The Shelby County Board of Education provides an educational program for eligible students with disabilities ages 3 to 21. Preschool services for eligible children with disabilities ages 3-5 are also available. If you have or know of such a child, please call (901) 321-2710.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Did you know that federal funds may be used to support students with disabilities who attend private or home schools?

Shelby County Schools provides limited services to support students with disabilities who do not attend public schools. If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please contact the Special Education Division at 321-2710, or send your request along with your name, phone number, and address to:

Dr. Barbara Veeser Shelby County Schools Special Education Division 5650 Woodlawn St. Bartlett, TN 38134

---

Programs & Services | Evaluations & Reevaluations | IEP-Teams & IEPs | Moving to Shelby County - Special Needs Student?

---

Programs and Services in SCS

Shelby County Schools offers a wide variety of services for students with special needs. We have resource (part-time pull-out) classes in every school. Services in speech, occupational, and physical therapy are provided in every school. Over two-thirds (2/3) of our schools have self-contained (Comprehensive Development Classes) CDC classes or Expanded Resource classes. We have preschool classes for students with disabilities in 11 locations (and growing!). We no longer have a special school for disabled students, as we prefer to locate students in their home schools or as close to home as possible. More information on our various services can be obtained by contacting the Division of Special Education at (901)321-2710.

Return to Special Ed Menu

---

Evaluations and Reevaluations

My child has never received special education services, but I suspect a problem. What do I do?
In this case, simply contact your child's school and ask that they pursue an assessment. It is necessary to be as specific as possible about the types of problems you see your child experiencing. This is needed so that it can be determined what professionals need to be involved and the extent of the assessment that will be needed. Some problems can be solved simply by bringing them to the attention of everyone involved. Others will require full evaluations. Either way, the school is the best place to start.
If your child is not enrolled in a Shelby County school, or you are not satisfied that the problems have been dealt with at the local school level, contact the Division of Special Education at (901)321-2710.


How often must my child be reevaluated?
Current law requires that a reevaluation occur at least every three years. The extent of this reevaluation is determined by the IEP team. In many cases, additional testing will not be required.

Return to Special Ed Menu

---

IEP-Teams and IEPs

What is an IEP-Team?
This simply refers to the group of individuals at the school level who will meet to discuss your child's needs, develop and review plans, and decide what placement will best meet his/her needs. Typically, the IEP-Team will consist of the school principal or his/her designee, your child's teacher (or teachers), a special education teacher, and the parent/guardians. At times, others may be a part of the team. Other individuals might include: speech pathologists; physical therapists; occupational therapists; specialist teachers like art, music, and physical education teachers; and even the student. The parents/guardians may bring anyone to the IEP-Team that they feel can assist them in the process.

When should the IEP-Team meet?
The IEP-Team will meet when your child is initially placed in a special education program and at least annually thereafter. However, any member of the IEP-Team, including parent/guardian, may ask for the team to reconvene at any time.


What is an IEP? Is it the same as an IFSP?
An IEP is an Individualized Education Program. It is developed on an annual basis and provides the guidance for the provision of special education services for your student. Present levels of performance lead to the development of appropriate goals and objectives for the coming year. The IEP also spells out what, if any, related services will be required for your child to benefit from his/her special education program.
An IFSP is an Individualized Family Service Plan, and it is developed for students below the age of 3. Early intervention service providers work closely with families to develop a plan for the types of services that are needed to give the infant/toddler the early intervention he/she requires. IFSPs, or parts of them, can sometimes be used in place of an IEP. In Shelby County we have usually preferred to use the IFSP for guidance but to develop a new IEP appropriate for the school setting.


What is a Transition Plan?
Transition plans are required by law to be included as a part of the IEP for students age 14 and older. They may be written for students at an even younger age if the IEP-Team feels it is appropriate. The Transition Plan is intended to provide guidance for the IEP-Team and the family in seeking the appropriate services and preparing for life after the student exits the school system.

Return to Special Ed Menu

---

Moving to Shelby County with a Special Needs Student?

