Not all children with special needs require special education services.  However, students are eligible to receive special education and related services when the IEP team determines that the student meets the state and federal eligibility criteria and, thus, requires special education services.  

There are fourteen categories of eligibility for special education: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines 13 disabilities under which children ages 3 to 21 years old may be eligible to receive special education services.

• Autism (AUT)
• Deaf (D)
• Deaf/Blindness
• Emotional Disturbance (ED)
• Established medical disability (Children 0-5 years)
• Hard of Hearing (HH)
• Intellectual Disabilities (ID) 
• Multiple Disabilities (MD)
• Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
• Other Health Impaired (OHI)
• Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)
• Speech and Language Disabilities (SLI)
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Vision Impairment (VI)

 

Infants and toddlers under three years of age may be eligible to receive early intervention services if diagnostic instruments and procedures indicate they are delayed in one or more of the following areas: 

• Cognitive Development
• Physical Development
• Communication Development
• Social Emotional Development
• Adaptive Development

If a student does not meet the special education eligibility requirements, (i.e., the student’s disability did not significantly affect the student’s ability to learn) a student may qualify for services or accommodations under Section 504. Students who qualify under Section 504 are not required to have a written IEP document; however, there may be a written 504 Plan.

Specialized Academic Instruction is based on a student’s IEP.  The following is a brief description of the programs available within Victor Elementary School District:

 Infant Program (ages 0 - 3)

The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools-Desert Mountain Region (SBCSS-DM) is responsible for the provision of Early Start services for children with a primary focus on children with solely low incidence disabilities (e.g., deaf, blind, deaf blind, orthopedic impairment, visually impaired).

Anyone who has a concern about an infant's growth or development may make a referral to the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools-Desert Mountain Region (SBCSS-DM) Early Start Infant  Program by calling 800-515-BABY. A child with a potential disability other than low incidence will be referred to the Inland Regional Center.

Preschool Program (ages 3 - 5)

Our District Pre-School program is a speech and language program only. We provide speech services to students who qualify for an IEP.  There are different services offered at the Preschool Speech and Language site depending on the individual child’s needs.  Services provided on site include focus on articulation/phonological disorders, language delays, voice and fluency disorders, and pragmatic language.

Site Based Therapy is scheduled based on an individual student’s needs from 1-2 days per week for 30 minute sessions.  Therapy at site focuses on articulation/phonology, voice, fluency and mild language needs.

Center Based Therapy is a setting for more advanced communication therapy services.  The service is based on an individual student’s needs 2 days per week for 90 minutes per session.  Therapy at Center Base focuses on severe delays in receptive and/or expressive language delays.

 For students with more intensive needs, we work with SBCSS- San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools to provide services. These Special Day Preschool Classes provide services to students with a variety of disabilities including delayed cognitive abilities, language delays, autism, physical disabilities, hearing impairment and learning disabilities. A full range of related services are available as appropriate, including ABA, Adaptive Physical Education, Speech and Language Services, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Parent Education, and other related services.

Regular Class Modification

The regular education class teacher may modify the educational program to meet the student’s needs. These modifications are usually the result of consultations with the parents/guardians and school principal. There are times where a 504 Plan may be appropriate to provide accommodations for students who have a mental or physical impairment that inhibits them from accessing education the same as their peers.

Resource Specialist Program (RSP)

Resource Specialists provide instruction and services for those students whose needs have been identified in an IEP and who are assigned to the regular classroom for a majority of the school day. The Resource Specialist Program may serve students representing a variety of handicapping conditions whose educational needs can be appropriately addressed within this part-time setting. The RSP model may be a “pull out” where the student is pulled from their general education class to receive services or it may be a “push in” model where the RSP teacher provides support in the general education setting.

Special Day Class (SDC)

Special classes are situated on regular campuses and are designed to meet the specific educational needs of students with learning, language, emotional, or physical problems. A student placed in one of these self-contained settings may be mainstreamed as appropriate. Students who demonstrate the ability to participate for more than half of the school day in regular classes would then be eligible to transfer to the less restrictive Resource Specialist Program. 

Each site has different structures for their SDC program. Many sites have a primary program (K-3rd grade) and (4-6 grade). 

 ·         All of our SDC classes are mild to moderate and have students with various disabilities in each setting with the exception of our ED and Autism program.

·         Our District collaborates with SBCSS to provide services for our students with moderate to severe disabilities. Many of the programs are on our VESD campuses, and some are located in surrounding Districts depending on the program specialty.

TK/Kinder Program (Kinder SDC)

Our District is proud to house a TK/K SDC class at Irwin Academy School where strategies such as visual schedules, Positive Reinforcement, Positive Behavior Intervention Plans, Behavior logs, small group instruction are utilized. There will always be 3 adults in the classroom; the teacher and the 2 aides. Students will be assigned to either an AM or PM class.   Once the student completes their Kinder year with us, the student is referred back to their school of residence or a school within their quadrant, depending on availability. 

