Clarkstown Central School District’s Evaluation Standards and Procedures under Section 504
The term “504 Plan” refers to a plan developed to meet the requirements of a federal law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (commonly referred to as “Section 504”). To be eligible for Section 504, a student must be a "qualified disabled person." This means the student must have "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity." Examples of a "major life activity" are walking, learning, hearing, seeing, concentrating, thinking, etc. This disability does not require the individual to receive remediation through Special Education services but does require to the individual to receive accommodations to make the learning environment more accessible to them. An example of such accommodations may include but are not limited to:
- access to an elevator if a student cannot walk up or down stairs
- additional time to have snacks due to a medical condition such as diabetes
- testing accommodations for individuals that are distracted in a typical testing environment
Referral to the Section 504 Team
A referral for a 504 evaluation is accepted from parents, professional staff, students, and/or community agencies. Regardless of whether a parent requests an evaluation, the CCSD staff is obligated to refer a student who, because of a disability, is in need of accommodations through a 504 plan.
Send all written requests for a 504 plan to the school principal or to:
Office of Pupil Personnel Services
Clarkstown Central School District
62 Old Middletown Road
New City, NY 10956
The Section 504 Team generally consists of the parent(s)/guardian, teacher(s), evaluators, and any other person who is knowledgeable of the student, their needs, the evaluation data, and the potential accommodations that can be offered. The team should review any strategies that have been tried in the general education setting prior to requesting an evaluation for a 504.
Notification and Written Consent
The school district must notify the parent/guardian, in writing, of the school's reason and intent to conduct an evaluation or refuse of their reason for refusing to conduct an evaluation. The notice should include a description of the evaluation and procedural safeguards.
The school district requires that the parent/guardian and/or an adult student must consent in writing to a Section 504 evaluation that is proposed by the school district.
Evaluation Procedures
Upon receipt consent, the school will initiate the evaluation within 30 school days, at no cost to the student or their family. An array of standardized assessments should be used to evaluate the scope of the student’s need. The necessary information required is determined by a 504 team. The information obtained from all of the assessments must be documented and all noteworthy factors related to the student’s learning, and access to the school’s programs must be outlined. Section 504 Teams must also consider any outside evaluations provided by the parent/guardian in the eligibility process.
If the 504 team has found that a student is eligible for a 504 plan the team will write a plan that will include appropriate accommodations for the school environment. That plan will be reviewed annually to determine if the accommodations outlined are still appropriate and necessary for the individual to be successful. If at any time, any member of the 504 team suspects that an individual requires more than accommodations to be successful in the general education environment a referral for Special Education services is required.
Please contact the Office of Pupil Personnel at 845-639-6475 for more information on Section 504.
Related Links:
US Department of Education
Wrightslaw: Section 504 and IDEA
ADA Q & A: Section 504 & Postsecondary Education
