115.787 (2) (a) A statement of the child's present level of educational academic achievement and functional performance, including how the child's disability affects the child's involvement and progress in the general curriculum or, for a preschool child, as appropriate, how the disability affects the child's participation in appropriate activities.
258,54
Section
54. 115.787 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (2) (b) A statement of measurable annual goals for the child, including benchmarks or short-term objectives, related to meeting academic and functional goals, designed to meet the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general curriculum, and
to meeting meet each of the child's other educational needs that result from the child's disability.
258,55
Section
55. 115.787 (2) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:
115.787 (2) (bm) For a child with a disability who takes alternate assessments aligned with alternate achievement standards, a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives.
258,56
Section
56. 115.787 (2) (c) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (2) (c) (intro.) A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided for the child to do all of the following:
258,57
Section
57. 115.787 (2) (c) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (2) (c) 1. Advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals.
258,58
Section
58. 115.787 (2) (c) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (2) (c) 2. Be involved and make progress in the general curriculum in accordance with par. (a) and participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities.
258,59
Section
59. 115.787 (2) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (2) (e) 1. A statement of any individual modifications in the administration of any appropriate accommodations that are necessary to measure the academic achievement and functional performance of the child on statewide or local educational agency-wide assessment of pupil achievement that are needed for the child to participate in the assessment assessments.
2. If the individualized education program team determines that a child will not participate in take an alternate assessment on a particular statewide or local educational agency-wide assessment of pupil achievement, or part of such an assessment, a statement of why that assessment is not the child cannot participate in the regular assessment and why the particular alternate assessment selected is appropriate for the child and how the child will be assessed through alternative means.
258,60
Section
60. 115.787 (2) (g) 1. and 2. of the statutes are repealed and recreated to read:
115.787 (2) (g) 1. Beginning not later than in the first individualized education program that will be in effect when the child is 14, and updated annually thereafter, a statement of appropriate, measurable postsecondary goals for the child based on age-appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment and, where appropriate, independent living skills.
2. Beginning not later than in the first individualized education program that will be in effect when the child is 14, and updated annually thereafter, a description of the transition services, including courses of study, needed to assist the child in reaching the goals under subd. 1.
258,61
Section
61. 115.787 (2) (g) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (2) (g) 3. Beginning at least one year before the child attains the age of 18, and annually thereafter until the child is no longer eligible for special education and related services, a statement that the child has been informed of the parental child's rights that will transfer to the child on reaching the age of 18 under s. 115.807.
258,62
Section
62. 115.787 (2) (h) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (2) (h) 1. How the child's progress toward attaining the annual goals described in par. (b) will be measured.
258,63
Section
63. 115.787 (2) (h) 2. of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
115.787 (2) (h) 2. When periodic reports, such as quarterly reports or other periodic reports issued concurrently with report cards, on the child's progress toward attaining the annual goals described in par. (b) will be provided to the child's parents.
258,64
Section
64. 115.787 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (3) (a) In developing each child's individualized education program, the individualized education program team shall consider the strengths of the child, the concerns of the child's parents for enhancing the education of their child and, the results of the initial evaluation or most recent reevaluation of the child, and the academic, developmental, and functional needs of the child.
258,65
Section
65. 115.787 (3) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (3) (b) 1. In the case of a child whose behavior impedes his or her learning or that of others, consider, when appropriate, strategies, including the use of positive behavioral interventions, and supports and other strategies to address that behavior.
258,66
Section
66. 115.787 (3) (b) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (3) (b) 4. Consider the communicative communication needs of the child, and, in the case of a child who is hearing impaired, consider the child's language and communicative communication needs, opportunities for direct communications with peers and professional personnel in the child's language and communicative communication mode, academic level and full range of needs, including opportunities for direct instruction in the child's language and communicative communication mode.
258,67
Section
67. 115.787 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (3) (c) The regular education teacher of the child, as a participant on the individualized education program team, shall, to the extent appropriate, participate in the development of the individualized education program of the child, including the determination of appropriate positive behavioral interventions and supports and other strategies and the determination of supplementary aids and services, program modifications and support for school personnel.
