Parkway Schools

Care Team

All Parkway schools utilize a Care Team and “problem solving” model for addressing concerns of any type that arise at school about a student. A Care Team is a group of professional staff representing a variety of disciplines. These may include general education, guidance and counseling, administration, school health/nursing, special education, speech/language pathology, school social work, and school psychology.

To the extent warranted, the “problem solving” process involves problem identification (i.e., definition and analysis), the development and implementation of supports/interventions, evaluation of their effectiveness, and, as needed, referral (e.g., for assistance, additional assessment, or services). This process is based on systematic data collection and analysis, documentation, consideration of all relevant and available information, and hypotheses development/testing. Care Teams rely on existing educational information and staff input, but also collect additional data through the intervention process and, when necessary, individual student assessment. Informed parent consent generally will be obtained before any student is individually assessed by a member of the school staff UNLESS the assessment is part of the District’s screening activities (i.e., something done with a particular group of students) or the normal instructional process (i.e., reading assessments).

Care Teams also encourage parents to provide any and all relevant information, including from outside professionals or agencies, about their children. Questions about Care Teams and the “problem solving” process should be directed to guidance counselors or school administrators.

Handouts

• Accommodations, Modification, & Intervention Definitions (DESE)

Forms

• Parent Consent for Individual Assessment (Jan 2005)
• Authorization for Release of Information
  • Use when school staff would like to communicate with non-public school entities (e.g., physician, psychologist, tutor) about an individual student
• Parent Contact Form
• Interim SUSPECTED DISABLED Plan (July 2012)
  • Interim Plan - Helpful Hints and Guidance (Jan 2012)
• Modified Curriculum Credit Contract (Oct 2010)

Letters 

• Care Team Parent Letter (Nov 2007)