Student Services

Students with disabilities who do not qualify for an individualized education program under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act may qualify for services under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 if the student (i) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, (ii) has a record of a physical or mental impairment, or (iii) is regarded as having a physical or mental impairment. Questions about the identification, assessment and placement of students should be directed to Sarah Monroe, Director of Student Services, monroes@dist3.org.

Section 504 Rights in Brief can be found HERE.

Fox River Grove uses a variety of methods of referral and screening to identify students with special needs.

1. Referral by parents or guardians, concerned adults, and children themselves 
2. Preschool screening for children ages 3-5 
3. Hearing and vision screenings at regular intervals during the child’s educational career 
4. An ongoing referral process completed by teachers and other professional personnel identifying children who exhibit difficulty performing in the classroom 

When a referral is made, a team of professionals will meet to determine whether a case study evaluation is warranted. If so, the student services team will meet with parents to collect information from parents or guardians, teachers and others to review existing information and determine the specific domain areas to be assessed in an evaluation.

Once the domain areas have been determined, the parents will then give consent or refuse consent for evaluation of the determined assessments. 

After determined assessments are completed, a meeting to share the results will be held within 60 school days. The purpose of this meeting will be to summarize, interpret and document evaluation results, and determine eligibility for special education services. Please contact Sarah Monroe, Director of Student Services, monroes@dist3.org for more information on making a referral.

MTSS is a process designed to help schools focus on high quality instruction and interventions that are matched to student needs and monitored on a frequent basis. The information gained from the MTSS process is used by school personnel and parents to adapt instruction and to make decisions regarding the student’s educational program. MTSS ensures that all students receive the instruction and support they need. This objective is accomplished by systematically and proactively identifying which students need additional support, providing the additional support or enrichment students need, and monitoring students’ progress as a result of those interventions. 
The process of determining what type and level of support students need within the MTSS framework is driven by the following guiding questions:

• What do we want all students to know and be able to do?
• How will we know if they learn it?
• How will we respond when some students do not learn?
• How will we extend the learning for students who are already proficient?

 
MTSS in Fox River Grove School District 3

Fox River Grove School District 3 systematically identifies individual student needs, provides research-informed interventions, and monitors student progress through data driven systems. This problem-solving approach addresses academic, behavioral, communication, and social needs increasing the likelihood students will meet grade level district expectations.
If your child receives support through the MTSS process, you will be made aware of those supports and receive updates on your child’s progress.

Students who are working towards academic language proficiency with the English language have the opportunity to participate in Fox River Grove School District 3’s Multilingual Learner (ML) program.  The ML program provides students the opportunity to develop academic and linguistic proficiencies to listen, speak, read, and write in English in their general education classrooms.

During the registration process, all families receive a home language survey. If another language is spoken in the home, the district is required by the State to screen students for the ML program. Students are recommended to be in the ML program based on the results of this screening. The test measures the student’s ability to listen, speak, read and write in the English language.

All English language learners in K-12 must be assessed annually for English proficiency growth through the ACCESS test.

For information about Multilingual Learning please contact Jackie Buchert, Teaching & Learning Coordinator, at buchertj@dist3.org or Sarah Monroe, Director of Student Services, at monroes@dist3.org.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law that works to ensure educational stability for homeless youth. Under the law, homeless students have the right to:

• immediate enrollment;
• remain in their school or origin; and
• receive transportation and support services.

Fox River Grove School District 3 is committed to educating students who meet the guidelines under McKinney-Vento. The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.” Examples of children who fall under this definition include those who:

• share housing due to economic hardship or loss of housing;
• live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to lack of alternative accommodations;
• live in emergency or transitional shelters;
• have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation; and
• live in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations.

Below are links to additional information and resources for individuals or families who are experiencing homelessness.

About the McKinney-Vento Act

• McHenry County Regional Office of Education homeless liaisons 
• Illinois State Board of Education McKinney Vento Act 

If you have questions regarding homelessness, please contact Fox River Grove School District 3’s McKinney Vento Liaison: Sarah Monroe, Director of Student Services, monroes@dist3.org.