Productive,
shared decision-making among
families and school team members is
an important factor in ensuring a
free, appropriate public education
(FAPE) for each child with a
disability. Relationships and trust
are the core of family-school
partnership; differences in
perspective and opinion among
parents and professionals, within
and beyond the evaluation and IEP
process, are expected and valuable
when productively managed.
The Rhode Island Department of
Education (RIDE) recognizes that
shared decision-making
can be challenging, and there are
times when family and school
team
members do not reach agreement or
when a students entitlements may
come under question.
The RIDE Office of Student,
Community and Academic Supports
(OSCAS) offers several
state level options to assist
families and schools in resolving
issues that remain
even after those issues are
reconsidered through local,
informal dispute resolution.
If you need assistance with the
option that is right for you, you
are welcome to contact the:
OSCAS Special Education Call Center
at 401-222-8999
El
Centro de Llamadas al 401-222-8999
RI Special Education Procedural
Safeguards
Federal and state laws and
regulations* require that schools
provide the parents of
a child with a disability a full
explanation of their rights in the
special education process.
*Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act and the RI Board of
Regents for Elementary and Secondary
Education Regulations Governing the
Education of Children with
Disabilities.
These rights are
described in writing in the RI
Special Education Procedural
Safeguards Notice, Model Form
Click here for a copy of the Rhode
Island Procedural Safeguards
Notificacin sobre las Salvaguardias
Procesales de la Educacin Especial
de Rhode Island
Notificao de Direitos Processuais
do Ensino Especial de Rhode Island
Dispute Resolution Options and
Resources Brochure
Available to families and school
personnel in several languages, this
brochure explains the options for
resolving special education issues.
Please take a moment to review this
brochure before filing a state level
complaint or taking a due process
step, to ensure that you use the
tool best suited to address your
special education issue.
Click here for a copy of the
Resources & Options Brochure
Opciones y Recursos Informales y
Formales para la Resolucin de
Desacuerdos en la Enseanza Especial
en Rhode Island
Opes e Recursos Formais e Informais
de Educao Especial para a Resoluo de
Disputas em Rhode Island
Special Education State Mediation
State mediation is an impartial
process offered at no cost to
parents and schools for resolving
disagreements about a childs
special education evaluation,
eligibility, or services.
Participation is completely
voluntary.
The mediator is an impartial
facilitator appointed by the RIDE
Office of Student, Community and
Academic Supports who is qualified
to assist the parties in reaching an
agreement by facilitating
communication; identifying issues;
helping the participants reach
understanding, find common ground
and consider solutions; and
assisting the parent and school
department in resolving the issues.
The mediator does not take sides"
and does not make a decision on
behalf of the parties.
Either parents/guardians or a school
department may request state
mediation via telephone request by
calling the OSCAS Call Center at
(401) 222-8999
Click here for an informational
pamphlet about state
mediation in special education
matters.
Special Education State Complaint
A special education state complaint
is a signed, written statement
alleging that a local school
department or other public education
agency violated a requirement of the
Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) or
Rhode Island Board of Regents for
Elementary and Secondary Education
Regulations Governing the Education
of Children with Disabilities.
A state
complaint must be submitted in
writing and must include certain
required elements as described in
RIDEs complaint procedures. The
RIDE will carry out an investigation
and issue a written Findings Letter
within 60 calendar days of receiving
the complaint (unless an extension
is granted). If the school
department or other public
educational agency is determined to
be in violation of special education
laws regulations, it will be
required to develop and implement a
corrective action plan. The
conclusions and corrective actions
stipulated in the Findings Letter
represent the final decision of the
Rhode Island Department of
Education.
Before deciding whether a written
state complaint is the best option
for addressing your special
education issue, it is recommended
that you review the Options and
Resources brochure as well as the RIDE
Special Education State Complaint
Procedures here:
RIDE Special Education Complaint Procedures
Proceso para quejas de educacion
especial
PROCEDIMENTOS PARA APRESENTAR
QUEIXAS ESTATAIS SOBRE A EDUCAO
ESPECIAL
To assist you in including all
required elements of a written
complaint, a model form is available
by clicking here:
RIDE Special Education State Complaint Form in
Word
RIDE Special Education State Complaint Form in
PDF
Formulario para quejas de educacin
especial
en
Word
Formulario para quejas de educacin
especial
en
PDF
Formulrio modelo para ajudar aos
pais/tutores, outras pessoas ou
organizaes a apresentar
uma queixa estatal sobre a educao
especial
Formulrio modelo para ajudar aos
pais/tutores, outras pessoas ou
organizaes a apresentar
uma queixa estatal sobre a educao
especial
Special Education Impartial Due
Process Hearing
An impartial due process hearing is
an administrative special education
proceeding in which the parent and
school department present their
respective cases to an impartial
hearing officer, who makes a
decision for the parties, rendered
in writing. The hearing officers
decision is final unless appealed
through civil action in U.S.
district court or a state court of
competent jurisdiction.
