On August 23, 2019, Governor Pritzker signed House Bill 3586 which makes significant changes to special education procedures and requires production of DRAFT documents to parents/guardians three days before Eligibility Determination Conference (EDC) and Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings, accurate logs of services rendered by related service providers, and notification of a break in service. This was not current practice in our district but the bill is effective immediately.  Below are a list of the current changes.

Part I. All Individual Education Program (IEP) paperwork must be sent home three days before a scheduled meeting.  This paperwork shall include: Evaluation reports, Progress monitoring reports, Grade reports, Behavior logs/charts, and DRAFT IEP components (excluding educational and related service minutes and placement considerations).

Part II. Special education teachers and related service providers must keep a log of the minutes they spend with students.  This log must be available upon written parent request. This log will be printed and filed in the student’s temporary special education file at the end of the school year.

Part III.  Parents are required to be given notification of a break in special education services in excess of ten days.  Notification is required for all breaks in service within three days.  For example, if a student misses a session in week one due to a student assembly or school function and missed a session in week two due to staff attendance, you will be notified within three days with a plan to make up those minutes.  Absence of service for longer than ten days may result in the addition of compensatory minutes from the service provider.

To summarize:

1. We are required to provide all evaluations and collected data to parents/guardians three days in advance of an eligibility determination conference and/or IEP meeting as required.
2. We are required to maintain and make available to the child’s parent/guardian, at a review of the child’s IEP and upon request, all related service logs that identify the type of service administered and minutes delivered as required.
3. We are required to notify parents/guardians that services per the child’s IEP which are required for the child to receive Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) were not administered in excess of ten school days within three school days of the break in service as required.

We are on hand to answer any questions or concerns.  Dr. Sandra Hock is the point of contact for all elementary needs at 630-299-7902.  Mr. Brandon Cochrane is the point of contact for all middle school needs at 630-299-7902. And Mr. Jeremy Bell is the point of contact for all high school needs at 630-299-7902.