504 Tips

Oddity in Synergy Portfolio to watch

New students brought into SE for an Initial 504 plan show up in your portfolio – but the Process Circle color shows up as Green (completed) rather than red (due).

If you are only looking at the circles to tell you when to do an evaluation, please also look at the title ( 504 New Evaluation Process ) to make sure you get initials completed.

MAY deadline for getting 504 renewals/3 yr re-evals completed

–  Please keep in mind that all plans (except initials) need to be done by the end of May.
–  Written, checked and finalized by May 31st.
–  Send me the 504 Meeting Packet so I can do the check, and the signed consent if you are doing that piece. If I will be sending the consent electronically, please factor that timeline in when writing the plan.
Thank you!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Here’s to the memories built with loved ones and lots of good cheer!

Reminder on bringing a new student into the 504 process:

The only box you fill under Transfer Info is the Initial 504 Process box. The other is for special ed.

You are responsible for getting a finalized 504 plan to the parent

A few ‘Eligible but no plan’ scenarios:

1. Eligible but on a Health Plan – Fill in all docs/forms as annual or re-eval
   1. Write in the Accommodations section that student is getting needs met with a Health Plan – which means student ONLY needs medical accommodations
      1. Do NOT add additional accommodations unless educational accommodations are needed as well as medical
   2. Student stays in 504 process for annuals & 3 yr re-eval
   3. Meeting docs packet and Health Plan is uploaded
   4. Everything is finalized and moves to Historical Docs
   5. Student continues to show in Portfolio

1. 2. Student is eligible, but family/student agree plan is not currently needed for student to succeed – Fill in all docs/forms as annual or re-eval
      Below process is for 99% of students
      1. Plan is written, with the following added in the “other” line of accommodations
          A. Student does not currently need accommodations to succeed
          B. This is also written in your Meeting Notes
      2. Student stays in 504 process for annuals, 3 yr re-eval
      3. You have to revisit yearly, hold meeting with team. If student transitions to MS or HS, MS/HS coordinator continues revisiting.
      4. Meeting docs packet (and Health Plan if there is one) is uploaded
      5. Everything is finalized and moves to Historical Docs
      6. Student continues to show in Portfolio

Need to revise a recently written 504 plan? – after a meeting/discussion with parent(s) to adjust/add accommodations

Check to see if:
1. The 504 is in the annual process. All is good. You create an annual with the updated/additional accommodations included. (An annual has two sections showing to fill – Section 1, Meeting Notice and Section 2, Accommodations).

2. The plan is in a 3 yr renew process – Do not write a 3 yr when all you need to do is update/add new accommodations to a recently written plan.
First, contact your district’s 504 coordinator assistant to move the student’s 504 process from the 3 yr to the annual. Once that is done, you can write your annual with the updates/additions.
(A 3 yr has 4 sections showing to fill – Section 1, Meeting Notice; Section 2, Notice to Conduct a 504 Evaluation; Section 3, Eligibility and Section 4, Accommodations).

A reminder as we move into the new year and into the rapidly approaching EOY.

• All plans must be completed by May 31st. (unless an initial). Plan accordingly so that if you have heavy EOY duties, you can get these done by May 31st.

• All Concurrent plans must be renewed until the IEP is ‘active’ (icon is on)

• All HS senior plans must be renewed throughout the whole school year

We now have a Spanish version of the 504 Meeting Packet, thanks to Erin Moran.
You can access it through the Special Programs Portal/504 docs & forms.
Here’s the LINK to the Portal document. Download and save it to your desktop/504 folder or continue to access it at the Portal when needed.

A learning moment with Colleen:

504 Teaming Structures:
Team members should include student, parent/guardian, 504 coordinator, general education teachers and any other support staff such as admin, counselor, SPED staff or nurse. For initials or Re-evals do not make eligibility decisions alone.

Annual reviews:
Consider a system that collects general education teacher input before each annual review.  If a general education teacher cannot participate in the 504 meeting you can still share progress in classes as well as their recommendations for any needed or potentially unnecessary accommodations via email or phone call.

Caseload management
Convene a team, include all required team members, ask many questions and have many points of data to review.  Then it is much easier to determine if the plan is still needed or if the current plan is adequate and appropriate to meet the student’s needs.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to have the student at the table for these conversation and to collect current information from the students’ teachers. 

Considerations:

• Pick a day a month to hold all your annual review meetings for students due. This will require some coordination and planning and may not work for all families. 
• If you are the student’s counselor, if possible, have someone else be in the role of the 504 coordinator.

Reviewing Documents

• Teachers can see the 504 Accommodations plan in TeacherVue as long as the plan has been finalized.
• Parents can see 504 Accommodations Plan (verified with IT, should be working now) in ParentVue, located under Special Education tab
• Students can see 504 Accommodations Plan in StudentVue

What does it mean when you try to bring a new student into SE Synergy and this window comes up?
Click HERE to learn next steps of getting this student into the 504 process

And this one?

It’s because you missed putting the 504 process in this window: