This instructional arrangement/setting is for providing special education and related services to students who are served at home or hospital bedside. (A) Students served on a homebound or hospital bedside basis are expected to be confined for a minimum of four consecutive weeks as documented by a physician licensed to practice in the United States. Homebound or hospital bedside instruction may, as provided by local district policy, also be provided to chronically ill students who are expected to be confined for any period of time totaling at least four weeks throughout the school year as documented by a physician licensed to practice in the United States. The student's ARD committee shall determine the amount of services to be provided to the student in this instructional arrangement/setting in accordance with federal and state laws, rules, and regulations, including the provisions specified in subsection (b) of this section. (B) Home instruction may also be used for services to infants and toddlers (birth through age 2) and young children (ages 3-5) when determined appropriate by the child's individualized family services plan (IFSP) committee or ARD committee. This arrangement/setting also applies to school districts described in Texas Education
Code, §29.0
What We Do
The homebound program offers instruction by certified teachers to students enrolled in an SISD campus who will be absent for medical reasons for at least four weeks. It is offered as part of the district’s services to students with non noncontagious illnesses or other medical reasons as documented by a US licensed physician.Hombound instruction takes place in the student’s home when medical evidence has been submitted by a licensed physician or a licensed nurse practitioner (PRS only) that the student will be unable to attend school for a duration that exceeds four weeks. A diagnosis with an explanation of how symptoms affect school attendance is required. A specific treatment plan and a plan for returning the student to school is determined prior to start of services. In no case will full-time homebound instruction be provided when a student can participate in a less restrictive school setting.
Purpose Of Homebound
The purpose of Homebound Services is to provide students with academic instruction at home or hospital during a temporary period of absence, and to successfully re-engage students at their home campus when they are released by their physician. Homebound Services are designed to enable students with a medical condition to continue their coursework while they are temporarily unable to attend school. The ARD Committee (for students receiving special educational services) or the General Education Homebound Committee members (for general education students) consider homebound services for students who are currently enrolled in school and will be confined to a home or hospital setting for (4) or more weeks. Homebound instruction is not intended to replicate what a student receives in their classroom setting. Homebound services for students who receive special education services is based on ARD Committee decision.
Qualifying Descriptor Enrollment: A student must be enrolled in an Spring ISD school in order to be considered for Homebound Instructional Services. Eligibility: Eligibility for Homebound Instruction is determined on the basis of medical evidence submitted by a licensed physician or a licensed nurse practitioner (PRS only). A diagnosis with an explanation of how symptoms affect school attendance is required. A specific treatment plan and a plan for returning the student to school is requested; however, this information is required if the student is expected to miss more than nine weeks of school. In no case will full Homebound Instruction be provided when a student can participate in a less restrictive school setting. Physical Condition: Students with physical conditions causing them to be unable to attend school may include those with serious or terminal illnesses, those undergoing treatments that compromise their immune systems, those undergoing surgery, or in postpartum recovery (up to six weeks). The student must be free of infectious or communicable disease and students may NOT be referred for any condition which is considered to be contagious. Mental Health Condition: In order to consider Homebound Instruction for students presenting with psychological/mental health, a mental health professional must be treating the student, and a licensed psychiatrist must provide the medical documentation. It should be noted that, in some instances when a student is experiencing psychiatric difficulties, Homebound Instruction may acerbate the student’s problems and would, therefore, not be approved. Other school-based alternatives may be appropriate.
Campuses must consider other campus
resources to assist the student such as counseling, crisis management, and
accommodations. A variety of
accommodations may be made at the campus level to assist students with difficulties
based on areas of concern.
- Students Receiving Special Education Services
If a student is receiving
special education services and is diagnosed with a mental or psychological
disorder, the ARD/IEP team should convene to discuss appropriate accommodations
that may be implemented on campus to provide the student with instructional
supports needed to master the curriculum. Team members and others such as the
LSSP, counselor, nurse, administrator, and teacher should review
all relevant evaluation data, teacher and parent input forms, grade reports,
anecdotal records, attendance and medical documents in order to decide upon the
best possible campus accommodations to implement for the student. As with all
ARD/IEP documents, on-going support and monitoring of the accommodations is
necessary to document success and/or the need to revise the accommodations via
the ARD/IEP team. The team should set evaluation targets and criteria to
measure the effectiveness of the accommodations in order to report at the
student’s annual ARD/IEP meeting and revise/change accommodations, if needed.
- Student Receiving Services under Section 504
If a student is receiving 504
services and is diagnosed with a mental or psychological disorder, the 504
committee members should convene to discuss appropriate accommodations that may
be implemented on campus to provide the student with instructional supports
needed to master the curriculum. Team members including but not limited to the administrator,
counselor, 504 coordinator, nurse, and teacher should review all relevant data,
teacher and parent input, grade reports, anecdotal records, attendance, and
medical documents in order to decide upon the best possible campus
accommodations to implement for the student. As with all 504 documents,
on-going support and monitoring of the accommodations is necessary to document
success and/or the need to revise the accommodations via the General Education/504
team. The team should set evaluation targets and criteria to measure the
effectiveness of the accommodations in order to report at the student’s annual
504 meeting and revise/change, if needed.
- General Education Students
If a student has not been
identified as qualifying for special education services or 504 services, the
campus should convene the RTI team and begin the process of identification and
evaluation for Tier 1-3 levels of support and/or 504 or special education
referral, as deemed appropriate by the respective team. Students presenting
with diagnoses of a psychological/mental health disorder may qualify for 504
services or special education services, depending on the diagnosis, evaluation
of the student and recommendations of the respective team.
Campus/District Resources
The following is a list of
campus and district resources to assist in determining the appropriate course
of action for students exhibiting mental health concerns, as documented by a
licensed psychiatrist. 1. RTI Team 2. 504 Team 3. ARD/IEP Team 4. LSSP 5. Special Education Department Chair/Program Specialist 6. Campus Counselor 7. Campus Nurse 8. CYS Worker 9. Behavior Specialist 10. Special Education Coordinator
Suggested Campus Accommodations
The
following list represents reasonable accommodations that can be provided in the
classroom for students with mental health diagnoses. This list is not
all-inclusive and campuses are encouraged to explore additional accommodations
as suggested by members of the convening ARD/IEP or 504 team. Input should be
gathered by multiple campus & district staff members.
General/Classroom
Give frequent feedback on academic, social and/or behavioral performance Develop clear expectations and guidelines Teach goal setting and self-monitoring Teach problem solving skills Teach organization and daily planning Provide opportunities for student to engage in social
interactions Assign someone on campus to be the student’s contact
person when mood fluctuates for “safe haven” Develop home-school communication system Monitor student compliance with medication regimen Preferential seating in the classroom Assigned classmate as volunteer assistant Beverages permitted in class Prearranged or frequent breaks, including restroom and
clinic permissions Reduce amount of reading required Note taking or photocopying assistance of class notes Early availability of syllabus or course materials Availability of course materials in electronic format Private feedback on academic performance Allowing late arrival Shortening the student’s school day Rearranging student’s schedule (i.e., less demanding
subjects in the morning) Allowing student to move around the room, stand up, etc.
testing Use of assistive technology/software Exams individually proctored, in alternate location away
from other students Extended time for testing Substitute assignments Advance notice of assignments Break assignments into smaller chunks Permission to submit handwritten assignments rather than
typed (0r vice versa) Extended time to complete assignments Reducing homework assignments Arrangement for homework/classwork to reach home with
clear, concise instructions
Other Interventions
Counseling sessions 504/IEP monitoring Monitoring by district liaisons (SISD LSSP, health and
medical, etc.) Develop behavior intervention plan
The following is a list of mental illnesses
that cause severe disturbances in thinking, feeling, relating, and functional
behaviors that can result in a substantially diminished capacity to cope with
the demands of daily life. Students with mental illness may require
accommodations listed above to allow them equal access to classes, programs,
and coursework.
Mental/Psychological Disorders Major Depressive Disorder Bipolar I or II Disorder Panic Disorder Social Anxiety Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Specific Phobia Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Generalized Anxiety Disorder Eating Disorder Schizophrenia or other psychosis Any other disorder considered to be mental/psychological
in nature
EXPECTATIONS OF Spring ISD HOMEBOUND
Due to the nature of the student's documented medical condition and their inability to physically attend school: - The student will be unable to attend school for a period 4 weeks or more.
- The student will be excluded from all non–academic, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities with peers until the physician releases the student to return to school.
- The student's services can be terminated if they are able to be active and involved in social, church, and family activities outside the home but remain unable to attend school.
