(PUBLISHED IN THE NORMAN TRANS...

(Published in The Norman Transcript August 2, 2015, 1t) NORMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT CHILD IDENTIFICATION, LOCATION, AND EVALUATION This notice is to inform parents of the child identification, location, screening, and evaluation activities to be conducted throughout the year by the Norman Public Schools in coordination with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Personally identifiable information shall be collected and maintained in a confidential manner in carrying out the following activities: Referral Preschool children ages 3 to 6 and students enrolled in K-12 who are suspected of having disabilities which may require special education and related services may be referred for screening evaluation through the local school. Norman Public Schools coordinates with the Sooner Start Early Intervention Program in referrals for identification and evaluation of infants and toddlers who may be eligible for early intervention services from birth through 2 years of age or for special education and related services beginning at 3 years of age. The Oklahoma Areawide Service Information System (OASIS), through a toll free number (1-800-426-2747), also provides statewide information and referrals to local schools and other service providers. Screening Screening activities may include vision, hearing, and health. Other screening may include: review of records and educational history; interviews; observations; and specially developed educational screening instruments. (1) Educational Screening Educational screening includes accepted procedures for the identification of children who may have special learning needs and may be eligible for special education and related services in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Each school district in the State provides educational screening. No child shall be educationally screened without prior notice to the child's parent or legal guardian or whose parent or legal guardian has filed a written objection with the local school district. (2) Language Screening At the time a student enrolls in Norman Public Schools, parents are asked to complete a Home Language Survey. The survey is used to identify students who speak a language other than English in their homes. Based on survey information, eligible students will be tested in the areas of oral language, listening, reading, writing, and comprehension. Test scores on the language test will be used to design tutoring programs that assist students with English language acquisition. Parents are provided with a language acquisition progress report on an annual basis. Evaluation Evaluation means procedures used in accordance with Federal laws and regulations to determine whether a child has a disability and the nature and extent of the special education and related services that the child needs. The term means procedures used selectively with an individual child and does not include basic tests administered or procedures used with all children in a school, grade, or class. Written consent of the parent or legal guardian for such evaluation must be on file with the Norman Public School District prior to any child receiving an initial evaluation for special education and related services purposes. For further information, contact Justin Milner, Director of Special Services, Norman Public Schools, 131 S. Flood, Norman, Oklahoma 73069, telephone 366-5843. NORMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS UNDER FERPA FOR ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or older ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records. These rights are: 1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day the Norman Public Schools ("School") receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school official] a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. 2. The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy rights under FERPA. Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the school to amend a record should write the school principal [or appropriate school official], clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing. 3. The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel) or a person serving on the school board. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the school who performs an institutional service of function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist; a parent or student volunteering to serve on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the school discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, or is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes of the student's enrollment or transfer. 4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the School District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202. See the list below of the disclosures that elementary and secondary schools may make without consent. FERPA permits the disclosure of PII from students' education record, without consent of the parent or eligible student, if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in §99.31 of the FERPA regulations. Except for disclosures to school officials, disclosures related to some judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information, and disclosures to the parent or eligible student, §99.32 of the FERPA regulations requires the school to record the disclosure. Parents and eligible students have a right to inspect and review the record of disclosures. A school may disclose PII from the education records of a student without obtaining prior written consent of the parents or the eligible student - • To other school officials, including teachers, within the educational agency or institution whom the school has determined to have legitimate educational interests. This includes contractors, consultants, volunteers, or other parties to whom the school has outsourced institutional services or functions, provided that the conditions listed in §99.31 (a)(1)(i)(B)(1) - (a)(1)(i)(B)(2) are met. (§99.31(a)(1)) • To officials of another school, school system, or institution of postsecondary education where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes related to the student's enrollment or transfer, subject to the requirements of §99.34. (§99.31(a)(2)) • To authorized representatives of the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities, such as the State educational agency in the parent or eligible student's State (SEA). Disclosures under this provision may be made, subject to the requirements of §99.35, in connection with an audit or evaluation of Federal or State supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or in compliance with Federal legal requirements that relate to those programs. These entities may make further disclosures of PII to outside entities that are designated by them as their authorized representatives to conduct any audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity on their behalf. (§99.31(a)(3) and §99.35) • In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and conditions of the aid. (§99.31(a)(4)) • To State and local officials or authorities to whom information is specifically allowed to be reported or disclosed by a State statute that concerns the juvenile justice system and the system's ability to effectively serve, prior to adjudication, the student whose records were released, subject to §99.38. (§99.31(a)(5)) • The organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school, in order to: (a) develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or (c) improve instruction. (§99.31(a)(6)) • To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions. (§99.31(a)(7)) • To parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes. (§99.31(a)(8)) • To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. (§99.31(a)(9)) • To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency, subject to §99.36. (§99.31(a)(10)) • Information the school has designated as "directory information" under §99.37. (§99.31(a)(11)) NORMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTORY INFORMATION NOTICE The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that the School District, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child's education records. However, the School District may disclose appropriately designated "directory information" without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the School District to include this type of information from your child's education records in certain school publications. Examples include: • A playbill, showing your student's role in a drama production; • The annual yearbook; • Honor roll or other recognition lists; • Graduation programs; and • Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members. Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent's prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with three directory information categories - names, addresses and telephone listings - unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student's information disclosed without their prior written consent. If you do not want the School District to disclose directory information from your child's education records without your prior consent, you must notify the Superintendent in writing. The School District has designated the following information as "directory information," and it will discloses that information without prior written consent: 1. The student’s name; 2. The student’s address; 3. The student’s telephone listing; 4. The student’s date and place of birth; 5. The student’s dates of attendance; 6. The student’s grade level (i.e., first grade, tenth grade, etc.); 7. The student’s participation in officially recognized activities and sports; 8. The student’s degrees, honors and awards received; 9. The student’s weight and height, if a member of an athletic team; 10. The most recent educational agency or institution attended; 11. The student’s photograph; and 12. The student’s electronic mail address. The School District will notify parents and eligible students annually of the designated items of directory information by means of a District newsletter, newspaper notice, school handbook or individual notice. Parents and eligible students have the right to exclude directory information from public access by notifying the Superintendent’s office in writing of any or all of the items they refuse to permit the School District to designate as directory information about that student within two weeks of receiving the notice. At the end of the two-week period, each student’s records will be appropriately marked to indicate the items the School District will not designate as directory information about that student. This designation will remain in effect until it is modified by the written direction of the student’s parent or the eligible student.