Student Services

Section 504 is a civil rights legislation that has been in effect since 1973. It seeks to ensure that people with disabilities are not discriminated against in the workplace or in schools because of a disability. As it impacts schools, the intent is that a student with a disability will not be discriminated against because of the disability and will be provided access to educational and related opportunities/benefits equal to those of non-disabled peers. 

Section 504 is an anti-discrimination law designed to prevent discrimination against a student based on their disability. 

1. A student must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. 
2. Major life activities mean functions such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. 
3. The student's physical or mental impairment affects them in the school environment.

Wisconsin’s Informational Guidebook on Dyslexia and Related Conditions

The informational dyslexia guidebook required by 2019 Wisconsin Act 86 is online at https://dpi.wi.gov/reading/dyslexiaguidebook. The guidebook was created through collaboration between the advisory committee, as outlined in Act 86, and DPI. Per Act 86, the informational guidebook discusses screening, instruction and intervention, and resources that can support improved learning for school-aged individuals with characteristics of dyslexia. The audience for the information is broad and includes but is not limited to parents and families, educators, interventionists or reading teachers, and educational leaders.

Each school district is required to include a link to the informational guidebook on dyslexia and related conditions; the school district link must be available no later than December 1, 2021.

Services are available to children ages three through five who have been identified as having significant delays in development and have qualified for services through district assessments. We use the Ages and Stages Questionnaire for our child development screenings in both English and Spanish. The ASQ, or Ages and Stages Questionnaire, is a tool used to assess the development of young children. It consists of a series of questions that parents or caregivers answer about their child's skills and behaviors. The ASQ helps identify areas where a child may be developing typically or may need additional support. It covers different areas of development, such as communication, motor skills, problem-solving, and social-emotional skills. 

If it has been determined that a child meets the criteria for a disability, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is created by the IEP team. The IEP contains educational and adaptive goals specific to the ability level and needs of each child. The purpose is to provide children with early help through specialized educational services. The site of services will be determined by the IEP team based on the goals of each student. 

If you have further questions regarding Early Childhood Special Education Services, please don't hesitate to contact the Student Services office at (920) 845-5549.

Students who frequently demonstrate chronic and severe emotional and/or behaviors that significantly interfere with their learning may qualify under this area. Teachers who specialize in this area are available for the instruction of academic and affective skills, consultation with general education staff, and diagnostic evaluations.

Students with significant physical limitations of their auditory and visual senses may qualify for special programs within the district. Severely impaired students may qualify for services in more specialized out-of-district programs.

Students with significantly below-average general intellectual ability in conjunction with significant delays in academic skills and adaptive behavior may qualify under this disability category. Programs are available in integrated classes at the intermediate, middle, and high school levels within the district.

Variation in the acquisition and mastery of basic academic skills can normally be expected among students at every grade level; however, students who have tested ability in the average or above average range and who still demonstrate significant delays in basic academic subjects may qualify for specific learning disabilities educational services if their delay is not primarily attributable to a physical or health deficit, emotional behavioral or other outside factors.

Occupational and physical therapy are only available on an as needed basis as a supportive or educational related service to those students qualifying for services under a disability area.

Speech and Language Pathologists work with children who demonstrate significant delays in the acquisition or production of normal speech and/or language skills relative to chronological age and mental or physical ability. From the preschool through the secondary level, speech and language pathologists address language development, communication skills, stuttering, and articulation.