For students who are in school, the Child Find process begins with a school district providing high-quality general education instruction to all students. Schools also must provide targeted or intensive general education interventions to students who require more support.

If a child is still having difficulty and not making the expected progress, a teacher, a parent, or a Falcon Ridge Public Charter School staff member might begin to suspect that the child may have an educational disability. A team will gather information about the student in order to decide whether a disability is suspected.

After considering the information, if a disability is suspected, the school will seek permission from the child’s parent/guardian to evaluate the student. A Full and Individual Initial Evaluation will then be conducted to determine if the child is eligible for special education services and to determine what interventions are needed for the child to make progress. Data will be collected during the evaluation to determine the child’s progress, discrepancy, and needs.

If a child is eligible for special education services, that means the child has a disability and needs services that require special education resources. A team will meet to develop an Individualized Education Program or the child.