CARE Program
CARE Program
The program for students with emotional disturbances is a therapeutic day school for elementary age children who exhibit severe difficulties in their home school setting. The program is designed to promote a positive self-concept by maximizing the opportunities for student success through frequent praise and encouragement, to encourage and provide opportunities for students to identify and discuss their feelings, to provide students with an academic curriculum individualized to their needs, to provide an emotionally and physically safe milieu for all students by offering a structured and consistent environment, to foster the development of positive interpersonal relationships with classmates and staff, and to offer students acceptable options for their behaviors.
Students are provided related services necessary for them to benefit from their educational program. These services include social work, speech and language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, transportation, and others according to each student’s Individualized Education Program.
Behavior management is an important aspect of the program. A system of positive reinforcement and behavioral consequences are used hand-in-hand to make positive changes in students’ behavior. With each positive change in behavior, more privileges and responsibilities become available.
The ultimate goal of the program is to return students to their home school setting with the skills and behaviors that will allow them to be successful. Transition back to a student’s home school generally begins on a part-time basis. Recommendations for reintegration are made on a case-by-case basis.
Student Records
School student records are confidential and information from them shall not be released other than as provided by law. The information contained in school student records shall be kept current, accurate, clear and relevant. All information maintained concerning a student receiving special education services should be directly related to the provision of services to that child. State and federal laws grant students and parent(s)/guardian(s) certain rights, including the right to inspect, copy, and challenge school records. Pursuant to the Illinois Schools Records Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, parent(s)/guardian(s) have the right to review and copy their child’s school student records prior to any special education eligibility or IEP meeting.
In addition, the District maintains related service log records that document the type of related services administered under a student’s individualized education program (IEP). The related service logs also record the minutes of related services that have been administered. Parent(s)/guardian(s) may request and review IEP related service log records maintained for their child at any time. All requests for student records and/or related service logs will be directed to the student’s home school district.
Request for Interpretation/Translation Services for IEP Meetings
Interpretation services are available at IEP team meetings for parents/guardians whose native language is not English or for parents/guardians who are deaf. If a qualified interpreter is not available, the school may use outside vendors, including telephonic interpreters.
A parent/guardian requiring interpretation services at an IEP meeting may contact their student’s program supervisor, via in writing, by phone or email one time annually to request an interpreter at IEP meetings.
A parent or guardian has the right to request that the interpreter serve no other role in the IEP meeting other than interpreter, and the school should make reasonable efforts to fulfill this request. In addition to interpretation services, written translations of vital IEP process documents may be made available to parents/guardians of students with IEPs. A parent/guardian may contact the program supervisor with any questions or complaints about interpretation services and/or to find out more information or to address concerns regarding translation of vital IEP documents.
Written translation of vital IEP process documents, into the 10 most commonly spoken languages in Illinois, are available to parents. The Vital Documents List includes the IEP, Parent/Guardian Notification of Conference, Parent/Guardian Notification of Conference Recommendations, Notice of Procedural Safeguards for Parents/Guardians of Students with Disabilities, Parent/Guardian Consent for Initial Evaluation, Parent Consent for Reevaluation, Evaluation Reports, Eligibility Determination, Manifestation Determination Review documents, IEP Progress Reports, and Medicaid Consent Forms. A parent/guardian may contact their student’s program supervisor, via in writing, by phone or email one time annually to request translated documents. A parent/guardian may contact the program supervisor with any questions or complaints about the translations.