Special Programs

CHILD FIND

All public schools are mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) to identify, locate, and evaluate students who may demonstrate disabilities through the Child Find process. The intent of Child Find is that all children with disabilities, ages 3-21, are located, identified, and evaluated in order to receive needed supports and services.

As public School, Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy provides a Free Appropriate Public Education to children ages 3-21, including those children who qualify for special education services unless the parent refuses special education services. For a child to receive intervention or special education services, an evaluation must be conducted to confirm the presence of a delay or disability.

OVCA provides specialized programming through specially trained teachers to provide education-related services for children with disabilities. Supports are provided in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and range from mild and moderate to significantly more involved supports for each of the following disabilities as defined by the State of Oklahoma:

Autism
Developmental Delay
Deaf-Blindness
Emotional Disturbance
Hearing Impairment, Including Deafness
Intellectual Disabilities
Multiple Disabilities
Orthopedic Impairments
Other Health Impairments
Specific Learning Disability
Speech or Language Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Visual Impairment Including Blindness

If, through Child Find activities, a child is identified as possibly having a disability and in need of special education services, OVCA may seek parent consent to evaluate the child. All such evaluations will be conducted in compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations. Parents must report that their child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) during the enrollment process. Please contact the Special Education Manager, Tara Whitekiller, at [email protected] to report students who may be in need these specialized educational and/or related services.

PARENT RIGHTS AND PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS

Parents and guardians of children eligible for or currently receiving special education services have certain state and federal rights. For more information on parent rights in special education, a copy of the Oklahoma State Department of Education Parent Rights in Special Education and Notice of Procedural Safeguards is available through the link below and on the State of Oklahoma website.

PARENT REVOCATION OF CONSENT FOR SERVICES UNDER THE IDEA

The parent of a child with a disability who receives special education and/or related services under IDEA may submit a written request to the district revoking consent for the continued provision of those services. Upon receipt of the written revocation request, Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy will follow a procedure consistent with legal requirements to terminate all the child’s special education and related services. The child will then be identified as a general education student for all purposes.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy is responsible for providing a free and appropriate education under the federal Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). The special education manager and special education teacher assist parents in accessing and coordinating services pursuant to a current Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Special education services are available to students identified with a disability by a multi-disciplinary team. A multi-disciplinary team consists of a special education teacher, at least one regular education teacher, the parent, a professional evaluator, a principal and the student. Therapists or other professionals are involved on an as-needed basis. OVCA follows the requirements of IDEA 2004 and the laws of Oklahoma. Parents should indicate that their child has an Individualized Education Plan on their enrollment form. Parents are also asked to provide documentation of a disability (e.g., medical records, prior special educational records, psychological or psychoeducational evaluations, and/or prior special education records).

What to expect if your child receives special education services:

Every special education student will be assigned a special education teacher in addition to his or her regular course teachers. The Learning Coach and student are expected to communicate on a regular basis with the special education teacher through various available communication means.
Students are placed in a setting determined by the IEP team. The setting may be the general education classroom or a special education classroom. A special education classroom should include a smaller group of students and content instruction (e.g., ELA, Algebra, etc.) is provided by the special education teacher.
The special education teacher provides the Learning Coach assistance to modify and adapt the learning environment as well as curriculum paths for success.
Instructional and related services are determined by the IEP team and documented in the IEP.
The special education teacher is available as a resource for instructional strategies, adaptations and modifications to the curriculum.
The special education teacher will provide a progress report at the end of each grading period, noting the progress on the student’s IEP goals.
Special Education students are required to meet the same attendance policies as their peers.

RELATED SERVICES

Related services may be necessary to facilitate a student’s ability to make progress in the general education curriculum. Related services may include, but are not limited to, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physical therapy and/or psychological services. Related services, placement, and goals are determined by the IEP team.

Options for related services should be discussed with the special education staff before a decision is made to enroll with the academy. Related services are typically provided virtually by independent contractors across the state of Oklahoma. Families may be required to travel to receive face-to-face related services. Our goal is to have providers available within an hour of the student’s home; however, this is not always possible. Location of related services is dependent on our ability to secure a contract with a provider. Students are expected to keep appointments.

COMMUNICATION

Communication between special education teachers and the parent will be made via telephone and email. Confidential documents will be password protected and sent to parent via email.

The corresponding password will be sent through a separate email. To ensure ongoing communication, please inform the special education and general education teacher of any changes to phone numbers or email addresses.

