The Board of Education (“Board”) of the North Colonie Central School District (“District”) recognizes the importance of ensuring the confidentiality of personally identifiable data pertaining to a student with a disability. Personally identifiable data will not be disclosed by any District employee or member of a Committee on Special Education (“CSE”) / or Committee on Preschool Special Education (“CPSE”) to any person (other than the parent of such student), organization or agency unless the parent or guardian of the child provides written consent; there is a valid court order for such information; or disclosure is permitted by law.
The Board, while acknowledging the confidentiality requirement, believes that in order for each student with disabilities to receive the full benefit of his/her Individualized Education Program (“IEP”), Individualized Education Services Program (IESP) or Service Plan (“SP”), individuals responsible for implementing the program or plan must, prior to the implementation, fully understand the scope of their responsibility and the specific accommodations, modifications and supports to be provided.
To this end, this policy establishes procedures to ensure that any person having both direct contact with a student with an IEP, IESP or SP and a responsibility to provide a service, accommodation or program modification for the student in accordance with that student’s IEP, IESP or SP shall be informed of his/her responsibilities under the IEP, and shall receive or have access to a copy of the student’s IEP, IESP or SP as specified below.
I. IEP, IESP or SP Copies
At a CSE, CSE Subcommittee or CPSE meeting for each student, a determination will be made as to which general education teachers, special education teachers, related service providers and other service providers have responsibility to implement the recommendations on the student’s IEP, IESP or SP. “Other service provider” means a representative of another public school district, charter school, BOCES program, child care institution school, Special Act school district, State-supported school, approved private in-state or out-of-state school and an approved preschool provider where the student receives or will receive IEP, IESP or SP services.
The CSE or CPSE Chairperson shall ensure that each regular education teacher, special education teacher, related service provider and/or other service provider who is responsible for the implementation of a student’s IEP are given a paper or electronic copy of such student’s IEP prior to the implementation of the student’s special education program. These individuals responsible for implementing an IEP, IESP or SP shall, in turn, ensure that all paraprofessionals (teacher aides and teacher assistants) and other providers responsible for assisting in implementation are given the opportunity to review their copy of the IEP, IESP or SP prior to program implementation as well as have ongoing access to such copy.
II. Notification of Responsibilities
In addition to disseminating copies of a student’s IEP, IESP or SP, the CSE or CPSE Chairperson shall designate a professional employee from the Pupil Services Department with knowledge of the student’s disability and program to inform each regular education teacher, special education teacher, related service provider, other service provider, paraprofessional, and other provider and support staff person of his or her responsibility to provide specific accommodations, program modifications, supports and/or services for the student in accordance with the IEP, IESP or SP. At the end of the school year, the designated employee shall collect all IEP copies provided under this policy and destroy them.
III. Confidentiality
All copies of a student’s IEP, IESP or SP provided or made accessible under this policy must remain confidential, and shall not be redisclosed to any other person, except in accordance with applicable federal and State laws and regulations. To ensure such confidentiality, the CSE and CPSE Chairpersons shall include with each IEP, IESP or SP copy provided or made accessible under this policy, a copy of the Board’s policy on student privacy. All IEP, IESP or SP copies must remain in a secure location on school grounds at all times. If IEP copies are transmitted and/or provided electronically, security systems (e.g., password protect a file or folder) must be implemented to prevent unauthorized internal and external access to the student’s IEP, IESP or SP.
IV. Documentation
The designated professional employee(s) defined in section II above shall obtain the signature of each person covered by this policy, indicating that he or she:
- has received either a copy of the student’s IEP, IESP or SP or the opportunity to review the IEP, IESP or SP prior to its implementation, as required under state law and regulation;
- has been informed of their responsibilities for implementation;
- has knowledge of where the IEP, IESP or SP is to be maintained; and
- has an understanding of the confidentiality requirements.
Ref: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 USC §§ I40O et seq.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 USC §1232g; 34 CFR Part 99 Education Law §4402(7)
8 NYCRR §§200.2(b)(11); 200.4(e)(3) New York State Education Department, Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID), SED Guidance Document, Providing copies of the IEPs for Students with Disabilities, May 13, 2003
Adopted: October 24, 2011