Student Support & Special Education

Coopersville Area Public Schools provides a range of special education services, from support provided within a general education classroom to more specialized programs. The type and amount of support a student receives is based entirely on their individual needs as determined by the IEP team.

Most students receive services in their home school with support from a special education teacher and/or ancillary service provider. If a student requires more intensive programming, placement may be made in a specialized classroom within a neighboring district or at an Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD) program such as:

• Ottawa Area Center
• Sheldon Pines School

Every placement decision is made by the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to ensure the setting best meets the student's needs.

WHAT IS CHILD FIND?
Child Find identifies resident children who may be in need of special education programs and/or services. Child Find offers evaluations, at no charge, to children suspected of having a disability. Early intervention is very important to your child's development. Signs of possible developmental delay for 3- and 4-year-olds are listed below. If you are concerned about your child's development, please call our Child Find Hotline at (616) 997-3509.

Signs of Possible Developmental Delay at Age 3:

• Falls down a lot or has trouble with stairs.
• Drools or has very unclear speech.
• Can't work simple toys (peg boards, puzzles, turning handles).
• Doesn't speak in sentences.
• Doesn't understand simple instructions.
• Doesn't play pretend or make-believe.
• Doesn't want to play with other children or toys.
• Doesn't make eye contact.
• Loses skills they once had.

Signs of Possible Developmental Delay at Age 4:

• Can't jump in place.
• Has trouble scribbling.
• Shows little interest in interactive games or make-believe.
• Ignores other children or doesn't respond to people outside the family.
• Resists dressing, sleeping, and toileting.
• Can't retell a favorite story.
• Doesn't follow 3-step commands.
• Doesn't understand "same" and "different."
• Doesn't use "me" and "you" correctly.
• Speaks unclearly.
• Loses skills they once had.

*As referenced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

WHO DO I CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION?
Please call the Coopersville Area Public Schools Special Education office at (616) 997-3509.

• Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD) – Special Education
• Special Education Parent Advisory Committee
• Project Find Parent Resource
• Family Matters

This is the notification of your rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regarding Medicaid billing. IDEA allows certain services provided under an IEP to be covered by Medicaid. The Michigan Medicaid school-based services benefit is a way for school districts to receive additional federal revenue. These services include attendant care services, nursing services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language services, and social work services. Before a district may seek recovery of costs, you must sign a consent form that gives the school district permission to bill Medicaid and share student information.

Your Rights Regarding Medicaid Billing:

• A district must obtain your written consent before submitting your child's IEP-related costs for Medicaid reimbursement. Consent only needs to be provided once.
• The consent form allows the district to share necessary information with the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH).
• You may withdraw consent at any time, and the district will stop billing Medicaid.
• All IEP services must be provided at no cost to parents, even if the district cannot bill Medicaid.
• Parents are not required to enroll in public insurance programs.
• Your child will always receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) regardless of Medicaid coverage.

Billing Medicaid will not:

• Decrease your child's Medicaid benefits or coverage time.
• Result in charges to your family.
• Increase premiums or cause loss of insurance.
• Affect eligibility for home or community-based waivers.

If you previously signed consent, this notice serves as your annual reminder of these rights.

WHAT IS A SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY (SLD)?
A Specific Learning Disability is "a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia that adversely affects a student's educational performance.

A SLD does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; mental retardation; emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage." (34 CFR 300.8(C)(10)).

HOW IS A SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY DETERMINED?
In Coopersville Area Public Schools, a Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW) process is used to identify a Specific Learning Disability. This process is used across all SLD areas, including: Oral Expression, Listening Comprehension, Written Expression, Basic Reading, Reading Comprehension, Oral Reading Fluency, Math Calculation, and Math Problem Solving.

The Multi-disciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) evaluates whether:

• The student does not achieve adequately for age or grade-level standards when provided with appropriate instruction.
• The student shows a pattern of strengths and weaknesses relevant to SLD identification based on age, grade-level expectations, or intellectual development.

Source: Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services (2010). Michigan criteria for determining the existence of a specific learning disability.