Special Education
Special Education
The Special Education Department is responsible for providing and coordinating the following district programs:
1. Special Education services (including the implementation of IEPs)
2. Special Education Assessments
No qualified person (student) with a disability is excluded from, denied benefits of, or subjected to discrimination in any course, program, or activity soley on the basis of disability.
Hickman Elementary and Middle Schools offer special education resource services for students who qualify. Depending on a student’s assess special education need, resouces services could be made available by special education personnel “pushing into” a student’s general education classroom to offer assistance. In other instances, a resource student may be pulled out of a general education classroom to work in a small group or independently with staff.
Our schools offer a K-5 SDC classroom and 6-8th grades SDC classroom on their respective campuses. Students who qualify for Special Day Class services spend time in this setting for individualized instruction as needed, as well as are mainstreamed in the general education classrooms.
Speech and language services are available for students who qualify based on articulation needs and/or language expression deficits. Our speech program consists of targeted intervention for students in small groups or on an individualized basis.
Hickman Elementary and Middle Schools have a full-time school psychologist, Ms. Angela Galindo, readily accessible on campus. The school psychologist is responsible for all psychoeducational assessments that are done in the referral of a student for special education services.
Our school psychologist also meets with small groups and individual students who are in need of social skills practice and/or counseling services. For students who may need more intensive counseling/therapy offerings, our school psychologist may make referrals to outside Stanislaus county agencies.
Both schools have an SAS (Student Assistance Specialist) from the Center for Human Services. The SAS is on campus one day per week and meets with students individually or in small groups for a variety of school and personal counseling services.
Hickman Elementary and Middle Schools have a full-time school psychologist, Ms. Angela Galindo, readily accessible on campus. The school psychologist is responsible for all psychoeducational assessments that are done in the referral of a student for special education services.
Our school psychologist also meets with small groups and individual students who are in need of social skills practice and/or counseling services. For students who may need more intensive counseling/therapy offerings, our school psychologist may make referrals to outside Stanislaus county agencies.
SSTs, or Student Study Teams, are staff-led teams that discuss academic, social, emotional, behavioral and mental health concerns about students and may include administration, parents, teachers, special education personnel, school nurse, counselors, and the student (if applicable). SSTs can be requested by a parent or any staff member and focus on areas of concern for a student and the implementation of action steps and strategies to help a student.
504 plans are formal plans developed by schools to help students with disabilities be successful in school. A 504 covers any disability that limits daily life activities in a major way. A 504 plan is not the same as an IEP.
Click the link below to learn more about 504s.
Students who are classified as English Learners receive both integrated and designated English Language Development services in their English Language Arts classroom.
English Learners are required by the state of California to be assessed for English language acquisition progress every year using the Summative ELPAC (English Language Proficiency Assessments for California).
The Hickman Community Charter District has in place the following RFEP (Reclassified Fluent English Proficient) criteria to guide staff in determining an English Learner’s proficiency in acquiring English:
1. Overall score of 4 on the ELPAC (state-mandated criteria)
2. Demonstration of basic skills in English on an objective assessment that is also given to English proficient students of the same age
3. Teacher Evaluation (including an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher)
4. Parent consultation and agreement
Hickman Elementary School offers Title I assistance for students who are in need of reading intervention. In addition to our after school intervention programs, Hickman Elementary School has a reading specialist who works with struggling readers in grades K-2 targeting phonics and other decoding skills, vocabulary development, reading fluency, and beginning level comprehension.
Outside Services
Hickman Community Charter District contracts with the Stanislaus County Office of Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services.
Hickman Community Charter District contracts with the Stanislaus County Office of Education and Ceres Unified School District for services relating to student behavior.
Hickman Community Charter District contracts with the Stanislaus County Office of Education and Ceres Unified School District for services relating to occupational therapy services for students. Students do have to go through an assessment to qualify for this type of service.
Hickman Community Charter District contracts with the Stanislaus County Office of Education for adaptive physical education services for students. Students do have to go through an assessment to qualify for this type of service.
Study Team Process
In the public school system, before referring a child for Special Education Services, the school
district is required to provide various levels of intervention to students struggling academically
or behaviorally. Each school has a team, usually consisting of the child, teacher, the parent, and
other professionals, who review interventions available to the child and make intervention
recommendations prior to assessing for Special Education.
If you suspect your child may have some difficulties in school you can seek help by discussing
your concerns with your childs teacher(s). You may find that the teacher shares your concerns
and is trying to address them in the classroom setting. If your concerns continue, you should
contact your childsteacher again and ask that a Student Study Team meeting. Information
regarding your child will be gathered by staff for that meeting.
Student Study Team (SST) Process
Students experiencing academic and/or behavioral problems in the general education program
may be referred for discussion to the Student Study Team by anyone having knowledge of their
functioning, including: physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers and parents. The
referral will be reviewed by the Student Study Team at the local school site.
The Student Study Team is a regular education forum composed of personnel with varying
specialties and experience chaired by the principal or designee of the school site. It is the intent
of the SST to act as a resource when intervention assistance is sought. The SST may suggest
regular program interventions within the classroom and/or support services available to all
students.
The Student Study Team may include the following personnel:
Assistant principal/Administrator/Designee
School psychologist
School counselor
Community liaison
Resource specialist teacher
Reading specialist
General education teacher
Parents
You may be invited to attend the SST meeting, share information about your childs school
performance and talk about your concerns. The team may decide that modifications of the
general education program are appropriate to address your childs needs. If so, these
modifications or interventions will be written and monitored.
If these modifications/interventions are not successful, the SST may ultimately recommend
additional assessment. Should this be necessary, you will be contacted in order to obtain your
informed written consent.
Special Education program placement and related services are determined by the IEP Team
based on assessment results and appropriate goals and objectives.
The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) requires that the school, in conjunction with the
parents and other professionals, develop an IEP for each student with a disability. The IEP will
describe the level at which your child is performing and will identify specific services (e.g.
remedial work, tutoring, special education classes) or instruction your child will receive to
address his or her specific needs. The IEP and related special education programs are provided at
no cost to families. Each year, the IEP is revised based on the child’s progress.