Child Find
The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT, IDEA, requires schools to identify, local and evaluate children with disabilities. Either schools or parents/guardians can request a special education evaluation for a child who is not yet eligible for special education. If the school requests the evaluation, the school must contact the parent/guardian and request written consent (permission) to evaluate the child.
Muskegon-Maritime Academy has an affirmative duty to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities who attend the school.
How to Request Help: If you suspect your child has a disability that affects their learning, you have the right to request a special education evaluation. Requests can be made in writing to the building principal.
Specific Learning Disability Determination Plan
Michigan districts must specifically state which model they use to identify a Specific Learning Disability (SLD).
Determination of Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
In accordance with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) requirements, Muskegon-Maritime Academy uses the following method(s) to determine the existence of a Specific Learning Disability for students in grades K-12:
- Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses The district uses a “Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses” process. This involves an analysis of assessment data to determine if a student exhibits a pattern of significant functional and/or academic strengths and weaknesses relative to their age or state-approved grade-level standards.
- Response to Intervention – RtI The district uses a “Response to Scientific, Research-Based Intervention” process. This involves tracking a student’s progress over time when provided with high-quality, increasingly intensive tiers of instruction and intervention.
For more detailed information regarding our evaluation process, please refer to the Muskegon ISD website.