Policies and Procedures
North Carolina Policies
For additional information about NC Policies Governing Services for Children with disabilities view our NC Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities-Revised March 2021
NC Licensure Resources
Information about North Carolina Licensure can be found on our Resources for Educators Page
Additional Resources
IDEA Website
This site provides a “one-stop shop” for IDEA resources and the implementing regulations. It is a user friendly website that changes as more information becomes available. Viewers can use it to cross-reference content from other laws, such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), etc. There are video clips, topic briefs on some regulations, links to technical assistance from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), and a Q & A Corner where viewers can submit questions.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO)
The mission of the Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) is to meet the needs of the Department's primary customers–learners of all ages–by effectively implementing two laws that seek to ensure student and parental rights in education: the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).
Child Find Posters and Brochures are mailed annually to PSU School Systems and Central Offices, Charter Schools, State-Operated Programs, and Non-Public Schools in our effort to locate and serve children with special needs. Please join the effort by getting the information out to your local communities!
Protecting the Student Voice in the Special Education Process
This guidance manual was developed to assist PSUs in developing a special education surrogate parent program. The manual will provide guidance with how to:
- Identify and verify the need for a special education surrogate parent;
- Recruit and train individuals to be surrogate parents;
- Assign surrogate parents appropriately;
- Monitor and evaluate the surrogate parent and surrogate parent program; and
- Review and revise special education surrogate parent assignments, as appropriate
The manual also includes a section that can be used as a handbook for surrogate parent volunteers and sample forms to help the PSU in implementing procedures.
Non-Public Schools
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (PL 108-446) and Article 9 of North Carolina state law require that the Department of Public Instruction monitor on a regular basis non-public schools and facilities that provide special education and related services to children with disabilities who are placed in or referred to them by a public school unit (PSU). If the program maintains approval status, public school units (PSUs) may use public education funds to help defray the special education and related services costs for students with disabilities at the school.
Non-Public Schools Website
The North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE) exists by authority of G.S. 115C–553, G.S. 115C–561, G.S. 115C–563(b) and G.S. 115C–566(a) to administer the requirements of Article 39, Chapter 115C of the North Carolina General Statutes which govern non-public schools (both conventional non-public and home).
Non-Public Schools' Exceptional Children Program Approval Process
PRTF Resources
- PRTF Handbook
- Yours, Mine, or Ours: A Guide to Collaboration between LEAs and PRTFs
- Senate Bill 744 2014-100
- Directory of Approved Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs)
PRTF Exceptional Children Program Approval Process
State Forms
The state forms are used by exceptional children personnel within public school units and state operated programs to assist with the documentation of data collection and programming for children with disabilities.
The current state forms have been amended and will be used statewide with the implementation of Every Child Accountability Tracking System (ECATS).
| Form Name | Details | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| Used for inviting the parent, guardian and/or student to IEP Team meetings | April 17, 2018 | |
Consent - Invitation of Outside Agencies for Transition Services Consent - Inviation of Outside Agencies for Transition Services Spanish version | Pre-K and Post-Secondary Transition | April 17, 2018 |
Request to Excuse Required IEP Team Member(s) Request to Excuse Required IEP Team Memeber(s) Spanish Version | Can only be used for required IEP Team members if excused member provides input to the IEP Team in writing prior to the meeting or the excused member(s) area is not being discussed | April 17, 2018 |
| Form Name | Details | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| Used when a disability is suspected for a school-age child | April 25, 2018 | |
| Used when a disability is suspected for a pre-school child | ||
| Documents the IEP Team's review of existing data and whether or not additional data are needed to determine if a child is still a child with a disability and specially designed instruction and related services |
| Form Name | Details | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| Documents parental consent to conduct evaluations | April 25, 2018 | |
| Documents the initial consent for the provision of special education and related services | April 26, 2018 |
| Form Name | Details | Effective Date |
| Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Autism is suspected | November 6, 2021 | |
| Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Deaf-Blindness is suspected | May 16, 2018 | |
| Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Deafness is suspected | May 16, 2018 | |
| Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Developmental Delay is suspected | May 16, 2018 | |
| Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Emotional Disability is suspected | May 23, 2018 | |
| Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Hearing Impairment is suspected | May 23, 2018 | |
Intellectual Disability Eligibility Worksheet Intellectual Disability Spanish Version Eligibility Worksheet | Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Intellectual Disability is suspected | May 23, 2018 |
| Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Multiple Disability is suspected | May 23, 2018 | |
| Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Orthopedic Impairment is suspected | November 6, 2019 | |
Other Health Impairment Eligibility Worksheet Other Health Impairment Spanish Version Eligibility Worksheet | Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Other Health Impairment is suspected | November 6, 2019 |
Specific Learning Disability Eligibility Worksheet Specific Learning Disability Spanish Version Eligibility Worksheet | Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Specific Learning Disability is suspected | November 6, 2021 |
Speech or Language Impairment Eligiblity Worksheet Speech or Language Impairment Spanish Version Eligibility Worksheet | Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Speech or Language Impairment is suspected | November 6, 2019 |
| Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Traumatic Brain Injury is suspected | November 6, 2019 | |
Visual Impairment (including Blindness) Eligibility Worksheet Visual Impairment (including Blindness) Spanish Version Eligibility Worksheet | Documents the results of the required screening and evaluations when Visual Impairment is suspected | November 6, 2019 |
| Documents the IEP Team's decision regarding whether or not a child is a child with a disability | April 26,2018 |
| Form Name | Details | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| Documents the specially designed instruction and related services necessary to provide a child with a disability a free appropriate public education | ||
| Documents the communication used and/or necessary for students who are deaf or hard of hearing | November 6, 2019 | |
| Documents a teams consideration for student's participation in extended content standards and will exit high school on a certificate of attendance rather than a regular high school diploma. | ||
| Documents the careful consideration of, appropriateness, and long-term impact of the decision for a student to follow the Extended Content Standards and participate in the Alternate Assessments. | ||
| Documents the factors considered when determining extended school year for a child with a disability |
| Form Name | Details | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| Documents the final decisions of the IEP Team | April 26, 2018 | |
| Notice of a disciplinary change in placement | February 18, 2020 | |
| Documents whether or not a disciplinary change in placement is a manifestation of a child's disability | February 18, 2020 | |
| Documents the special education services made available to a child with a disability that has been parentally placed in private school | February 18, 2020 | |
Secondary Transition - Summary of Performance Secondary Transitino - Summary of Performance Spanish Version | Summary of the child's academic achievement and functional performance, which includes recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting the child's postsecondary goals. |
| Form Name | Details | Effective Date |
Consent for Release of Contact Information to Residential Schools for the Deaf & Blind | Requires North Carolina public schools to provide a consent for release of information form to parents, guardians, or custodians of students identified with a primary disability of hearing and/or vision loss, or if the student is identified as multiple disabled and has hearing and/or vision loss. Survey Link | |
Students with Specific Learning Disabilities & Mathematics Sequence Exemption for HS Graduation | This is a guide to assist IEP Teams in determining whether or not a math sequence exemption is appropriate for a child with a disability. NC General Statute (115C-81b) |