Upon request, the Unified School District of Marshfield is required to evaluate a child for eligibility for special education services. A request for evaluation is known as a referral. When the district receives a referral, the district will appoint an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to determine if the child has a disability, and if the child needs special education services. The district locates, identifies, and evaluates all children with disabilities who are enrolled by their parents in private (including religious) schools, elementary schools and secondary schools located in the school district. 

A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker, or administrator of a social agency, who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child resides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child's parent that the referral will be made.  

Others, including parents, who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability, may also refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child resides.  

Referrals must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. A referral may be made by contacting Tracey Kelz, Director of Student Services, Unified School District of Marshfield, at 715-387-1101, or by writing her at 1010 East Fourth Street, Marshfield, WI 54449.  

Unified School District of Marshfield 
Attn: Tracey Kelz, Director of Student Services 
1010 East Fourth Street 
Marshfield, WI  54449

A developmental child find is a brief overview of a child’s development that alerts us to possible needs or difficulties in learning, specifically in fine motor, gross motor, communication, and general knowledge. The screening is for families who live within the Marshfield School District with Children between the ages of 2 years, 9 months through 5 years of age. If your child is in 4K they will automatically be screened. This screening helps the district determine if a child may qualify for more intensive early intervention that could significantly influence a child’s learning, future abilities, and mental potential.  
 
Continually, as needed or upon request, the district conducts developmental screening of preschool children using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition or ASQ-3. A major obstacle to the timely delivery of early intervention services is the early and accurate identification of young children who have developmental delays or disorders. The first step in obtaining needed services for infants and young children and their families is the establishment of comprehensive, first-level screening programs. The goal of a comprehensive Child- Find process is to identify the few infants and young children who require more extensive evaluation from the children who do not. In most cases, these questionnaires can identify young children who are in need of further evaluation to determine whether they are eligible for early intervention services. Each questionnaire contains 30 developmental items that are written in simple, straightforward language. The items are divided into five areas: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal-social.  
 
The school district will be sending out the ASQ3 to all parents who have children in a 4K program. If your child is not in a 4K program and you would like to have them screened, please contact Dawn Armbruster, Administrative Assistant to the Director of Student Services @ 715-387-1101 X1107 to request an ASQ3 be sent to you. After completing the ASQ-3, return it to the school district. After the district reviews the information, someone from the district will contact you about the results.  
 

A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has the right to refer the child for a special education evaluation to the school district in which the child resides. If the child attends a private school in another school district, the child should be reported to the school district where the child attends school. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child's parent that the referral will be made. The referral must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. Others who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child. A referral request may be sent to Unified School District of Marshfield; attention: Tracey Kelz, Director of Student Services, 1010 E. Fourth Street, Marshfield, WI 54449. 

The school district maintains pupil records, including information from screening and special education referral. All records directly related to a student and maintained by the school district are pupil records. They include records maintained in any way including, but not limited to, computer storage media, video and audiotape, film, microfilm, and microfiche. Records maintained for personal use by a teacher and not available to others and records available only to persons involved in the psychological treatment of a child are not pupil records. 

The school district maintains several classes of pupil records. 

• "Progress records" include grades, courses the child has taken, the child's attendance record, immunization records, required lead screening records, and records of school extra-curricular activities. Progress records must be maintained for at least five years after the child ceases to be enrolled. 

• "Behavioral records" include such records as psychological tests, personality evaluations, records of conversations, written statements relating specifically to the pupil's behavior, tests relating specifically to achievement or measurement of ability, physical health records other than immunization and lead screening records, law enforcement officers' records, and other pupil records that are not "progress records." Law enforcement officers' records are maintained separately from other pupil records. Behavioral records may be maintained for no longer than one year after the child graduates or otherwise ceases to be enrolled, unless the parent specifies in writing that the records may be maintained for a longer period of time. The school district informs parents when pupil records are no longer needed to provide special education. At the request of the child's parents, the school district destroys the information that is no longer needed.  

• "Directory data" includes the student's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, photographs, degrees and awards received, and the name of the school most recently previously attended by the student.  

• "Pupil physical health records" include basic health information about a pupil, including the pupil's immunization records, an emergency medical card, a log of first aid and medicine administered to the pupil, an athletic permit card, a record concerning the pupil's ability to participate in an education program, any required lead screening records, the results of any routine screening test, such as for hearing, vision or scoliosis, and any follow-up to the test, and any other basic health information, as determined by the state superintendent. Any pupil record relating to a pupil's physical health that is not a pupil physical health record is treated as a patient health care record under sections 146.81 to 146.84, Wisconsin Statutes. Any pupil record concerning HIV testing is treated as provided under section 252.15, Wisconsin Statutes.  

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and section 118.125, Wisconsin Statutes, afford parents and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") the following rights with respect to education records:  

• The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of receipt of the request. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school official] a written request that identifies the records(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. The school district will comply with the request without unnecessary delay and before any meeting about an individualized education program, or any due process hearing, and in no case more than 45 days after the request has been made. If any record includes information on more than one child, the parents of those children have the right to inspect and review only the information about their child or to be informed of that specific information. Upon request, the school district will give a parent or eligible student a copy of the progress records and a copy of the behavioral records. Upon request, the school district will give the parent or eligible student a list of the types and locations of education records collected, maintained, or used by the district for special education. The school district will respond to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records. A representative of the parent may inspect and review the records.  

• The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask the Marshfield School District to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the district decides not to amend the record, the district will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and the 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. 

• The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information in the student's education records, except to the extent that federal and state law authorize disclosure without consent. The exceptions are stated in 34 CFR 99.31, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations; Sec. 9528, PL107-110, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; and section 118.125(2)(a) to (m) and sub. (2m), Wisconsin Statutes. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosures to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school board; a person or company with whom the district has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the district discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. Also the district discloses "directory data" without consent, unless the parent notifies the district that it may not be released without prior parental consent. 

• The right to file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20202-4605.