258,68
Section
68. 115.787 (3) (d) of the statutes is repealed.
258,69
Section
69. 115.787 (4) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
115.787 (4) (c) After the annual individualized education program meeting for a school year, the entire individualized education program team may make changes to the child's individualized education program, or the child's parent and the local educational agency may agree not to convene an individualized education program team meeting for the purpose of making changes to the child's individualized education program. If the child's parent and the local educational agency agree not to convene an individualized education program team meeting, they shall instead develop a written document to modify the child's current individualized education program. The local educational agency shall give the child's parent a copy of the child's revised individualized education program.
258,70
Section
70. 115.787 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (5) Failure to meet transition objectives. If a participating agency, other than the local educational agency, fails to provide transition services in accordance with sub. (2) (g) 2., the local educational agency shall reconvene the individualized education program team to identify alternative strategies to meet the transition objectives for the child set out in the individualized education program.
258,71
Section
71. 115.787 (6) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (6) (b) If a child with a disability is convicted of a crime and incarcerated in a state prison, the child's individualized education program team may modify the child's individualized education program or placement notwithstanding the requirements of sub. (1) and s. 115.79 (1) (a) if the department of corrections has demonstrated a bona fide security or compelling penological interest that cannot otherwise be accommodated.
258,72
Section
72. 115.787 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.787 (7) Construction. Nothing in this section requires the individualized education program team to include information under one component of a child's individualized education program that is already contained under another component of the individualized education program or requires that additional information be included in a child's individualized education program beyond what is explicitly required by this section.
258,73
Section
73. 115.79 (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 115.79 (1) (intro.).
258,74
Section
74. 115.79 (2) of the statutes is created to read:
115.79 (2) A local educational agency shall seek to obtain informed consent from the parent of a child with a disability before providing special education and related services to the child. If the parent of a child with a disability denies consent, the local educational agency shall not provide special education and related services to the child. If the parent of a child with a disability denies consent or does not respond to a request for consent, all of the following apply:
(a) The local educational agency is not in violation of the requirement to make available to the child a free appropriate public education.
(b) The local educational agency is not required to convene an individualized education program team meeting or to develop an individualized education program for the child for the special education and related services for which the local educational agency sought consent.
258,75
Section
75. 115.791 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 115.791 (3) (a) (intro.).
258,76
Section
76. 115.791 (3) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 115.791 (3) (b) 1.
258,77
Section
77. 115.791 (3) (b) (intro.) and 2. of the statutes are created to read:
115.791 (3) (b) (intro.) Notwithstanding the notice requirement in sub. (2) (a), a court or hearing officer may determine not to reduce or deny the cost of reimbursement for failure to provide such notice if any of the following apply:
2. Compliance with sub. (2) (a) would likely result in serious emotional harm to the child.
258,78
Section
78. 115.791 (3) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 115.791 (3) (a) 2. and amended to read:
115.791 (3) (a) 2. Compliance with sub. (2) (a) would likely result in physical or serious emotional harm to the child.
258,79
Section
79. 115.791 (3) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 115.791 (3) (a) 3.
258,80
Section
80. 115.791 (3) (d) of the statutes is renumbered 115.791 (3) (a) 4.
258,81
Section
81. 115.792 (1) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
115.792 (1) (a) 2. That a child's rights are protected by the assignment of an individual, who shall not be an employee of the department, the local educational agency, or any other agency that is involved in the education or care of the child, to act as a surrogate for the child's parents whenever the child's parents are not known; the local educational agency cannot, after reasonable efforts, locate the child's parents; or the child is a ward of the state. For a child who is a ward of the state, a judge overseeing the child's care may appoint a surrogate for the child's parents if the surrogate meets the requirements of this subdivision.
258,82
Section
82. 115.792 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.792 (2) (d) A description of each evaluative evaluation procedure, test assessment, record, or report that the local educational agency used as a basis for the proposed or refused action.
258,83
Section
83. 115.792 (2) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.792 (2) (e) If the notice proposes to evaluate or reevaluate the child, the qualifications names of the evaluators and their names, if known.
