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  • 3 Things Your School Psychologist Wants Teachers to Know About Special Education Eligibility Meetings

3 Things Your School Psychologist Wants Teachers to Know About Special Education Eligibility Meetings

  1. Special Education is ONLY for students with a disability.
    • Myth: Special Education is for any student that falls far enough below grade level. There are students that are below grade level that do not have a disability and do not qualify for Special Education services. Those students will need to be supported through other programs that are offered within the school system, not Special Education.
    • There are 14 disability categories that we consider based on federal guidelines. The local school system has created a criteria checklist through the Special Education department, with guidance from the Department of Education to ensure that we are adhering to federal guidelines. The checklist leads our discussion, which helps us determine if the student has a disability. We cannot stray from those guidelines or we would be out of compliance. If the student does not meet one of the criteria on the checklist, the student is not eligible.
    • The most frustrating meeting for everyone in a meeting is when a student who is considerably struggling does not meet criteria for a disability. That student will need to be served through remediation and general education supports. When a student is found ineligible, we set up a future meeting to determine how to support this student. Sometimes we need to think outside of the box.


  2. Deciding that a student has a disability is a life changing decision and cannot be taken lightly.
    • The label of the disability can have an impact on the student’s identity throughout his or her life. It can have an impact on expectations from others throughout the academic career.
    • The decisions must be made with DATA provided through the evaluations and teacher and parent information.
    • “I feel that the student would benefit from Special Education services” is not sufficient for determining if a student has a disability. The School Psychologist may feel that also, but it does not mean we can find the student eligible if there is no evidence of a disability.
    • If the meetings run late, teachers are a required member and must remain in the meeting until the decision has been made.

  3. If you leave an eligibility meeting feeling confused or frustrated, please request a time to meet with your School Psychologist to talk through it. We only have a short time during eligibility and it is a lot of information to present.
    • Want to find out more about the data and how you can specifically use it to help the student in your class? Talk to your School Psychologist.
    • Often Psychologists speak to the parents in the eligibility meeting and share results based on the level of the parents. Personally, I go as deep or as brief as the parent is able to understand in the short period of time that we have. Teachers or parents may have more questions, please ask.