Educational Plans (EPs) are developed for students whose only
identified exceptionality is gifted. For a student identified as gifted in
accordance with Rule 6A-6.03019, F.A.C., and who is
also identified as a student with a disability, as defined in paragraph
6A-6.03411(1)(f),
F.A.C., the strengths, needs and services associated with a student's
giftedness must be addressed in the student's individual educational plan (IEP)
consistent with the requirements in Rule
6A-6.03028, F.A.C. Parents are
partners with schools and school district personnel in developing, reviewing,
and revising the EP for their child. Procedures for the development of the EPs
for exceptional students who are gifted, including procedures for parental
involvement, shall be set forth in each district's Policies and Procedures for
the Provision of Specially Designed Instruction and Related Services to
Exceptional Students document and shall be consistent with the following
requirements.
(1) Role of parents. The
role of parents in developing EPs includes:
(a) Providing critical information regarding
the strengths of their child;
(b)
Expressing their concerns for enhancing the education of their child so that
they receive a free appropriate public education;
(c) Participating in discussions about the
child's need for specially designed instruction;
(d) Participating in deciding how the child
will be involved and progress in the general curriculum; and,
(e) Participating in the determination of
what services the school district will provide to the child and in what
setting.
(2) Parent
participation. Each school board shall establish procedures that shall provide
for parents to participate in decisions concerning the EP. Such procedures
shall include the following:
(a) Each district
shall take the following steps to ensure that one or both of the parents or
legal guardians of a student who is gifted is present or is afforded the
opportunity to participate at each EP meeting:
1. Notifying parents or legal guardians of
the meeting early enough to ensure that they will have an opportunity to
attend; and,
2. Scheduling the
meeting at a mutually agreed on time and place.
(b) A written notice of the meeting must be
provided to the parents or legal guardians and must indicate the purpose, time,
location of the meeting, and who, by title and or position, will be attending.
The notice must also include a statement informing the parents that they have
the right to invite an individual with special knowledge or expertise about
their child.
(c) If neither parents
or legal guardians can attend, the school district shall use other methods to
ensure parent participation, including individual or conference telephone calls
or video conferencing.
(d) A
meeting may be conducted without a parent in attendance if the school district
is unable to obtain the attendance of the parents. In this case, the district
must have a record of its attempts to arrange a mutually agreed on time and
place such as:
1. Detailed records of
telephone calls made or attempted and the results of those calls;
2. Copies of correspondence sent to the
parents and any responses received; or
3. Detailed records of visits made to the
parents' home or place of employment and the results of those
visits.
(e) The district
shall take whatever action is necessary to ensure that the parents understand
the proceedings at an EP meeting, which may include arranging for an
interpreter for parents and students who are deaf or whose native language is a
language other than English.
(f)
The district shall give the parents a copy of the EP at no cost to the
parents.
(3) EP team
participants. The EP team shall include the following participants:
(a) The parents of the student in accordance
with subsection (2) of this rule;
(b) One regular education teacher of the
student who, to the extent appropriate, is involved in the development and
review of the student's EP. Involvement may be the provision of written
documentation of the student's strengths and needs;
(c) At least one teacher of the gifted
program;
(d) A representative of
the school district who is qualified to provide or supervise the provision of
specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of students who are
gifted, is knowledgeable about the general curriculum, and is knowledgeable
about the availability of resources of the school district. At the discretion
of the school district, one of the student's teachers may be designated to also
serve as the representative of the school district;
(e) An individual who can interpret the
instructional implications of evaluation results who may be a member of the
team as described in paragraphs (3)(b)-(d) of this rule;
(f) At the discretion of the parent or the
school district, other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise
regarding the student. The determination of knowledge or special expertise of
any individual shall be made by the party who invites the individual to be a
member of the EP team; and,
(g) The
student, as appropriate.
(4) Contents of EPs. EPs for students who are
gifted must include:
(a) A statement of the
student's present levels of performance which may include the student's
strengths and interests; the student's needs beyond the general curriculum;
results of the student's performance on state and district assessments; and
evaluation results;
(b) A statement
of goals, including benchmarks or short-term objectives;
(c) A statement of the specially designed
instruction to be provided to the student;
(d) A statement of how the student's progress
toward the goals will be measured and reported to parents; and,
(e) The projected date for the beginning of
services, and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those
services;
(5)
Considerations in EP development, review and revision. The EP team shall
consider the following:
(a) The strengths of
the student and needs resulting from the student's giftedness.
(b) The results of recent evaluations,
including class work and state or district assessments.
(c) In the case of a student with limited
English proficiency, the language needs of the student as they relate to the
EP.
(6) Timelines.
Timelines for EP meetings for students who are gifted shall include the
following:
(a) An EP must be in effect at the
beginning of each school year.
(b)
An EP shall be developed within thirty (30) calendar days following the
determination of eligibility for specially designed instruction and shall be in
effect before the provision of these services.
(c) Meetings shall be held to develop and
revise the EP at least every three (3) years for students in Kindergarten -
grade 8 and at least every four (4) years for students in grades 9-12. EPs may
be reviewed more frequently as needed, such as when the student transitions
from elementary to middle school and middle to high school or if the student's
parent or teacher requests a review.
(7) EP implementation. An EP must be in
effect before specially designed instruction is provided to an eligible student
and is implemented as soon as possible following the EP meeting.
(a) The EP shall be accessible to each of the
student's teachers who are responsible for the implementation.
(b) Each teacher of the student shall be
informed of specific responsibilities related to implementing the student's
EP.