Special Services

Early Intervention services are provided to a child and their family when the child has been found eligible based on a medical condition or delay in development, according to state criteria. These services occur within the child's natural environment and are family-centered. Services are provided through a Primary Service Provider model: an early childhood special education teacher, speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist and other related service providers as necessary, will work together with you to meet your child’s and family’s needs.

If you have concerns about your child's development you can call (507) 444-7900 or make a referral online at MN Help Me Grow. Screening, evaluation and services are free to students who meet eligibility criteria.

What to expect after a referral:

• Owatonna Public Schools staff will follow up with parents within two weeks of receiving the referral.

• Once an evaluation plan has been developed and signed, it will be completed within 45 calendar days, year-round.

• Once a child qualifies, the team will develop an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP).

• Services can begin once the parent has signed consent for the plan. Services are provided year-round.

• Services are provided primarily in the child’s natural environment.

Special education services are provided to eligible children age 3 up to Kindergarten entrance for those who meet special education state criteria. These services are delivered in a variety of settings based on the unique needs of each child. Services may be provided by an early childhood special education teacher, speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist and/or other providers based on eligibility and need.

If you have concerns about your child's development you can call (507) 444-7900 or make a referral online at MN Help Me Grow. Screening, evaluation and services are free to students who meet eligibility criteria.

What to expect after a referral:

• Owatonna Public Schools staff will follow up with parents within two weeks of receiving the referral.

• Once an evaluation plan has been developed and signed, it will be completed within 30 school days.

• Once a child qualifies, the team will develop an Individual Education Program (IEP).

• Services can begin once the parent has signed consent for the IEP. Services are provided during the school year.

• Services are generally provided at Owatonna Public Schools buildings, but may also be provided in other community settings by team decision.

If there is a concern about your child, you, an educator, or an outside provider can refer your child to the building Solution Focused Team (SFT). In the majority of cases, the building will review and expand systematic interventions in an attempt to support your child’s functioning in the area(s) of concern.  If, after two interventions, your child continues to be significantly behind his/her peers in the area(s) of concern, the SFT at the building may decide to pursue an evaluation to consider Special Education or Section 504. 

Referrals to the SFT can take place at any time. If referrals are received with less than 30 school days remaining in the school year, the evaluation may carry over to the following school year. For students who have immigrated to the United States and whose primary language is not English, there is no minimum time requirement the student needs to attend school before they can be referred to the SFT.  However, the SFT will often need to determine if the main reason for academic challenges is due to English proficiency. There are times that a parent has a medical report or a report from another outside provider that may include a diagnosis. While this information is valuable and will be considered, the school will still need to complete their own evaluation for determining Special Education or Section 504 eligibility.

If you have questions about the referral process, please contact your building administrator or Special Services at (507) 444-8614.

The focus of K-12 special education is to ensure a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for eligible students identified to have a disability and who are in need of individualized and specially designed instruction.

This instruction must provide progress towards goals and objectives through collaboration between parents or guardians, students, and professional staff who:

• assist in identifying students with disabilities using the multidisciplinary team process

• implement due process standards in collaboration with the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team

• provide the appropriate specialized instruction to students through their IEP, based on the child's disability-related need

• monitor the student's progress based on the goals and objectives written in the IEP

• actively participate in professional development to remain current with special education statutes, rules, regulations and best practices in specialized instruction

What to expect after a parent referral:

• Owatonna Public Schools staff will follow up with parents within two weeks of receiving the referral.

What to expect after a teacher referral:

• A staff member observes the student and talks to the parent about interventions and strategies that are unique to the student. Based on information known about the student, interventions will be developed and implemented with corresponding monitoring. If the student continues to experience challenges, a referral to the Solution Focused Team (SFT) may be considered. The team will discuss student strengths and challenges and determine if an evaluation is necessary. The parent will be contacted about developing an evaluation plan.

• Once the evaluation plan has been developed and signed by the parent, the team has 30 school days to complete the evaluation and provide parents a written report. The team will also schedule a meeting with the parent to discuss the results. 

• If the student qualifies for special education services by meeting entrance criteria for any one of the 13 areas, the team will develop an Individual Education Program (IEP). The school is not able to begin providing services until the IEP has been signed.

• IEPs are reviewed  annually, and the comprehensive evaluation is completed every three years.