Diagnostic & Evaluations

Referral, Diagnostic and Planning Processes

Berrien Springs Public Schools provides strong instructional programs to meet the needs of various students. If students are struggling, teachers make adjustments and provide more intensive opportunities, including specific research based interventions. Each building has a team of professionals who consider student needs and, monitor the progress of the student to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. The results of regular assessments before, during and after the interventions will be shared with the parents.

However, if it is clear that the interventions are not enough and that the student continues to struggle, it may be appropriate to convene a team to discuss an evaluation for special education eligibility.

Michigan Special Education Rules and Regulations and the federal law for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act are followed for all parts of the process from the time the concern is expressed until the IEP meeting determining whether the child is eligible for special education and what services, goal and objectives, modifications and accommodations may be warranted. This includes the guarantees that decisions for special education are not based on cultural, ethnic, or socioeconomic differences of a lack of instruction. For determining the existence of a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in Special Education, our district will use a process of analyzing a pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses. For more detailed information on this process, please consult the Berrien Regional Education Service Agency website. Forms on the RESA website are current and are the ones used by Berrien Springs Public Schools.

If a student transfers into the district with an IEP that indicates he/she is eligible for, and receiving special education services, that IEP is reviewed and the services are provided. The district may request a new IEP within 30 days to continue or revise the IEP, or they may determine to implement the IEP as written without conducting a new IEP. A Temporary Placement form is filled out with the requisite information determining which process will be used.