a school district(s) in either the October OR March student counts of that year OR in final student record as a student receiving special education services by the end of that school year.

What options are available to an eligible student under the GSNS Program?

If a student meets the eligibility criteria for the GSNS Program, the parent(s)/guardian(s) has the right to request a transfer from a student’s current public school to:

  • Another public school within their school system; or
  • Another public school outside their school system; or
  • One of the three State schools for the blind or deaf; or
  • A private school authorized to participate in the GSNS Program.

Does the law provide parent(s)/guardian(s) the choice of which public school a child attend within a system regardless of attendance zone as long as the school has the capacity and offers a program aligned with a student's IEP?

Yes, students who meet the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship eligibility criteria in law, now have greater public choice options available to them. Parent(s)/guardian(s) may request a public school within or outside their local school system.

The authority to allow or deny transfer requests belongs to a school system. School systems can create their own forms and set deadlines for transfer requests. Parents/guardians must contact a school system directly regarding the process the school system uses for public school transfer requests available through the GSNS Program. Many school systems have policies in place not to accept students from outside its system which is allowable through state law.

Why does the law of GSNS Program state that the acceptance of Georgia Special Needs Scholarship shall have the same effect as a parental refusal to consent the services pursuant to the individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)?

IDEA is a federal law that requires public schools to provide all children with disabilities a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). If you choose to remove your child from the public school—even if the state is providing some funds for the private school— then you are refusing parental consent to services under IDEA. Therefore, a private school is not required to provide the same services required of public schools. If you decide to return your child to a public school, your child would again be entitled to all rights and services pursuant to IDEA as long as the child remains eligible to receive services through an IEP.

Georgia Special Needs Scholarships - Section 504

November 2022

As a parent of a 504-eligible student in the Muscogee County School District, this letter serves to inform you about your options to exercise public and private school choice. Under a state law passed by the Georgia State Legislature in 2007 (SB10) and a revision passed in 2021 (SB47), parents of students who receive special education and students who receive services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 may choose, if eligibility criteria are met, to transfer their child to another public school within their district of residence, another public school outside their
district of residence, one of the state schools for deaf or blind operated by the state board of education, or a private school authorized to participate in the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS).

The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) Program (also known as Senate Bill 10 on the District’s School Choice website) is a school choice program available for special needs students attending Georgia public schools who are served under an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan. It is important to note that the application process is online, and selection is via lottery and based upon seat availability only.

Parents are encouraged to review the many documents available on the Georgia Department of Education website for more information about GSNS.

For 504-eligible students to qualify for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program, the student must meet all three requirements:

Student Criteria 1 – A student must have a parent who currently resides in Georgia and has been a Georgia resident for at least one calendar year, however, the one-year requirement shall not apply if the student’s parent is an active-duty military service member stationed in Georgia within the previous year; AND

Student Criteria 2 – The student had a 504 plan in effect during the 2021-2022 school year relating to one or more of the conditions below:

  1. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Attention deficit disorder (ADD);
  2. Autism spectrum disorder;
  3. Bipolar disorder;
  4. Cancer;
  5. Cerebral palsy;
  6. Cystic fibrosis;
  7. Deafness;
  8. Down syndrome;
  9. Drug or alcohol abuse;
  10. Dual sensory impairment;
  11. Dyslexia;
  12. Emotional or behavioral disorder;
  13. Epilepsy;
  14. Hearing impairment;
  15. Intellectual disability;
  16. Muscular dystrophy
  17. Specific learning disability;
  18. Spina bifida;
  19. Traumatic brain injury
  20. Visual impairment; or
  21. Any rare disease identified by the National Institutes of Health’s Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center’s list of rare disease disorders; AND

Student Criteria 3 – The student spent the prior school year in attendance at a Georgia public school. Prior school year in attendance means that the student was enrolled and reported by a public school system or school systems for funding purposes at the time of both FTE program counts, conducted each school year in October and March. See OCGA 20-2-2112 (5)

Prior school year in attendance shall not apply if:

      • The student’s parent is an active-duty military service member stationed in Georgia within the previous year; OR
      • The student has been adopted or placed in a permanent guardianship from foster care pursuant to an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction within the previous year; OR
      • The student previously qualified for a scholarship as provided in state law.