Emotional Disturbance (ED) & Behavioral Support Settings

Victor Elementary School District believes that students with emotional disabilities and severe behavior issues can reach their highest potential in safe and structured environments.  Therefore, our elementary programs (3-4) and (5-6) grade programs at Green Tree East Elementary  are structured in such a way as to provide a strong sense of security, a positive attitude toward learning, and incentives for appropriate behavior. 

Autism Program

Our district understands that students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) need access to a variety of support and service delivery options to meet their individual needs. We do have a (3-6) grade moderate Autism program on our Park View Preparatory campus that focuses on individualized strategies and supports to improve social/emotional, behavioral, and academic skills.  For students with more moderate to severe needs, students are referred to SBCSS County programs. 

Home Hospital Instruction (HHI)

Home and Hospital serves fall under CA Ed. Code 48206.3.  Students who incur a temporary disability, which makes attendance in the regular day classes or alternative education program impossible or inadvisable for a minimum of three consecutive weeks.  Enrollment in the program is based on a referral from physician or psychiatrist.  The special education department provides Home Hospital Instruction to students, who meet the eligibility requirements, as outlined by their IEP. 

 San Bernardino County Programs (SBCSS)

For students with more intensive needs, we work with SBCSS- San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools to provide services. These Special Day Classes provide services to students with a variety of disabilities including delayed cognitive abilities, language delays, autism, physical disabilities, hearing impairment and learning disabilities. A full range of related services are available as appropriate, including ABA, Adaptive Physical Education, Speech and Language Services, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Parent Education, and other related services. 

Our District houses SBCSS classes on 4 of our campuses- Brentwood, Del Rey, Puesta del Sol, and Park View Prep. Some programs are located at campuses outside of our community.  When we refer students to these programs, transportation is provided regardless of location. 

If you have concerns about your child's progress, the best place to start is with his or her teacher. You may wish to hold an SST (Student Study Team) meeting to further discuss your child's needs. Team members for this meeting will consist of you and your child's teacher, and may also involve other teachers, the school psychologist, principal, or special education teacher/resource specialist. You may also wish to bring someone along who knows your child and can help in the problem solving process, such as a tutor or babysitter.

At an SST meeting, the team discusses the student's strengths, relevant background information, and areas of concern. To address areas in which your child is struggling, the team should choose interventions to implement, as well as ways to monitor his or her progress. Additionally, the team will create goals for your child, so that the team can continue to follow up on the effectiveness of the interventions and make changes as needed to ensure that your child makes progress.

Some children with disabilities require an IEP or 504 Plan to adequately address their needs. Eligibility, however, must be determined by the IEP team (see the Eligibility/Disability Categories Section for more information).  See the articles below for more information.

Parents are an important part of the IEP team. Always feel free to ask the IEP team members at your school site any questions you have about your child's IEP, Special Education, and IEPs. If your child has an IEP, his or her case carrier is a great person to contact when you need help clarifying information about your child's program, or have concerns about his or her progress within the general education or special education setting. Use the information below to learn more about the IEP process.

In December 2019, Victor Elementary School District consulted with CAHELP, a public consortium of school districts who provides support to districts in the areas of consultation, special education, prevention/intervention supports, and professional development.  VESD requested that CAHELP conduct an independent evaluation of the District's Section 504 and Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) policies and procedures. 

As a result, we received the commendations and recommendations as outlined in the attached memo. Our District continuously seeks ways to improve and best support our students, families and staff in supporting our students with special needs. We will be implementing the recommendations made by CAHELP in order to best serve our students.

Evaluation of IEP/Section 504 Policies and Procedures

Section 504 Plan with Accommodations
BP 6164.6 Identification and Education under Section 504
AR 6164.6 Identification and Education Under Section 504

Victor Elementary offers a continuum of special education Related and Specialized Service options that provide students with exceptional needs access to a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment.

Many of the Related and Specialized Service options are listed below. Some of these services are provided by Desert Mountain Children’s Center and our Desert Mountain SELPA. Please speak to a representative at a school site if you have questions about these services:

•   Adapted Physical Education (APE)
•   Assistive Technology (AT)
•   Audiological Services
•   Behavioral Intervention Services
•   Counseling Services
•   Health & Nursing Services
•   Occupational Therapy  (OT)
•   Orthopedic Impairment Support (OI)
•   Physical Therapy (PT)
  • Preschool access for students between ages three to five years old
•   Specialized Academic Instruction
•   Specialized Vision Services
  • Speech and Language Therapy

CAHELP supports our school district and districts in our community to support students and families. Please see the links below to find helpful information regarding special education services, mental health support, parent rights, and other valuable topics.

Parents/Students Resources
Parents/Students Services