SPECIAL SERVICES

Overview

Special education means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a student with a disability. All students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). This includes students who are eligible for special education from the ages of 3 through 21. FAPE is individually determined for each student with a disability. FAPE must include special education in the least restrictive environment (LRE).

The Putnam City Special Education department seeks to work collaboratively with school and district leaders, teachers, students, and families to provide the tools, supports, and services needed to ensure access and success for students with disabilities.

Putnam City Schools Special Services is located at 5604 NW 41st St #100, Oklahoma City, OK 73122.

Enrollment Office Hours During the School Year:
Regular hours are Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm

Enrollment Office Hours During the Summer (May 23rd to July 15th):
Hours are Monday through Thursday 7am to 2:30pm, and Friday 7am to 11:30am

Special Services may be contacted at 405-495-3770. For a list of our personnel, please visit our Contact Page.

Programs and Services

Putnam City offers many programs to support students with disabilities. To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, ages 3 through 21, will be educated with children who are non-disabled. Special classes, separate schooling or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular education environment will occur only when the nature and severity of the disability is such that education in a regular classroom with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be satisfactorily achieved. The determination of the least restrictive environment (LRE) is a team decision and the child’s parent is a vital member of that team.

Programs and services are designed to meet the individual needs of students who are eligible for services under the following eligibility categories identified in the IDEA.

•  Autism

•  Deaf-Blindness

•  Emotional Disturbance

•  Hearing Impairment, Including Deafness

•  Intellectual Disabilities

•  Multiple Disabilities

•  Orthopedic Impairments

•  Other Health Impairments

•  Specific Learning Disability

•  Speech or Language Impairment

•  Traumatic Brain Injury

•  Visual Impairment Including Blindness

Putnam City Schools is responsible for establishing and implementing an ongoing Child Find system to locate, identify, and evaluate students suspected of having a disability, ages 3 through 21 years, who may need special education, regardless of the severity of the disability. 

If through Child Find activities, a student is identified as possibly having a disability and needing special education services, parents may be asked for their consent to evaluate their child. Special education referrals for evaluation may be made for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to academic and/or behavioral concerns. 

If you have, or know of, any child from preschool to age 21 who is not currently enrolled in a special education program and you suspect they have a disability, please contact the school psychologist at your child’s school- Contact Page.

Early identification of children with significant developmental delays begins in the public schools at the age of 3. If you have concerns about your preschooler’s development, contact Barbara Colton, Early Childhood Representative, 405-495-3770, ext. 1376.

Parents Rights in Special Education: Notice of Procedural Safeguards 

The IDEA identifies the rights of parents of and those with disabilities. If you have questions about these rights and procedural safeguards, please contact your teacher or the school psychologist for your school.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Model FERPA Notification

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or older (\\\"eligible students\\\") certain rights with respect to the student's education records.  These rights are:

1.      The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day the [Name of school (“School”)] receives a request for access. 

Parents or eligible students who wish to inspect their child’s or their education records should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school official] a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect.  The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. 

2.      The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the [School] to amend their child’s or their education record should write the school principal [or appropriate school official], clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed.  If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment.  Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3.      The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests.  The criteria for determining who constitutes a school official and what constitutes a legitimate educational interest must be set forth in the school’s or school district’s annual notification for FERPA rights.  A school official typically includes a person employed by the school or school district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel) or a person serving on the school board.  A school official also may include a volunteer,  contractor, or consultant who, while not employed by the school, performs an institutional service or function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist; a parent or student volunteering to serve on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.  A school official typically has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

[Optional] Upon request, the school discloses education records without consent to officials of another school or school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, or is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes of the student’s enrollment or transfer.  [NOTE:  FERPA requires a school or school district to make a reasonable attempt to notify the parent or student of the records request unless it states in its annual notification that it intends to forward records on request or the disclosure is initiated by the parent or eligible student.]

4.      The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the [School] to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:

Student Privacy Policy Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC  20202

Defining Disability

A child with a disability means a child evaluated in accordance with 34 CFR §300.304 through 300.311 as having an intellectual disability, a hearing impairment (including deafness), a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment (including blindness), a serious emotional disturbance (referred to in this part as “emotional disturbance”), an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, another health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities, and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services.

Referral and Evaluation

A referral or request for special education services is made through the child’s home school. Please contact your child’s school psychologist. Students who attend a private school within the school districts boundary may request and evaluation by contacting the Special Services Department at 495-3770.

Prior to or as part of the eligibility process, a child must receive continuous, quality general education instruction coupled with scientific, research-based interventions. This process is a problem-solving model referred to as Response to Intervention (RtI). Data collected through RtI is essential in determining the presence of a possible disability.

Special education eligibility is determined by a multi-disciplinary team that follows very specific criteria for each of the thirteen disability categories. A psycho-educational evaluation is completed by a qualified examiner to assist the team in determining eligibility for specific disability categories. Psycho-educational evaluations are batteries of norm-referenced tests that are used to determine if a child is eligible for special education services and what those services might be. If a child is found eligible for special education services, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be written by the IEP team. The IEP team includes the parent as an integral member. If you feel your child needs special education, please contact your child’s teacher to make an appointment with the campus’ school psychologist.

IEP (Individualized Education Program)

The individualized education program (IEP) is a written document that is developed for each eligible student with a disability and documents specially designed instruction and related services. The IEP is the product of a team that collaborates with parent(s), student (as appropriate), Local Education Agency (LEA) personnel, and other IEP team members who, through full and equal participation, identify the unique needs of a student with a disability and plan the special education services to meet those needs.

4/1/24: PM Activities, Board Meeting Canceled

All PM Activities and Board Meeting for April 1, 2024 have been canceled.

11/18/24: No School

Due to the severe weather, there is no school today, Nov. 18, 2024.

UPDATE: 11:15am - All middle school athletics are canceled for today. High school extracurriculars will continue. The regularly scheduled Board Meeting will continue at 5pm.

Please be weather-aware and stay safe.

Thank you.

VOTE TODAY! 2025 Innovation Bond

Polls are open from 7am-7pm, all residents within the Putnam City Schools boundaries are eligible to vote at your regular polling location.

Boldly investing in our future.

http://tc.hkkaden.com/page/2025-bond

All Putnam City Schools will transition to Virtual-Remote Learning on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Please see your email for further information and instructions. Stay safe and warm! Thank you.

🥶 Due to the continued inclement weather conditions, all Putnam City Schools will continue Virtual-Remote learning for Wednesday, February 19, 2025.

📧 Please see your email for more information from the District and your specific school.

💙 Stay safe and warm!

Due to the continued inclement weather conditions, all Putnam City Schools will continue virtual-remote learning for Thursday, February 20, 2025.

Please see your email for more information.