Special Education Director
Mrs. Shanna Schillinger
Shanna.Schillinger@kootenaiclassical.org
208-694-6333
Kootenai Classical Academy Special Education and Student Services
Adopted Child Find Policy:
Kootenai Classical Academy has been authorized by the Idaho Public Charter School Commission to provide a free and appropriate classical education for all its students while furnishing support for students with other learning. KCA adheres to the following “child find” practices to identify and serve such students, through the provision of Individual Education Plans (IEP), 504 plans and Response to Intervention (RTI) programs, under all applicable federal, state, and district laws, policies, and guidelines.
Kootenai Classical Academy, in cooperation with parents and nonpublic school agencies, engages in Child Find services throughout the school year. Child Find activities are conducted (1) to create public awareness of special education programs, (2) to advise the public that students who qualify for services have the right to a free appropriate public education and confidentiality protections, and (3) to alert community residents that a process exists for identifying and serving children with disabilities from the age of 3 through the semester in which they turn 21. If you know of a child who is 3 through 21 years of age who may have individual needs that result from disabilities or developmental delays, and who is not enrolled in a school program, please contact Ms. Shanna Schillinger, Special Education Director and/or Mrs. Krystal Hansen, Assistant Headmaster, at (208) 694-6333. These children may have difficulty walking, talking, hearing, or learning, or may display behaviors that appear different from other children their age.
Family & Community
At Kootenai Classical Academy, we believe that strong partnerships between families, educators, and the community are essential to student success. Our approach to Family and Community Engagement is rooted in collaboration, transparency, and mutual respect.
Our Purpose:
Kootenai Classical Academy is a tuition-free charter school dedicated to educating well rounded students with what is timeless, fundamental, and best in human thought, including arts, math, science, history, and language.
We believe learning should be exciting, fun, and important, and that kids want to learn and to excel in a school they love.
We want our students to be self-governing, educated, honest citizens, not just employees. The jobs students train for today may not exist ten or twenty years from now. Jobs do not make the human mind; the human mind makes jobs. So, let’s work on the minds of young people first, and they will build our economy.
Student Support:
We recognize that academic rigor can be especially demanding for students with unique learning needs. That’s why we are deeply committed to inclusive practices that ensure every student—regardless of ability—has access to meaningful learning experiences. Our classrooms are led by well-trained educators who uphold classical ideals while providing the support and structure necessary for all students to thrive.
Our adopted curriculum has proven effective for a wide range of learners, including students with disabilities. Through supplemental resources, targeted support, and strategic reteaching, we help students access and succeed in our rigorous academic program.
Importantly, we understand that not all students who struggle have a disability. At KCA, we are proactive in identifying and addressing learning and behavioral needs early through a multi-step approach. This includes collaborative planning between our Student Services Team and General Education Faculty, ensuring that every student receives the support they need to succeed.
Together, we foster a learning environment where high expectations, individualized support, and a love of learning go hand in hand.
The following multi-tier system is used by KCA in our RTI process:
Overview of the different levels of the multi-tier system.
Tier 1: Effective for whole class instruction. Intervention is identified through universal screening.
Tier 2: Focused intervention: This begins within the classroom, one-on-one, or small group.
Tier 3: Intensive Intervention: One-on-One or small group pull-out. Referral: At this final step in the procedure a referral may be made and considered. This is when extensive interventions have not yielded positive academic or behavioral results.
Referral to Special Education
The following two reasons are normally how students are referred to Special Education:
1.) The student shows lack of response to multiple steps of intervention.
2.) A parent makes a written request for an evaluation.
A referral to consider evaluation meeting will be offered with the appropriate school members and parents to discuss the progress monitoring data, lack of data, areas of concern, behavior plan or learning plans if applicable, assessments, etc., to determine if an evaluation is warranted.
Consent for Assessment
At this time, it is important for the evaluation team to be identified and all areas of concern to be included in the assessment document. The assessment document will be followed to ensure all areas are tested by the professional listed as responsible for. Questionnaires or rating scales may be a part of the evaluation.
Evaluation and Determination
The results of the evaluation will be presented, the evaluation team (parents included) will determine if the child meets eligibility criteria in Idaho. The three prongs of eligibility for special education services must all be met and documented: Qualifying disability, disability has an adverse effect on the child’s educational performance, the student requires specially designed instruction.
Initial IEP Developed and Implemented
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a plan that outlines the help for the student with disabilities. The different supports that will be provided so that the student will be successful in school. It is important the IEP outlines the students strengths and needs, goals, services and accommodations to help the child succeed.
For special education services to begin the initial placement for consent must be given and signed. Once the school receives, the obligation to provide the special education supports and services begin.
Least Restrictive Environment
The following statement is taken from the IDEA, which states that the Least Restrictive Environment to the maximum extent appropriate, all students with disabilities, three to twenty-one years of age, are to be educated with age-appropriate peers who are nondisabled. It is important that the LRE is an appropriate balance of settings and services. The LRE placement will be reviewed annually to ensure the student is making reasonable gains towards their goals.
Section 504-Rehabilitative Act of 1973
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects the rights of individuals with disabilities to access programs and instruction available to individuals without disabilities. Here at KCA comply with the federally mandated services and protection of students with disabilities. It is important to understand that not all students with disabilities require specifically designed instruction and may only need special accommodations. These identified special accommodations must show how this benefits the student to access the school programs and curriculum. An example of this would be a student with a hearing impairment who would have the need for preferential seating in the classroom with a personal FM system to better hear the instruction. Another example would be a student with a medical condition who may need to have frequent access to the restroom.
Eligibility Process of a 504 Plan
Parent and/or Teacher Request
Eligibility process
Development time and Implementation
Annual review/ Three-year re-evaluation
Once a request has been made, the 504 coordinator will schedule a meeting with the appropriate school team members and parent/guardian. Parents will be asked to provide documentation of the disability and any other information that will be helpful in the review process. Data and qualitative information will be gathered regarding the child’s academic or social functioning that is pertinent to the area(s) of concern. The team will meet again to determine the eligibility of the student for a 504 plan. The team will determine whether the child has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits academic or social functioning within the school setting. The team will develop a 504 plan with individualized accommodations.