Protocol for Determination of Services

MIS teachers utilize teaching techniques, employ educational tools and carefully design the physical environment of their classrooms with the goal of supporting a wide variety of learning needs and styles found within our student population. Neurodiversity is expected and welcomed in every classroom.

In tandem with members of the Student Support Resources team, teachers closely monitor the progress of those students whose academic, behavioral and/or social needs require sustained support or intervention over the course of each academic year. When these needs surpass what the school is capable of providing internally, the SSR team suggests external supports for those students (eg. tutoring, occupational therapy, play therapy etc.).

Once the data gathered within the classroom indicates a persistence of atypical learning, behavioral or social needs over time, the following actions are taken in accordance with MIS’ SSR policies and procedures:

The SSR team presents the data to parents along with a recommendation for the student to undergo a formal psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation.

Following completion of the evaluation, the SSR team organizes a dissemination meeting for parents, teachers, and if possible, the evaluator to discuss the findings together.
After the dissemination meeting, a learning plan is then created for those students who receive a diagnosis of a formal learning, neurological or developmental disability that MIS is capable of supporting. The Learning Plan details the accommodations outlined in the formal evaluation, and follows the student each year, and can be revised according to further observations and evaluations.

Please note: MIS has the resources to support students whose needs require accommodations but not those whose needs rise to the level of requiring a modification of the curriculum taught. For example, an accommodation is providing a chromebook for a 3rd grader with dysgraphia. A modification is teaching 4th grade math in a 2nd grade classroom or vice versa.

In the event that the needs of a student surpass the support the school is capable of providing, a student may be out-counseled. MIS reserves the right to make this determination with or without the results of a formal psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation. Typically these are cases which include, but are not limited to severe diagnoses, multiple diagnoses, a need for constant one-on-one support, or persistent disruption to the learning of self or others.

Since MIS is a Spanish immersion school, students in second grade and beyond whose Spanish literacy skills are significantly below grade level, thereby requiring a modification of curriculum, will not be able to advance to the next grade and will be out-counseled.

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