Memphis and Shelby County are two separate school districts. Geographical location will determine which district will provide services for your child. Your real estate agent can provide that information, or you can call the main offices of either school system with your exact address in the greater Memphis area.
Providing a full copy of the student's record of special education services will be required. This can be accomplished either by signing a release of information at your present school and asking that the records be forwarded to the above address or by securing a release form from our offices for that purpose. Either way, your signature will be required before records will be released. School systems across the country handle records differently, so you should allow plenty of time for records to be copied and mailed to Shelby County Schools. Waiting until you actually move to Shelby County before requesting the records may slow down the process of records transfer.
If you have records sent ahead before your family actually moves, please ask the sender to identify the child and the proposed address in Shelby County. We occasionally get records with no identification and have no way of acting upon the records or contacting the parent/guardian.
Be sure to have copies of your child's birth certificate, social security card, immunization record, proof of residence (Policy #6103) and record of custody (if applicable). These will be needed for enrollment into the public school system.


Will my child be able to start school right away?
You have the right to enroll your child in a public school upon meeting the regular enrollment requirements (proof of in-district residence, current immunizations, birth certificate and social security numbers). However, it is not possible to provide special education services until eligibility is determined. This is done by a review of records and/or additional testing followed by a meeting of the IEP Team members.
We in Shelby County Schools pride ourselves on working very hard to get students enrolled in the appropriate special education programs as quickly as possible. We assure you that we will make every effort to assist you in this process.


What happens after I send the special education records?
An appropriate professional reviews the records and makes a determination as to whether the previously completed testing meets the standards set forth by the State of Tennessee for identification of a disability. A brief report is then compiled and the student's record is sent to the proposed school. The school then contacts the family to arrange for an IEP Team meeting to discuss the student's needs, develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP), and determine placement.
If the records review results in a determination that the records are not current or not adequate for state standards, the parent/guardian will be contacted to arrange additional testing.

Return to Special Ed Menu | Return to Instructional Services

The Shelby County School District is a totally accredited school district. Every school meets the approved standards of the Tennessee State Department of Education and the accreditation standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Accreditation by SACS is the highest level of approval available to elementary, middle and secondary schools and ensures continuous implementation of high standards of quality education.

The Shelby County School District was the first large district in Tennessee to be accredited in its entirety by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Comprehensive Self-Evaluation studies are conducted by each school every ten years; educational updates are completed every school year. Each school's comprehensive ten-year study is confirmed by a committee which visits the school.

Shelby County offers a wide variety of extra-curricular activities at the various schools. Some examples of groups in elementary schools are: Odyssey of the Mind, and hands on science. Some examples of groups in middle schools are: Beta Club, Junior National Honor Society, Student Council, Science of the Mind, Science Olympiad, MathCounts, Geography Bee, Spelling Bee, Wordsmith, Newspaper, and Yearbook to name just a few. Some examples of groups in high schools are: National Honor Society, Beta Club, Student Government, Key Club, P.R.I.D.E., Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Foreign Language clubs, Yearbook, Newspaper, and wide spectrum of academic, vocational and service clubs. The clubs offered at the different schools will vary; please contact your area school to see which clubs are available.

Shelby County Schools offer a wide variety of sport programs and team competitions. School sponsored teams begin in the Middle School and continue through the High School level. Middle School offers basketball, and cheerleading. High School sport offerings for boys include football, soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, golf, cross country, track and wrestling. Girls sport offerings include volleyball, soccer, golf, basketball, softball, cross county, tennis, and track. Cheerleading and pom-pon squads are also a part of the wide range of sports offered in Shelby County Schools. Please check with your area school for the sports teams available.

All first semester high school exams will be given on December 14-15. All second semester high school exams will be given on May 25 - 26. **The ending date may be extended or the school calendar may be altered due to inclement weather, energy crisis, or other special circumstances. If more than five (5) make-up days are necessary, the Board of Education will determine when additional make-up days will be scheduled.

The calendar includes 180 teaching days, 5.0 in-service days, 4.0 administrative days, 1-day parent/teacher conferences, and 10 vacation days (non-designated), for a total of 200 days.

Return to Part One General Information

Return to Top of this Page