Standard Compliant Resolution Program
DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
STANDARD COMPLAINT RESOLUTION PROCEDURE
FOR IMPROVING AMERICA’S SCHOOLS ACT PROGRAM
Updated: February 2006
This complaint resolution procedure applies to all programs administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education under the Goals 2000: Educate American Act and the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA).
A complaint is a formal allegation that a specific federal or state law or regulation has been violated, misapplied, or misinterpreted by school district personnel or by Department of Education personnel.
Any parent or guardian, surrogate parent, teacher, administrator, school board member, or other person directly involved with an activity, program, or project operated under the general supervision of the Department may file a complaint. Such a complaint must be in writing and signed; it will provide specific details of the situation and indicate the law or regulation that is allegedly being violated, misapplied, or misinterpreted.
The written, signed complaint must be filed and the resolution pursued in accordance with local district policy:
Proper order: Teacher, Administrative Supervisor, Superintendent.
E. Carter Co. R-2 Board Policy available upon request.
If the issue cannot be resolved at the local level, the complainant may file a complaint with the Missouri Department of Education. If there is no evidence that the parties have attempted in good faith to resolve the complaint at the local level, the Department may require the parties to do so and may provide technical assistance to facilitate such resolution.
Any persons directly affected by the actions of the Department may file a similarly written complaint if they believe state or federal laws or regulations have been violated, misapplied, or misinterpreted by the Department itself.
Anyone wishing more information about this procedure or how complaints are resolved may contact local district or Department personnel.
_______________________________________________________________
Disabilities Notice
All responsible public agencies are required to locate, evaluate, and identify children with disabilities who are under the jurisdiction of the agency, regardless of the severity of the disability, including children attending private schools, highly mobile children, such as migrant and homeless children, and children who are suspected of having a disability and in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade. The East Carter R-2 School District assures that it will provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to all eligible children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 under its jurisdiction. Disabilities include autism, deaf/blindness, emotional disorders, hearing impairment and deafness, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairments, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment/blindness and young child with a developmental delay.
The East Carter R-2 School District assures that it will provide information and referral services necessary to assist the State in the implementation of early intervention services for infants and toddlers eligible for the Missouri First Steps program.
The East Carter R-2 School District assures that personally identifiable information collected, used, or maintained by the agency for the purposes of identification, evaluation, placement or provision of FAPE of children with disabilities may be inspected and/or reviewed by their parents/guardians. Parents/guardians may request amendment to the educational record if the parent/guardian believes the record is inaccurate, misleading, or violates the privacy or other rights of their child. Parents have the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education concerning alleged failures by the district to meet the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
The East Carter R-2 School District has developed a Local Compliance Plan for the implementation of State Regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This plan contains the agency’s policies and procedures regarding storage, disclosure to third parties, retention and destruction of personally identifiable information and the agency’s assurances that services are provided in compliance with the General Education Provision Act (GEPA). This plan may be reviewed at the East Carter R-2 School Special Services office, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
This notice will be provided in native languages as appropriate.
_______________________________________________________________
Public Awarness/Census
In accordance with Public Law 94-142, a free and appropriate education will be provided without charge by or under the supervision of the East Carter Co. R-II School District for all handicapped children, ages 3-21, including those who are visually impaired, other health impaired, learning disabled, deaf/blind, and severely handicapped.
Patrons of the school district are encouraged to assist in the identification of all handicapped children residing in the district.
A copy of the East Carter Co. R-II School District’s Special Education Compliance Plans are available for public inspection. This plan may be reviewed during regular school hours at the following locations: Office of the Superintendent and Special Education Administrator’s Office.
_______________________________________________________________
Parents Right to Know Policy
Dear Parent or Guardian:
Our district is required to inform you of certain information that you, according to The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), have the right to know.
Upon your request, our district is required to provide to you in a timely manner, the following information:
Whether the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.
Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived.
Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.
What baccalaureate degree major the teacher has and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification.
In addition to the information that parents may request, districts must provide to each individual parent –
Information on the achievement level of the parent’s child in each of the state academic assessments as required under this part; and
Timely notice that the parent’s child has been assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by, a teacher who is not highly qualified.
_______________________________________________________________
Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC)
The Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) program is funded by the US Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, established to provide training, information, and support to parents and individuals who work with local parents, districts, and schools that receive Title I.A funds. PIRCs provide both regional and statewide services and disseminate information to parents on a statewide basis.
PIRCs help implement successful and effective parental involvement policies, programs, and activities that lead to improvements in student academic achievement, and that strengthen partnerships among parents, teachers, principals, administrators, and other school personnel in meeting the education needs of children; and to assist parents to communicate effectively with teachers, principals, counselors, administrators, and other school personnel.
The recipients of PIRC grants are required to: serve both rural and urban areas, use at least half their funds to serve areas with high concentrations of low-income children, and use at least 30 percent of the funds they receive for early childhood parent program.
Centers must include activities that establish, expand, or operate early childhood parent education programs and typically engage in a variety of technical assistance activities designed to improve student academic achievement, including understanding the accountability systems in the state and school districts being served by a project. Specific activities often include helping parents to understand the data that accountability systems make available to parents and the significance of that data for such things as opportunities for supplemental services and public school choice afforded to their children attending buildings in school improvement.
PIRCs generally develop resource materials and provide information about high quality family involvement programs to families, schools, school districts, and others through conferences, workshops, and dissemination of materials. Projects generally include a focus on serving parents of low-income, minority, and limited English proficient (LEP) children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools.
Missouri has two PIRCs – one in St. Louis and one in Springfield. For service and contact information, go to their website at http://www.nationalpirc.org/directory/MO-32.html