SECTION 504 ACCOMMODATION PLANS

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, commonly referred to as “Section 504,” is a federal statute that prohibits discrimination against persons on the basis of their disability by institutions that receive financial federal assistance. It states:

*No otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

Section 504’s purpose is to assure that disabled students have educational opportunities and benefits equal to those provided to nondisabled students. An eligible student under Section 504 is a student who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. If a student is covered by Section 504, schools must provide such accommodations as are necessary to ensure that the student has equal access to services, programs and activities offered by the school. Section 504 protects students from discrimination on the basis of disability to the same extent as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

If your student may need a 504 plan, please contact the 504 Coordinator, Jill Wallace at [email protected]. In order to qualify for a 504, the parent can present a doctor's note describing the mental or physical disability. If the student is going to be absent for three or more days a doctor’s note is required for the absences to be excused. A student with a 504 is still under the general rules of withdrawal if doctor’s notes are not provided for extended absences. The school may create a plan based on evidence collected that there may be a disability present.

TITLE I

OVCA is a schoolwide Title I school. As a schoolwide Title I school OVCA receives Title I, Part A funding which is intended to help ensure that all children have the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards and assessments. As the largest federal program supporting public education, Title I targets resources to the districts and schools where the needs are greatest. The funding is allocated to the school according to the percentage of students who are economically disadvantaged.

Title I Funding may provide:

Additional staff
Professional development
Intervention programs
Parent involvement programs
Strategies for raising student achievement
Ensuring students’ access to scientifically based instructional strategies

Annually, a Title I planning committee at OVCA conducts a comprehensive needs assessment to identify the current state of the school identifying the strengths and weaknesses as reflected in both the qualitative and quantitative data. If you would like to participate in serving on the Title I planning committee please contact your principal or the Title I Coordinator.

GIFTED & TALENTED

OVCA provides Gifted & Talented students supplemental resources and enrichment through the Gifted & Talented program each school year. OVCA seeks to identify students who have high intellectual, academic or creative thinking skills to participate in our Gifted and Talented program.

Students may be identified in two categories. Category 1 identification is based on a standardized test of abilities score at or above the 97th percentile. Category 2 identification uses multiple criteria (ability test scores, achievement test scores, and/or recommendation) to place in the gifted program.

*If a student was identified while enrolled at a prior school district the parent may submit the documentation for the student to be identified at OVCA.

Gifted learners may benefit from individualized programming options to ensure appropriate challenge and engagement. OVCA offers a variety of options to serve the gifted learner:

Flexible Pacing- some courses are only offered by semester
Individualized Instruction
Ongoing Assessment
Proficiency-Based Promotion with qualifying assessment and progress; 6th- 12th some courses are only offered by semester
Creative/Academic Competition through K12 Virtual Schools LLC (Stride K12) online clubs
Interest groups through K12 Virtual Schools LLC (Stride K12) online clubs
Early grade promotion with qualifying assessment and progress
In person and virtual enrichment opportunities
Concurrent enrollment opportunities in high school
Honors classes in high school
Gifted Individualized Learning Plan

For more information about the OVCA Gifted & Talented Program or to request your student being identified as Gifted & Talented please email the Gifted & Talented Resource Coordinator, Phillip Przybylo at [email protected].

*It is important to consider the long-term goal of early completion of courses to determine the best path for the student. Students who wish to work ahead in order to graduate early are encouraged to work with their counselor and/or the Gifted Resource Teacher to develop a plan for additional courses and/or accelerated pacing. Demonstrated success in current courses is required before exploring accelerated pacing or early graduation paths.
*In Elementary and Middle School, students who wish to work ahead in individual courses must request approval from the course teacher. Demonstrated success in the course and a plan for two-way communication for the purpose of feedback and instruction is required to work ahead. Completion of all assignments, including the final exam is also required.
*Students who participate in selected Gifted & Talented enrichment activities can opt out of 1- 2 history or science lessons in K-8th grade depending on the activity.

LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEANERS

A Home Language Survey (HLS) is required to be on file for every student enrolled at OVCA. OVCA uses the home language survey responses to begin the identification process of English language learners. Identified English Language Learners are provided supplemental support through English Language support and instruction and, when applicable, supplemental curriculum. The tutor serves as an advocate and support system while helping the student gain proficiency in English. The person providing the English Language support and instruction will partner with the student, Learning Coach, and general education teachers.
If your student may need ELL services, please contact the Special Programs Director Katherine Young at [email protected] or 405.259.9478 ext. 2173

LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT PARENTS

Notification of Language Assistance Services: Any parent who is limited in speaking, writing, or reading English may request the school to provide access to services such as interpreter and/or translated documents. To request services please email Katherine Young at [email protected]. Prompt access to the appropriate services and/or translator will be coordinated.

Asistencia de idioma: Cualquier padre que se limita al hablar, escribir o leer Inglés podrá solicitar a la escuela para proporcionar acceso a servicios tales como intérprete y / o documentos traducidos. Para solicitar los servicios envíe un correo electrónico o llamar al Coordinador de ELL. Se coordinará el pronto acceso a los servicios apropiados y / o al traductor.

This information is from the Board-approved OVCA Handbook for SY 2023-2024, revised August 2023.