Opinion ID: 6986365
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Vermont Special Education Regulations

Text: The VSER, promulgated by the Vermont Department of Education, have been approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Rule 2362(1) establishes three eligibility criteria for special education that are consistent with the IDEA: To be determined eligible for special education, an elementary or secondary student must receive a comprehensive evaluation ... under the auspices of a Basic Staffing Team 3 ...; and based on the results of the comprehensive evaluation, the Basic Staffing Team must determine that the student: (a) meets one or more disability categories (Rule 2362:1); (b) exhibits the adverse effect of the disability on educational performance; and (c) is in need of special education. VSER 2362(1) (emphasis added). Rule 2362(2)(b) defines “adverse effect of the disability on educational performance” as follows: To establish that a disability has an adverse effect on the student’s educational performance, the Basic Staffing Team shall determine and document that the student is functioning significantly below expected age or grade norms, in one or more of the basic skills. ■This determination of adverse effect, usually defined as 1.0 standard deviation or its equivalent, shall be documented and supported by two or more measures of school performance. These measures may include but-are not limited to:' — parent or teacher observation — grades —, curriculum-based measures — work or language samples — other test results. VSER 2362(2)(b) (emphasis added). Rule 2362(3) further provides: ■ [U]nless otherwise stated in an individual category of disability (Rule 2362.1), basic skill areas are defined as: (a) oral expression; (b) listening comprehension; (c) written expression; (d) basic reading skills; (e) reading comprehension; (f) mathematics calculation; (g) mathematics reasoning; and (h) motor skills. VSER 2362(3).