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Exceptional Services

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Meeting Each Child's Needs

The IEP team collaborates with parents, teachers, service providers, administrators, and outside agencies to develop and provide an individualized educational plan that addresses the specific and individual academic and social/emotional needs of the student. 

In addition to individualized instruction provided by our dedicated and licensed special education teachers and paraprofessionals, GMSD offers a wide variety of related services and licensed staff members to meet the needs of your child. 

TDOE Special Education

TDOE Special Education Evaluation & Eligibility

 

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Services Provided

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Eligibility, Evaluations, & Child Find

The GMSD Exceptional Student Education Procedural Manual is a helpful resource for families, teachers, and administrators, providing clear guidance on the services available for students with disabilities. It covers everything from referrals and evaluations to Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), specialized instruction, behavior interventions, and transition services. The manual includes step-by-step instructions, timelines, and forms, ensuring families understand the policies, safeguards, and support options available to help students succeed at every stage of their educational journey.

Using the Child Find mandate (more details on pg. 5) under IDEA, the district actively seeks to locate and evaluate children ages 3–22 who may need special services, including those who are homeschooled, in private schools, or part of underserved populations. GMSD employs universal screenings, teacher and parent referrals, monthly Response to Intervention (RTI²) meetings, and partnerships with local preschools and private schools to identify at-risk students. Through Tennessee’s RTI² framework, the district provides tiered interventions, ensuring students receive targeted support early on, with the most intensive interventions leading to special education services when needed. Parents are encouraged to collaborate with school teams and contact GMSD if they suspect their child may have a disability.

Explore More About Child Find

First page of the PDF file: ESEProceduralManual

 

Service Plans (Private School Partners)

For students who have special education eligibility, and are in a parentally placed private school within the Germantown Attendance Boundaries, a service plan is available through GMSD. IDEA provides benefits and services to children with disabilities in public schools as well as in nonpublic schools (private, including those in religious schools). However, when parents choose to enroll their child with a disability in a private school, the public school district's responsibility will differ from its responsibility to serve public school students. Services are determined through a consultation process with the private school, but will not look like the same services that would be offered through an Individualized Education Plan.If your child attends a private school within the City of Germantown, and you would like to discuss a service plan, please contact us. 

contact gmsd regarding service Plans

If you suspect your child has a disability and need assistance navigating our Procedural Manual, please contact us at (901) 752-7900.