File: IHBAA - OBSERVATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS File: IHBAA - OBSERVATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMSThis policy addresses the observation of a student prior to a Team meeting for the purpose of discussion at the Team meeting.
Incidental observation, when there is no intention to incorporate impressions from such an observation into the Team evaluation process, is not the subject of this policy.
Therefore, this policy does not apply to customary and ordinary parental* participation in in-school activities as well as school sponsored extra-curricular activities.
Nothing prevents a parent from expressing any concern over his/her child's program observed as a part of any incidental school activity. Such concern shall be brought to the school administration and/or a Team meeting.
Parental expression of such concern will not limit the parent from future participation in school activities or observation under policy IHBAA.
It is the policy of the Framingham School Committee, in compliance with applicable state statutes and regulations, upon the request of a parent, to grant timely and sufficient access by parents and parent-designated independent evaluators and educational consultants, to a child's current and proposed special education program so that the parent and named designees can observe the child in the current program and any proposed program.
The statutes and regulations are specific to observations for the purpose of "evaluating special education programs" as they relate to a specific student.
The following policy requirements are adopted for these types of observations with the goals of protecting:
1. the safety of the children in the program during the observation;
2. the integrity of the program during the observation; and
3. the children in the program from disclosure by an observer of confidential or personally identifiable information he or she may obtain while observing the program.
A parent's request to observe their child, current program, or a potential placement must be made in writing (US Mail, hand delivered, or electronically) to the Special Education Director or designee and/or Building Principal. The Special Education Director or designee shall contact the parent(s) for an initial scheduling conversation within five (5) school days of receipt of the parent's request.
When a parent requests an observation of a special needs student or program, the Special Education Director or designee will seek approval from the Building Principal before it is processed. Such approval may only be withheld for those reasons outlined within state and federal law and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education regulations.
The Special Education Director, or designee, and/or Building Principal will work with the classroom teacher and the observer to set up the specifics of the observation including, but not limited to, scheduling and placement of the observer in the classroom.
The number, frequency, and duration of observation periods will be determined on an individual student basis in accordance with law and regulation. The start and end time of observation periods and a schedule of observation periods will be stated in advance. In order to minimize classroom or student disruption, the length of individual observation periods may be limited.
If the observer is not the parent, the parent must sign a release for the individual to observe.
The number of observers at any one time may be limited.
The observer will be informed that he/she is not to interfere with the educational environment of the classroom. If his/her presence presents a problem, he/she will be asked to leave. This notice is particularly important, since the presence of parents can influence both the performance of their child and that of others.
The observer will be informed that he/she is there to observe a specific educational program related to meeting the needs of an individual child. He/she is not there to evaluate a teacher's ability to perform his or her contractual job duties.
The observer will be asked to submit his/her written report of the observation two days in advance of any follow-up Special Education Team meeting.
The observer will be instructed regarding the disclosure of confidential or personally identifiable information relating to other children. The observer will be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
A school administrator, or designee, will accompany the observer and observe simultaneously and take notes as to what is observed, paying particular attention to note anything that is non-typical concerning the period. This observation summary will be placed in the student's file and provided to the parent(s) two days prior to any follow-up Special Education Team meeting.
* For the purposes of this policy, parent is defined as it is in state Special Education Regulations, 603 CMR 29.02 (15).
LEGAL REFS.: MGL 71B:3
Massachusetts DESE Advisory SPED 2009-2 dated 1/8/09
CROSS REFS.: KI, Visitors to Schools
This policy was updated and approved by the Framingham School Committee in Open Session on December 7, 2022.