Technical Assistance & Guidance

Required School Screenings Guidance Document for Special Educators Overview 

These resources were developed to provide professional development and technical assistance to parents, school personnel, and other consumers. All resources are intended to provide guidance for addressing the regulatory requirements and instructional elements needed for a student’s free appropriate public education (FAPE). The VDOE Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Students with Disabilities (PDF) and other Virginia guidance documents should be used in conjunction with these resources. The VDOE Special Education Technical Assistance and Guidance documents are listed by category.

• Guidelines for School Division Policy Regarding Service Animals in Virginia's Public Schools (PDF)

• Participation & Inclusion - includes guidelines for assessment participation and special test accommodations
• VAAP – Virginia Alternate Assessment Program

• Guidelines for the Provision of Applied Behavior Analysis in Public Schools (Word)
• Guidelines for Conducting Functional Behavioral Assessment and Developing Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports/Strategies (PDF)
  • Appendix A Forms:
    • Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers and Staff (FACTS-Part A) (PDF)
    • Functional Behavioral Assessment Interview Forms (PDF)
    • ABC Observation Form and Functional Assessment Scatterplot (PDF)
• Guidance Document on Manifestation Determination (PDF) – Document currently under revision

• Required School Screenings Guidance Document for Special Educators (Word)

Critical Area Self-Assessment Questions

For use by school divisions in assessing efforts for achieving the desired results in the State Performance Plan.

• Introduction (Word)
• Indicators 1 & 2: Graduation and Drop Out (Word)
• Indicator 3: State Assessment Participation and Performance (Word)
• Indicator 4: Discipline (Word)
• Indicators 5 & 6: Placement in the Least Restrictive Environment – School-age and Preschool (Word)
• Indicator 7: Preschool Outcomes (Word)
• Indicator 8: Schools Facilitate Parent Involvement (Word)
• Indicators 9 & 10: Disproportionality
  • NCCRESt-Rubric (PDF)
  • School Division Action Plan Template (Word)
  • Technical Assistance Documents (PDF)
    • A Survey of Division Practices (PDF)
    • Student Academic Intervention Checklist (PDF)
    • Record Review Process (PDF)
    • An Assessment and Strategic Planning Process (PDF)
• Resources
  • Cultural Competency (PPT)
  • Arlington Public Schools Adapted Cultural Competence Notebook (PDF)
  • What It Really Takes to Improve Student Outcomes (PPT)
  • Connecting with African American Males (PPT)
  • Codeswitching in Reading (PPT)
• Indicators 11 &12: Eligibility Timelines (Word)
• Indicators 13 & 14: Secondary Transition and Postsecondary Outcomes (Word)

• Implementing Special Education: Students With Special Needs (PDF)
• Guidance Document for Standards-Based IEPs (PDF) – Revised March 2016
• Standards-Based IEP: Technical Assistance Document (PDF)

Instruction

• Special Education and Related Services in Local and Regional Jails: Guidelines for Best Practice (Word)
• Standards of Learning (SOL)
• Standards of Learning (SOL) Enhanced Scope & Sequence PLUS
• TeacherDirect
• Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports (VTSS)

Prior Written Notice

• Model Written Prior Notice: When Parents Revoke Consent (PDF)
• Guidance on Prior Written Notice in the Special Education Process (PDF)

Parent Involvement

The Virginia Family's Guide to Special Education (PDF), also available in Spanish  – Developed by VDOE to help parents understand their rights and responsibilities, their children’s rights, and the responsibilities of schools. Additional languages are available on the Special Education for Families webpage.

• Parent Ombudsman for Special Education
• Guidance Document for Implementing New Special Education Requirements for the Definition of Parent (PDF) (2009)

Section 504 Resources

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Keys to Implementation of Section 504 in Virginia's Schools (PDF)
• Resource Guide on Students with ADHD (PDF) – This guidance clarifying the obligation of schools to provide students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with equal educational opportunity under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was issued by The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Secondary Transition Services

• Transition Services for Students with Disabilities
• Guidance for the Development of Postsecondary Goals (Word)
• Transfer of Rights For Students with Disabilities Upon Reaching The Age of Majority In Virginia (Word)

Seclusion and Restraint

• Seclusion and Restraint FAQs (Word)
• Seclusion and Restraint Regulations
• Seclusion and Restraint Professional Development Videos
• Seclusion and Restraint Incident Report - Sample form (Word)