If you are one of the many families who have tried to teach your special education student from home through virtual learning, you understand the gravity of the situation and most likely feel that your child did not learn a thing; let alone meet most of their goals supported by their Individualized Education Program (IEP).
What are “Compensatory Services”
Students who have an IEP might qualify for what is called, “Compensatory Services.” By law, these are services which are available to students (with an IEP) who missed out or were denied special education services during the school year; these are “make-up” services. During the pandemic, many students were not in a physical classroom and were required to learn from home online. This created a variety of challenges, including lack of internet access, parental support, and environment just to name a few.
It is important to note, that these students were not deliberately denied services; but, unfortunately, the pandemic during the 2020-2021 school year forced many students to learn away from their classroom. It is my opinion, that the teachers who were ultimately responsible did what they could to help the learning process. That being said, virtual learning for special education students was, is, and always will be especially difficult for both families and educators.
Does My Student Qualify for Services?
In order for a student to qualify for compensatory services, parents need to prove that their student regressed or did not meet his or her goals. This sounds like it might be difficult to prove, but consider these questions:
- Did your student fail any subject on his or her report card during the school year? If yes, you have a good case for compensatory services.
- Did your child regress? In other words, was your child meeting his or her goals before the pandemic, but now, has fallen below the progress line? This timeframe would only consider the most recent annual IEP. If so, you have another good case for services.
What If My Child’s School Does Not Want to Provide Services?
Teachers, and case managers especially, are required to keep progress notes during each marking period. This is how teachers are able to determine if a student is meeting his or her goals. Parents who get pushback from school districts not wanting to provide compensatory services can ask the district this one question:
- May I please see the data and the progress notes which are required that shows my student is not entitled to compensatory services?
My guess is that most districts will not have the data to back up their findings. For reasons unknown to me, some teachers just don’t keep this data. If this is true, you will most likely be declared the victor and your student will be able to make-up the services; albeit not a victory at all, but merely something to help your student move forward.
The great districts are the ones that are able to produce data which shows your student did or did not lose out on services. If your district is able to prove your student is not entitled to compensatory services, consider this also a win. This would mean that while your student was home for virtual school, you did a great job working as a team to educate your child. Then, tell the school and the teacher “Thank you” and let the idea of compensatory services go.
Ok, So My Child Qualifies, Now What?
Parents and educators will need to decide how much time was lost and how much will be made-up. Depending on the severity of the situation will determine the amount of time needed. Usually, five to ten hours total is sufficient for compensatory time. These questions can guide you:
- Which subjects did my child fail?
- Which goals did my child not meet?
Families need to work with the school district to follow through and find a way to make this work. Keep in mind that schools are under no obligation to create a time slot convenient for the parents and students. In fact, the school will most likely offer you one or two options for recouping time; if you decline those options, there is a good chance you will indirectly forfeit the compensatory time altogether.
It’s Not a Blame Game
Compensatory services and virtual learning isn’t anyone’s fault; it just happened, and everyone was simply not prepared for the experiences of this past year.
Teachers want the best for students. Whether or not your child qualifies for compensatory services does not negate the fact that special education teachers are special education teachers for a reason. If your child qualifies, work with the teacher for the optimum learning outcome.
If your student does not require compensatory services, you can also work with the teacher to express your concerns in subject areas that might be a challenge for your student. Teachers would rather work with the families than against.
It’s Your Call
Parents and guardians will need to initiate this conversation of compensatory services. The school district will probably not offer this information randomly. This is where parents need to be “in the know” and question whether or not their student qualifies. You are entitled to ask about it–and you should. Good luck. You got this!
Photo credit: Julie M. Cameron – Pexels Free to use
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