Welcome to the Concord Public Schools!!

If your child is 2 1/2 years of age and is currently receiving services through Early Intervention, your EI Service Coordinator will meet with you to start the transition process from Early Intervention. One of the options you will be discussing may include a referral to Special Education in the Concord Public Schools. With your permission, EI will send us your child's IFSP approximately 4-6 months prior to your child's third birthday. Soon after receiving the IFSP, our office will send you information regarding the transition from EI to Special Education. The public schools have specific eligibility requirements for children receiving Special Education services, that are mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA) 2004, and are different from the eligibility requirements for Early Intervention. An important part of the transition process will thus be determining if your child's disability is such that he/she requires Special Education services.

The Preschool Team Chair will contact you and/or the EI service coordinator to arrange for a "Transition Planning Conference". (EI may have already given you a date for this meeting.) At that time, the Preschool Team Chair will observe your child (most likely at an EI playgroup or at your home if your child is not in a playgroup), we will review the transition process and arrange dates for a TEAM evaluation of your child as well as for a TEAM meeting.

Children transitioning from EI are scheduled for a Preschool Team Evaluation. These take place at the Ripley Building Preschool Center, either in an Arena format lasting approximately one hour (where several members of the Preschool Team will work with your child simultaneously) or in individual assessment times that the Preschool Team members have arranged with you. Any information from prior assessments, from EI or other providers, are an essential part of this evaluation process, so please provide us with copies of any reports you may have. We will also ask that you complete a Developmental Questionnaire, and that your EI Service providers complete a summary information page for us (see below for forms).

At the TEAM meeting, we will review the results of the evaluation and discuss recommendations. A decision is made at this meeting as to whether or not your child is "eligible" for Special Education services and if so what those would consist of, and an Individual Educational Program (IEP) will be written. If the TEAM determines that your child will not be receiving SPED services, we will discuss what other steps are recommended.

Please contact the Preschool Team Chair, Ms. Amy Mates Mencow with any questions:
email: amatesmencow@colonial.net
phone: 978-202-1147 or the CPS Main Number at 978-341-2490 X 8147

To download a copy of the:
Summary Information form for EI service providers, click here
Preschool Developmental Questionnaire, click here
Notice of Procedural Safeguards ("Parent's Rights Brochure:), click here