Services
The Child Study Team (CST) is a group of specialists employed by the Runnemede School District to provide consultative, evaluative, and prescriptive services to the students, teachers, and parents of our school district. Our Child Study Team consists of our Supervisor / School Psychologist, our School Learning Consultant (LDTC), and our School Social Worker.
What does each member of the Child Study Team do?
- School Psychologist: Determines a child’s intellectual, emotional, and behavioral functioning.
- Learning Consultant (LDTC): Determines the child’s academic levels and learning strengths/weaknesses.
- School Social Worker: Evaluates the child’s developmental history and home environment, and acts as a liaison between home and the community.
- Speech-Language Specialist: Assesses the child’s communication abilities.
- Other Specialists: occupational therapists, physical therapists, physicians, psychiatrists, neurologists or other specialists may also assist in the evaluation process.
Special Education Programs
The Runnemede School District provides a great array of programs to address the specific needs of our special education students. If Runnemede is unable to provide an appropriate program within our school district, then students are placed in an appropriate out-of-district program.
Speech Services
Age appropriate speech and language aptitude is absolutely essential to the success of a student. Speech effects many areas of a child's social and emotional development. Runnemede recognizes the need for our students to comprehend and understand the language, be able to properly express their thoughts and feelings, ask for help or advice, and to be able to speak so that others can properly understand. We are dedicated to the proper development of language.
English as a Second Language
The English as a Second Language program was developed in Runnemede to help meet the specific needs of students who enroll in our district with a deficiency in speaking the English Language. The goal of the program is to foster a growth and understanding in the learning, comprehending, and speaking of the English language.
Preschool Disabled Program
The design of the Runnemede Preschool Disabled Program is to meet the specific needs of each child by providing them with positive educational experiences. Our program holds as its aim the constant and consistent social, emotional, and learning growth of our children. Our program's goal is to develop the cognitive abilities, communication, emotional development, and motor skill ability of our children. Our program is designed to prepare our students to be successful in the world around them.
How and when are students referred to the Child Study Team?
Within the school district, students are usually referred by the Intervention and Referral Services Committee of the school the student is attending. In addition, sometimes the classroom teacher, or the principal refers the student to the Child Study Team. Parents also have the right to request that their child be considered for a Child Study Team evaluation. Parents who desire to refer their child for an evaluation should do so in writing and forward the letter to the Child Study Team. Students who are experiencing ongoing academic and / or behavioral difficulties in the classroom that can not be resolved through classroom interventions implemented by the classroom teacher or the Intervention & Referral Services committee should be considered for a Child Study Team evaluation.
When should parents become involved?
It is the philosophy of the Runnemede School District to actively involve parents throughout the process of assisting students to resolve academic or behavioral difficulties in the school setting. The school district will contact parents to discuss the need for intervention by the Intervention & Referral Service Committee if their child is experiencing difficulty in the classroom. If it becomes necessary to refer a student to the Child Study Team, parents must be informed and also notified in writing. Parents will be invited to attend a meeting with the Child Study Team, their child’s teacher(s), and other appropriate school personnel to discuss the need for the evaluation and to determine what type of testing is necessary. Parents then must give their written consent before their child can be formally evaluated or classified.
What happens once a student is evaluated and parents agree to classification?
One of the Child Study Team members will be designated as the case manager for the student. The case manager is knowledgeable regarding the student’s educational needs and program. He or she coordinates the development, monitoring and evaluation of the Individual Education Program (IEP). The IEP is a legally binding written plan detailing the child’s special educational programs and services. The case manager facilitates communication between home and school. In addition, the case manager coordinates the annual review and reevaluation process.
How and when are students referred to the Child Study Team?
Within the school district, students are usually referred by the Intervention & Referral Committee. In addition, sometimes the classroom teacher, or the principal refers the student to the Child Study Team. Parents also have the right to request that their child be considered for a Child Study Team evaluation. Parents who desire to refer their child for an evaluation should do so in writing and forward the letter to the Child Study Team. Students who are experiencing ongoing academic and/or behavioral difficulties in the classroom that can not be resolved through classroom interventions implemented by the classroom teacher or the Intervention & Referral Committee should be considered for a Child Study Team evaluation.
How is a student with special needs educational placement determined?
Through extensive testing and deliberation the Child Study Team formulates a recommendation for the student’s placement in the least restrictive educational environment. The final determination is made by the Child Study Team, parents and the teachers.
If my child is classified by the Child Study Team will he or she be "labeled" for the remainder of school?
All information on students with special needs is completely confidential. Only the student’s teachers, Child Study Team members and some of the administration are entitled to review the evaluations or IEP. By law students must be reevaluated once every three years to determine if they still are eligible for special education programming.
The purpose of the Child Study Team is to identify, evaluate, and determine eligibility for special education programs and services for students in grades Preschool through grade 8.