*Please note that previously qualified only waives the prior school year in attendance provision, all other requirements including having a 504 Plan during the previous school year and enrollment in a public school are still in effect

SECTION 504 PLAN APPLICATION PROCESS

The changes to Code Section 20-2-2114 (via SB 47) requires verification that a student who qualifies for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship through a Section 504 Plan has met the eligibility requirements. Parents who believe their student is eligible for Section 504 Plan GSNS
award must visit the GaDOE’s website to access the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Calculator.

If a student meets the eligibility criteria for the GSNS Program, a parent has the right to request a transfer from a student’s current public school to:

        • Another public school within their district of residence. In the DCSD, this type of transfer request is addressed during the School Choice Open Enrollment period (DCSD Application Window is January 10, 2023 – February 6, 2023); or
        • Another public school district outside their district of residence; (see website above for more information) or
        • One of the state schools for the blind or deaf operated by the state board of education; or
        • A private school authorized to participate in the GSNS Program (see GaDOE website for more information).

Parents may make requests for schools both in the district of residence and outside of the district of residence at the same time. Funds received through the GSNS Program can only be used to offset tuition and fees at a private school authorized by the State Board of Education to participate in the program. Funds cannot be used to offset the costs of out-of-district tuition, charter schools, or other options available under public school choice.

The GSNS application can also be accessed through the Muscogee school District Website.

A parent/guardian of a student eligible for the GSNS Program has three opportunities during a school year to transfer an eligible student from a public school to an authorized private school by the following dates for the qualifying school year:

        1. September 15th of each year- NO FILING OF INTENT FORM REQUIRED.
        2. December 15th of each year – Filing of intent form required (see the GaDOE website for the form).
        3. March 4th of each year- Filing of intent form required.

A parent/guardian of a student eligible for the GSNS Program must file the Intent to File for Scholarship application with the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) by 12 noon on December 15th of each year or March 4th of each year, if a parent/guardian intends to have a student participate in the private school choice option. Forms will not be accepted after these dates.

 

  • The number of youth age 21 and under at the Jail previously identified as IDEA eligible: 56

  • The number of youth age 21 or under at the Jail suspected of having a qualifying disability under the IDEA and referred for an initial evaluation: 1

  • The number of youth age 21 or under evaluated or reevaluated for special education services: 9

  • The number of youth age 21 and under at the Jail who were provided an IEP meeting and had an IEP developed: 17

  • The number of youth provided with FAPE: 19 (12 students revoked consent for services)

  • The number of due process complaints, mediation requests, state complaints, and OCR complaints filed by youth at the Jail: 0

  • The number of impartial due process hearings involving youth age 21 and under at the Jail: 0

  • The number of youth age 21 and under at the Jail previously identified as IDEA eligible: 56

  • The number of youth age 21 or under at the Jail suspected of having a qualifying disability under the IDEA and referred for an initial evaluation: 1

  • The number of youth age 21 or under evaluated or reevaluated for special education services: 9

  • The number of youth age 21 and under at the Jail who were provided an IEP meeting and had an IEP developed: 17

  • The number of youth provided with FAPE: 19 (12 students revoked consent for services)

  • The number of due process complaints, mediation requests, state complaints, and OCR complaints filed by youth at the Jail: 0

  • The number of impartial due process hearings involving youth age 21 and under at the Jail: 0

Do you know a child who may have a disability? Can The Child Find help?

Have you heard of the Child Find mandate? It’s a legal requirement for our District to find children who have disabilities, or who may be suspected of having disabilities, and are in need of special education services.

Child Find is a federally established, comprehensive system designed to ensure that all children with a disability receive a free appropriate public education. The DeKalb County School District maintains an active and continuing Child Find program designed to identify, locate and evaluate those children residing within the District’s boundaries who may be in need of special education and related services.

Do you know a child who may have a disability? Can The Child Find help?

Have you heard of the Child Find mandate? It’s a legal requirement for our District to find children who have disabilities, or who may be suspected of having disabilities, and are in need of special education services.

Child Find is a federally established, comprehensive system designed to ensure that all children with a disability receive a free appropriate public education. The Muscogee County School District maintains an active and continuing Child Find program designed to identify, locate and evaluate those children residing within the District’s boundaries who may be in need of special education and related services.     

Who's covered by Child Find?