- The student will remain enrolled on their home campus and the homebound teacher will act as a liaison between the campus and the home.
- The student will independently complete 90% of class assignments as they will receive limited hours of direct instruction from their Homebound Teacher; however, all students will have access to their campus teachers by telephone or email for any questions or concerns.
- The student, along with the parent(s), are encouraged to remain in communication with the student’s teachers at school to ensure clear understanding of the TEKS for a successful transition back into the classroom.
- The parents must remain involved and active in their child’s education while the student is receiving Homebound Instruction.
- A responsible adult must be present while the student receives Homebound Instruction.
- Parents are asked to be responsible for ensuring assignments are completed and that the student is engaged in his or her school work as much as physically possible.
* Please remember that all requests for Homebound Services are initiated at the student's campus.
The person who will initiate the initial
request for homebound services and will be the primary campus contact person
for those services will be the Special Education Case Manager for students
receiving special education services
and the counselor and or 504 coordinator for students in general education. The
campus contact person will start the process of the homebound request and
obtain all paperwork sent to the doctor and schedule the ARD/IEP meeting for
special education services or the Homebound / 504 meeting for general education.
Homebound Referral Procedures
Procedures for Special Education Homebound Instruction:
A request for Hospital/Homebound services is made by the parent/guardian to the students campus.
The campus Counselor and/or 504 Coordinator is notified of a request for Hospital/Homebound services.
The criteria for consideration for Hospital/Homebound services: The medical documents must be completed by a licensed physician to practice in the United States. You can access the Texas Medial Board’s searchable database of licensed physicians at http://reg.tmb.state.tx.us/OnLineVerif/Phys_NoticeVerif.asp The student is expected to be confined at home for a minimum of four weeks. The expected confinement does not have to be consecutive. The student is confined at home for medical reasons only.
The campus Counselor and/or 504 Coordinator will go to the staff portal to the “Instructional” tab then select “Special Education Procedures Manual”. In the Special Education Procedures manual select from the left side panel “Homebound Services and Procedures” to access all of the required forms. The facsimile Cover Page Consent form (to be signed by the parent/guardian) Explanation of Hospital/Homebound Services Physician Statement of Medical Eligibility / Non-Eligibility for Hospital/Homebound services
The campus Counselor and/or 504 Coordinator will have the parent/guardian complete and sign the Consent form that will allow the campus to send in the medical documents to the student’s physician and if necessary speak to the physician regarding the student’s medical condition.
The campus Counselor and/or 504 Coordinator will fax to the student’s physician: The facsimile Cover Page Consent form (signed by the parent/guardian) Explanation of Hospital/Homebound Services Physician Statement of Medical Eligibility / Non-Eligibility for Hospital/Homebound services
** These documents are not to be provided directly to the student’s parent/guardian and must be faxed directly to the student’s physicians office.
After the campus Counselor and/or 504 Coordinator send the medical documents to the student’s physician they will send the following to the Hospital/Homebound Coordinator: Consent form signed by the parent/guardian Hospital/Homebound Service Request form. This form is imperative because it allows the Hospital/Homebound Coordinator to know when the documents were sent to the student’s physicians office, what campus has made the request, and the name of the student the request has been made for.
When the Hospital/Homebound Coordinator receives the medical documentation from the student’s physician it is immediately reviewed and scanned back to the campus Counselor and/or 504 Coordinator for a meeting to be scheduled.
If the student is receiving general education services the campus Counselor and/or 504 Coordinator will schedule a 504/Hospital/Homebound meeting. In the 504 Hospital/Homebound meeting the committee will discuss the request for Hospital/Homebound services and the request from the student’s physician to determine the LRE for the student’s services. The general education Hospital/Homebound committee members include (but are not limited to): Campus Administrator Campus Counselor and/or 504 Coordinator Hospital/Homebound Coordinator Parent/Guardian One teacher of record of the student
If the student is receiving special education services the campus Counselor and/or 504 Coordinator will forward all medical documentation received to the special education department chair or team leader (DC/TL) for their campus in order for an ARD/IEP meeting to be scheduled. In the ARD/IEP meeting the committee will discuss the request for Hospital/Homebound services and the request from the student's physician to determine the LRE for the student’s services. The ARD/IEP committee members include Campus Administrator Hospital/Homebound Coordinator Parent/Guardian Case Manager One general education teacher Required members according to the student ARD/IEP paperwork
Data to be considered and discussed in the meetings: Consider the least restrictive environment (LRE) for the student Completed consent form and Physician Statement of Medical Eligibility / Non-Eligibility completed by the doctor Students tolerance for instruction Review current class schedule: the student must be provided instruction in all core academic subject area courses in which the student is enrolled. In addition, over the period of confinement, the student should be provided instruction in all other courses the student is enrolled in, if possible. Consider any other information which will help the Committee make a determination if Hospital/Homebound services are necessary and appropriate.
