Athens Area Schools

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  • Home
    • Transparency
    • Community >
      • Youth Services
    • Students
    • Parents >
      • PTSO >
        • PTSO Facebook
    • School Resource Officer
    • School Nurse and Wellness >
      • Health and Wellness >
        • Medical Forms
      • Sex Education
  • About
    • Alumni News
    • Email Us
    • Wish Lists
    • Wall of Thanks
  • District
    • Board of Education >
      • Administrative Guidelines & Policies
      • Meetings & Minutes >
        • 2020 Board Agendas and Minutes
        • 2021 Board Agendas and Minutes
        • 2022 Agendas and Minutes
        • 2023 Board Agendas and Minutes
      • Invitation to Bid/Request for Proposals
    • Calendars
    • Food Service
    • Emergency Drill Reporting (PA 12)
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Schools of Choice
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Schools
    • Athens JR/SR High >
      • Mrs. Bagley (Band)
      • Mrs. Hamilton (Sci)
      • Mr. VerHey
      • Scholarships
    • East Leroy ELEM >
      • Mrs. Morgan (Media)
      • Mrs. Bagley's Website
    • STUDENT HANDBOOKS
  • Academics
    • Curriculum & Instruction >
      • Annual Education Reports
      • 3rd Grade Reading Law
      • Child Studies (RTI)
      • School Improvement
      • Special Education & Section 504
      • Title I
    • Data / Test Results
    • Virtual/Online Learning
  • Athletics
    • Athletic Website
    • MHSAA
    • Scores (MLIVE)
  • Staff
    • Forms
    • Professional Development
    • Teacher Evaluation
  • Online Enrichment Activities

Helping Students to Succeed

Special Education Services
Our Assessment and Compliance Director, Mr. Walter Dubbeld, serves as the Special Education Implementer for Athens Area Schools. 
Special Education Services are provided in the areas of:
  1. Speech and Language
  2. Specific Learning Disabilities
  3. Autism Spectrum Disorder
  4. Cognitively Impaired
  5. Emotionally Impaired
  6. Otherwise Health Impaired
  7. Other Special Education services provided:
  8. Occupational Therapy
  9. Physical Therapy
Information:
Specific Learning Disabilities Qualifications
Procedural Safeguards Document
Procedural Safeguards Document in Spanish
Students with Disabilities Information
Special Education Terms
Permission Form for Observations
More information on students with disabilities
504 Plans
A 504 plan is a type of educational plan that falls under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This is the part of the federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against public school students with disabilities. That includes students with learning and attention issues who meet certain criteria.
 Similar to an IEP, a 504 plan can help students with learning and attention issues learn and participate in the general education curriculum. A 504 plan outlines how a child’s specific needs are met with accommodations, modifications and other services.
 A student with a 504 plan usually spends the entire school day in a general education classroom. Children who need modifications would usually have an IEP, not a 504 plan.
 504 plans are for K–12 public school students with disabilities. Section 504 defines “disability” in very broad terms. That is why children who aren’t eligible for an IEP may qualify for a 504 plan. Section 504 defines a person with a disability as someone who:
  • Has a physical or mental impairment that “substantially” limits one or more major life activity.
  • Has a record of the impairment.
  • Is regarded as having an impairment, or a significant difficulty that isn’t temporary. For example, a broken leg isn’t an impairment. A chronic condition, like a food allergy, might qualify a student for a 504 plan.
 Having a disability doesn’t automatically make a student eligible for a 504 plan. First the school has to do an evaluation to decide if a child’s disability “substantially” limits his ability to learn and participate in the general education classroom.
 This evaluation can be initiated by either the parent or the school. If the school initiates the evaluation, we will notify the parents and get the parents’ consent to evaluate a child for a 504 plan.
 When doing an evaluation for a 504 plan, the school considers information from several sources, including:
  • Documentation of the child’s disability (such as a doctor’s diagnosis)
  • Evaluation results (if the school recently evaluated the child for an IEP)
  • Observations by the student’s parents and teachers
  • Academic record
  • Independent evaluations (if available)
 Athens Area Schools provides 504 plans to qualifying students.
To find out more about 504 plans, below is a list of people that you may contact.
District 504 Coordinator: Walter Dubbeld 729-5427 ext. 230
East Leroy Elementary Coordinator: Jennifer Bittner 729-5419
Athens High School 504 Coordinator: Lloyd Service 729-5414 ext. 208
 
Medical Action Plans
 Medical Action Plans are developed for students that have ongoing medical problems. They are completed by the school nurse along with parents and appropriate staff. The medical action plans protect the student and meet their medical needs while here at school. In addition, it may become necessary for a student who has a medical action plan to also have a 504 plan. This would be in cases where the student’s medical problem is either interfering with the student’s success in school or in cases where additional accommodations need to be made. If a parent is satisfied that their child’s needs are being met through the Medical Action Plans, they may sign a form stating that they do not want to move to a 504 evaluation and plan.

Notice of Rights
Parent refusal or acceptance of a 504 evaluation
504 Grievance Procedure
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