4+ Services
4+ Special Education Services are secondary services which are part of the student’s secondary schooling and included in his or her Individualized Education Program (IEP). Specifically, the purpose of the services is to fulfill unmet transition needs related to living, learning, and working, resulting from the student’s disability as identified in the student’s IEP. 4+ services are those provided through Johnston Community School District (JCSD) continuum of special education services which addresses any gaps between instruction designed for the student to complete a district’s secondary general education requirements and completion of Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
Eligibility for 4+ Services
Eligibility for services is determined based on whether the student has acquired the skills needed to meet their postsecondary expectations and IEP goals, enabling a successful transition into post-secondary life. This includes evaluating whether the student can make progress toward or meet goals related to their postsecondary expectations as outlined in their IEP. These services are provided when determined to be needed by the IEP team and for as long as necessary, as long as the student remains eligible for special education services. If JCSD 4+ services cannot meet the student’s needs within the district, the IEP team will work to find an alternate option for services, as long as the need persists. Students outside of the JCSD boundaries will be considered for acceptance on an individual basis for enrollment.
Placement Decisions
Placement means determining the educational placement of, or educational programming for, a student with a disability. Location means the physical location in which instruction and/or services take place. Placement decisions are typically made by the student’s IEP team, which includes the student, parents or guardians, and other people knowledgeable about the student.
Review of recent evaluation data and the continuum of placement options are considered when making the decision. Placement decisions are determined on an individual, case-by-case basis, dependent on each student’s unique needs and circumstances (Iowa Admin. Code rr. 281—41.116, 281—41.321). Placement decisions are made by an IEP team and not an individual participant or administrator. The amount of time a student receives services through such programming must be determined by individual student needs. The location of the services is determined by the Local Education Agency (LEA), so long as the location selected is consistent with the placement determination and the needs of the student. The IEP team cannot require the school district to use a specific classroom, building, or service provider. The location where instruction happens may include the school, community settings, or even community colleges, depending on what meets the needs of the student.
4+ IEP Goals and Services
IEP goals and services in a 4+ program are determined by the IEP team and are aligned to the student’s postsecondary expectations and skills they need to acquire to be successful in their future postsecondary setting. The 4+ program develops goals and determines services that directly impact postsecondary expectations that are aligned to the Iowa Standards including the College and Career Readiness, 21st Century, Employability, and/or Essential Elements standards. Leisure and living skills (i.e., adaptive behavior) may also be addressed in a 4+ program for students whose postsecondary plan includes day habilitation programming, group/host home, sheltered work, supported living skills to ensure that they are ready to be successful (many community settings involve a 1:6 adult to participant ratio for extended amounts of time). Individualized goals will work towards developing skills that will promote successful transition to postsecondary settings.
Discontinuation of 4+ Services
The length of time a student is eligible for 4+ services should be clearly outlined in the IEP. The IEP team shall review and apply age-appropriate transition assessment information to annually develop and refine an appropriate course of study for 4+ programming with clearly identified needs and how the needs will be addressed. 4+ services end when the student’s needs have been met, or when the student is no longer eligible for special education (i.e., age of 21). The end of services is not based on the end of a term or solely when graduation requirements are met. For instance, when a student has obtained the skills necessary to successfully transition to their postsecondary setting, the IEP team may determine the student’s needs have been met and 4+ services are no longer required.
Local Educational Agency (LEA) Responsibilities
4+ services are part of a district’s secondary special education program, which means the LEA continues to have responsibility for the IEP and special education services. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates the resident district hold responsibility and accountability for appropriateness of services and educational progress for each student. The IEP must identify and clearly describe all services, activities, and supports that are committed on behalf of an eligible individual, ensuring that the student and his or her family are meaningful partners in the IEP process.
The amount of time a student receives special education services through 4+ programming must be determined by student need. Data collected previously through IEP progress monitoring and attainment of those goals may be used to determine the appropriate amount of time for 4+ services. IDEA mandates that each student’s IEP must remain individualized. IEPs are not written to fit a program, instead they are written to meet the student’s individual needs.
The district is responsible for transporting the individual to the location of the 4+ services/experiences throughout the school day. The method of transportation is a district determination rather than parental choice. If the student or parents reject the district’s transportation arrangement, transportation becomes a student or parental responsibility. For students that are under open enrollment, transportation to and from school is a student/parent responsibility. More information on open enrollment and transportation can be found on the Iowa Department of Education’s website. The district is responsible for all costs directly associated with the provision of the individual’s FAPE. Determining which costs are necessary for FAPE and which are not, however, requires a close examination of the individual’s needs and proposed services. If a determination is made that an outside provider is necessary, contracts will be issued by the resident district and individualized for the student and the services necessary for that student.
Other Considerations
Secondary students with IEPs can participate in postsecondary courses under the same provisions as those without IEPs, such as Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) and concurrent enrollment. These courses may also be offered through a community college in partnership with the local school district, though whether they count for college credit depends on the community college’s policy. If allowed, students can privately enroll in postsecondary courses without affecting their special education services, but these courses aren’t considered “special education” and aren’t funded through FAPE. Modifications and accommodations in the IEP don’t apply in postsecondary settings; instead, accommodations are provided under the ADA and Section 504.
Books, supplies, and other materials necessary to provide FAPE are provided by the school district as long as there is a direct connection between the IEP and the costs. Supplies purchased by the school district are the property of the school district. General supplies provided for students with IEPs shall be provided in the same manner as non-disabled students. If the student/parents select to purchase items instead of the district, then the family retains ownership of the items, it should be documented in the IEP that the district offered to provide the item and the parents made the choice to purchase instead. For students receiving 4+ services at a community college, living on campus is a student choice at parental cost except under two conditions:
1) Specially designed instruction related to living skills are necessary according to the IEP and residential costs are necessary to provide FAPE; or,
2) The local district placed the student too far away from home, as determined by the school district, for special education services to return home daily.
If the district requires the student to live on campus, the costs covered will be the dorm housing and the dorm food plan. Personal living items (such as toilet paper, soap, toothbrush, etc.) are personal costs to the student/parents as these items are provided by, consumed by, and retained by the student or parents.