Children with disabilities from birth through age 21 are covered by Child Find. These children may be enrolled in a Muscogee County school, attend a preschool, Head Start or day care center, or attend a private or parochial school located within the District’s boundaries. Children who are home schooled, highly mobile, migrant, or homeless are also covered by Child Find.

Who provides Child Find services?

The Muscogee School District offers comprehensive special education services to eligible students ages three through 21 years. Children from birth to age three with developmental delays or disabilities will be referred to Babies Can’t Wait, Georgia’s early intervention program for infants and toddlers.

Who can make a referral?

A referral can be made by anyone who has a concern about a child’s development. All referrals are considered confidential and the parent retains the right to refuse to provide consent for an evaluation.

What kind of help is available?

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 Muscogee 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.

Contact Us

If you know of a child you suspect may have a disability, please urge his or her parents to contact:

  • The local school for school-aged children,
  • The Preschool Diagnostics Team at  706-748-2103 for three- and four-year-old children, or
  • The Special Education Department at 706-748-3261.

 

To receive a copy of the student’s record, a written request with the signature of the parent(s), legal guardian(s), or student (if eighteen years or older) is needed to release records. A trained surrogate parent assigned by the special education department may also sign the request. The request should include the address and phone number of the person requesting the record. The request should be forwarded to the special education records office by mail or fax.

Contact Information

Records Management
180 NorthStar Drive
Columbus, GA 31907
706-748-2382
706-748-2385 Fax     

Danielle Miller, Manager     
180 NorthStar Drive 
Columbus, GA 31907
706-748-2377

 

Transition is the movement from school to post-school environments. It should include the skills necessary for the student to be successful in education, employment, and independent living after the completion of high school. The student should be involved in the process and decisions for their future and schools should assist students to build student’s self-determination skills to reach their goals.

GADOE Site

Transition Manual

Parent Newsletter

2024

In collaboration with the Georgia State Department of Education, the Muscogee County School District’s Department of Exceptional Education will conduct a 2024 parent satisfaction survey for parents and guardians of students with disabilities.  As always, our goal is to partner with families to raise the achievement and graduation rates of students with disabilities.

The Parent Satisfaction Survey helps the District and the State to measure and determine parent/family needs and perceptions of the success of parent engagement with the local schools. The survey consists of 10 statements and will be open to all families of students with disabilities.

The 2024 Parent Satisfaction Survey will be available until May 31, 2024. The link to the survey is included in this email and is also available on the DeKalb County School District website. If a survey is needed in a language other than English, please reach out to your school’s Lead Teacher for Special Education.

We appreciate your assistance by completing this survey to help us achieve our goal of 100% participation.

Parent-Survey

Parent Survey (Spanish)

Parent Survey Q&A

Parent to Parent of Georgia

MCSD Parent Satisfaction Survey Flyer

Free Resources for Monitoring the Development of Children

Exceptional Education Parent Newsletter Issue 3 Section 504/Hospital Homebound

Exceptional Education Parent Newsletter Issue 3 Section 504/Hospital Homebound (Spanish)

Letter

 

Helpful Resources to Parent 

 

Parents Rights

Summer Learning Resources Guide: English Language Arts

Free Resources for Monitoring the Development of Children

State-Defined Alternate Diploma FAQ for Families

State-Defined Alternate Diploma FAQ for Families – Spanish

 

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.

 

Metro East GLRS » Resources for Learning at Home: The Georgia Learning Resources System (GLRS) is a network of 17 regional programs that provide training and resources to school system personnel, parents of students with disabilities, and other interested individuals to support the achievement, graduation rate, and post-secondary success of students with disabilities.

 

Facilitated IEP's

IEP Team Meeting Facilitation is an optional process, not required by the IDEA that state educational agencies (SEA) or school districts may provide to parents and schools. A facilitated IEP Team meeting is the same as any other IEP Team meeting, except that a facilitator joins the meeting.

 

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.

 

  1. IEP Facilitation Parent Guide – Spanish
  2. Facilitated IEP (FIEP) Promotional Flyer 1
  3. FIEP Promotional Flyer 1 – Spanish
  4. Facilitated IEP (FIEP) Promotional Flyer 2
  5. FIEP Promotional Flyer 2 – Spanish
  • IEP Request Form – Muscogee