Before deciding whether an impartial
due process hearing is the best
option for addressing your special
education issue, it is recommended
that you review the Options and
Resources brochure as well as the RIDE
Special Education Impartial Due
Process Hearing Procedures here:
RIDE Special Education Impartial Due
Process Hearing Procedures
Procedimentos
de audiencia imparcial sobre el
debido proceso de la educacion
especial
Procedimentos
de audiencia de processo imparcial
de ensino especial
A request for a special education
impartial due process hearing must
be submitted in writing to the
Office of Student, Community and
Academic Supports and contain all
required elements. To assist you in
filing a request for a special
education impartial due process
hearing, the RIDE provides the
following model form that includes
the required elements as well as
other helpful information.
To access the model form for
requesting an impartial due process
hearing click here:
RIDE Due Process Hearing Request Form in Word
RIDE Due Process
Hearing Request Form in PDF
El formulario que figura ms
adelante le ayudar a solicitar una
audiencia de debido proceso
imparcial en materia de educacin
especial. ste muestra ciertas
informaciones necesarias y tiles
para tramitar su solicitud. Para
asegurarse de que est empleando el
procedimiento correcto para resolver
su problema, por favor examine el
folleto sobre opciones y recursos
que aparece en esta pgina web. Para
presentar su solicitud, por favor
descargue el formulario de solicitud
de audiencia de debido proceso,
llnelo y envelo por correo a la
direccin que aparece al final del
formulario. Si tiene alguna pregunta
sobre las opciones con las que
cuenta para resolver conflictos, por
favor llmenos al (401) 222-8999.
Formulario modelo para solicitar una audencia de debido
proceso imparcial en materia de
educacin
especial
Formulario
modelo para
solicitar una
audiencia de debido proceso imparcial en
materia de educacin especial
Formulario
modelo para
solicitar una
audiencia de debido proceso imparcial en
materia de educacin especial
O formulrio seguinte ajuda-o/a a
solicitar uma audincia de processo
imparcial do ensino especial.
Mostra todos os dados necessrios e
teis no processamento da sua
solicitao.
Para
se certificar que est a utilizar o
processo adequado para resolver a
sua questo, consulte o documento
Opes e Recursos neste website.
Para
submeter a sua solicitao, faa o
download deste formulrio, preencha-o
e envie o Pedido de Processo de
Audincia para o endereo abaixo.
Se
necessitar de qualquer
esclarecimento sobre as suas opes
de resoluo de disputa, contate-nos
atravs do telefone (401) 222-8999.
Formulrio
modelo para
Solicitao
de Audincia de Processo Imparcial do Ensino Especial
Formulrio
modelo para
Solicitao
de Audincia de Processo Imparcial
do Ensino Especial
Formulrio modelo para ajudar aos
pais/tutores, outras pessoas ou
organizaes a apresentar
uma queixa estatal sobre a educao
especial
Parent organizations are
available to assist parents with questions and build their
knowledge about Special Education and related services. Parents
who know their rights can effectively partner with the school
team in making educational decisions about their child. The
lead parent organizations in Rhode Island are the
Rhode Island Parent Information Network
(La Red de Informacin para Padres de
Familia de Rhode Island / RIPIN): 270-0101
800-464-3399,
www.ripin.org and
the
Rhode Island Parent Support Network
(Red de Apoyo a Padres de Familia / PSN):
467-6855 1-800-483-8844 /
www.psnri.org
US Department of Education
Contact the
US Department of Education, Office
for Civil Rights. The regional
Civil Rights office serving Rhode Island is:
Boston Office
Office for Civil
Rights
U.S. Department
of Education
33 Arch Street,
Suite 900
Boston, MA
02110-1491
Telephone:
617-289-0111
FAX:
617-289-0150; TDD: 877-521-2172
Email:
OCR.Boston@ed.gov
Each public school district assigns
an administrator to oversee its
system of ensuring general education
accommodations for students eligible
under Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act. Please
contact your local Superintendent's
Office to reach the 504 Coordinator
for your district.
Complaints regarding provision of
general education accommodations
under Section 504 for an eligible
student may be directed to the Rhode
Island Department of Education's
Legal Office.
ADA Technical Assistance Centers
The National
Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
has established ten regional centers
to provide information, training,
and technical assistance to
employers, people with disabilities,
and other entities with
responsibilities under the ADA. The
centers act as a "one-stop" central,
comprehensive resource on ADA issues
in employment, public services,
public accommodations, and
communications. Each center works
closely with local business,
disability, governmental,
rehabilitation, and other
professional networks to provide ADA
information and assistance. For
information contact:
1-800-949-4232 (V/TTY)
Web Site: www.dbtac.vcu.edu
Rhode Island Governor's Commission
on Disabilities
The
Commission's objective is to ensure
that all people with disabilities
are afforded the opportunities to
exercise all the rights and
responsibilities accorded to
citizens of this state and
each person with a disability is
able to reach his/her maximum
potential in independence, human
development, productivity and
self-sufficiency.
Governor's Commission on Disabilities
John
O. Pastore Center
41 Cherry Dale
Court
Cranston, RI 02920-3049
Website:
http://www.disabilities.ri.gov
(401) 462-0100
TTY 711