*** Note: The “Physician Statement of Medical Eligibility / Non-Eligibility completed by the student’s physician is ONLY a RECOMMENDATION for the committee to consider. It is not the sole determining factor in considering the need for homebound services. The committee will then determine if the student is eligible for Hospital/Homebound services: If the committee members determine that the student is eligible for Hospital/Homebound services, the committee will put in place a homebound service plan for the student.
**If the committee members determine that the student is not eligible for homebound
services, the committee will deny homebound services and develop a plan for the
student which will meet the student’s needs in the least restrictive
environment on the student’s home campus.
Homebound Instructional Roles Outline
Teachers of Students Receiving Special Educational Services Roles & Responsibilities
Campus Teacher of Record | Homebound Teacher | Provide lesson plans weekly to the homebound teacher to follow and implement Collaborate with homebound teacher regarding grade suggestions (final decision of students grades are the responsibility of the campus teacher of record) Input grades for the student Set up a meeting with homebound teacher on the student's PLAAFP, goals, and objectives for the student’s annual ARD/ IEP meeting (goals and objectives are created as a team effort and not the sole responsibility of either teacher) Input PLAAFP received by the homebound teacher in a word document Input agreed upon goals and objectives Notify the homebound teacher (a minimum of 5 days prior to the ARD / IEP meeting) that all goals and objectives are in E-Sped and they can be printed off to discuss with the parent Keep the following items sent by the homebound teacher in a folder / binder for the student
| Provide weekly communication on students progress by e-mail Implement lesson plans provided by the campus teacher of record Collaborate and provide the campus teacher of record grading suggestions (final decision of students grades are the responsibility of the campus teacher of record)
Input progress into E-Sped and provide campus teacher of record a copy as well as the student’s parent At the end of every grading cycle send a short 2-3 minute progress video clip to the campus teacher of record Every week scan / e-mail the Weekly Documentation Log Every week scan / e-mail a short summary of the student’s week (enough to provide the campus teacher of record a clear picture of the students week and their progress) Set up a meeting with the campus teacher of record to collaborate on the student's PLAAFP, goals, and objectives for the student’s annual ARD/ IEP meeting (goals and objectives are created as a team effort and not the sole responsibility of either teacher) Provide the student's PLAAFP in a word document to the campus teacher of record (a minimum of 15 days prior to the ARD / IEP meeting) for him / her to input into E-Sped
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Teachers of Students in General Education Roles & Responsibilities Campus Teacher of Record / Case Manager | Homebound Teacher | Collaboration on students and their progress with the homebound teacher is mandatory for student success Provide weekly lesson plans to the homebound teacher to follow and implement (for each course the student is taking) Provide assignments in a timely manner (scanning the assignments into the students assigned students Google folder) Provide books, notes, answer keys, examples, manipulatives, etc.. to insure that the homebound teacher has everything they need to provide successful instruction to the student Grade all assignments provided to the student Input grades for the student The campus teacher of record / case manager will not take attendance for the student once the student is receiving homebound services Keep the following items sent by the homebound teacher in a folder / binder for the student
| Collaboration on students and their progress with the campus teacher of record / case manager is mandatory for student success Every week scan / e-mail a short summary of the student’s week (enough to provide the campus teacher of record a clear picture of the students week and their progress) Implement lesson plans provided by the campus teacher of record (for all courses that the homebound teacher is providing instruction in) Retrieve all provided assignments in the students assigned Google folder Provide instruction on all assignments and assist the student with assignments during the homebound session Leave assignments for the student to work on after the homebound session is complete Pick up completed assignments and scan back into the students Google folder Send an e-mail to notify that completed assignments are in the Google folder
*** State Assessments are not the responsibility of the homebound teacher. A test administrator from the campus will need to go to the home to proctor all state assessments. |
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