258,84
Section
84. 115.792 (2) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.792 (2) (g) A statement that the parents of a child with a disability have procedural safeguards under this section and, if this notice is not an initial referral for evaluation, or reevaluation, or a notice of an individualized education program meeting, the way in which the parents may obtain a description of the procedural safeguards under sub. (3).
258,85
Section
85. 115.792 (2) (i) of the statutes is repealed.
258,86
Section
86. 115.792 (3) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.792 (3) (b) (intro.) The local educational agency shall give to the parents of a child with a disability, once a year but also upon the child's initial referral or parental request for evaluation, upon each notification of an individualized education program meeting and upon reevaluation of the child the first occurrence of the filing of a request for a hearing under s. 115.80, and upon request by the child's parent, a full explanation written so as to be in an easily understood by the general public understandable manner, and in the native language of the child's parents unless it clearly is not feasible to do so, of the procedural safeguards available under this section and under applicable federal law relating to all of the following:
258,87
Section
87. 115.792 (3) (b) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
115.792 (3) (b) 5. Opportunity to present and resolve complaints, including the period in which the child's parents may request a hearing and the opportunity for the local educational agency to resolve the issues presented by the request.
258,88
Section
88. 115.792 (3) (b) 11. of the statutes is amended to read:
115.792 (3) (b) 11. Civil actions, including the period in which to file a civil action.
258,89
Section
89. 115.797 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.797 (1) (a) "Dispute" means any disagreement between parties concerning the proposal or refusal to initiate or change the evaluation, individualized education program or educational placement of a child with a disability or the provision of a free appropriate public education to such a child. "Dispute" includes any such disagreement between parties that arises before the filing of a request for a hearing under s. 115.80 or in which other processes, including a hearing under s. 115.80 or litigation, have been requested or commenced.
258,90
Section
90. 115.797 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.797 (6) Agreements. If the parties resolve the dispute or a portion of the dispute, or agree to use another procedure to resolve the dispute, the mediator shall ensure that the resolution or agreement is reduced to writing, that it is signed by the parties and that a copy is given to each party. The written resolution or agreement shall state that all discussions that occurred during mediation are confidential and may not be used as evidence in any hearing or civil proceeding. The resolution or agreement is legally binding upon the parties and is enforceable in the circuit court for the county in which the local educational agency is located.
258,91
Section
91. 115.80 (1) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
115.80 (1) (a) 1. A parent, or the attorney representing the child, may file a written request with the division for a hearing within one year after the refusal or proposal of the local educational agency to initiate or change his or her child's evaluation, individualized education program, educational placement, or the provision of a free appropriate public education, except that, if the local educational agency has not previously provided the parent or the attorney representing the child with notice of the right to request a hearing under this subdivision, he or she may file a request under this subdivision within one year after the local educational agency provides the notice. The division shall develop a model form to assist parents in filing a request under this subdivision.
258,92
Section
92. 115.80 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.80 (1) (b) A local educational agency may file a written request with the division for a hearing only to override a parent's refusal to grant consent for an initial evaluation, or a reevaluation or an initial educational placement or to contest the payment of an independent educational evaluation.
258,93
Section
93. 115.80 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.80 (1) (d) A parent or local educational agency, or the attorney representing a parent or local educational agency, shall file a request for a hearing under this subsection by providing the request to the other party and a copy of the request to the division. Upon receiving a request for a hearing, the division shall give to the child's parents a copy of the procedural safeguards available to the parents under s. 115.792 and under federal regulations.
258,94
Section
94. 115.80 (1) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
115.80 (1) (e) 1. If the parent of a child with a disability files a written request for a hearing, and the local educational agency has not previously sent a written notice to the parent under s. 115.792 (1) (b) regarding the subject matter of the hearing request, the local educational agency shall, within 10 days of receiving the hearing request, send to the child's parent a written explanation of why the local educational agency proposed or refused to take the action raised in the hearing request, a description of other options that the individualized education program team considered and the reason why those options were rejected, a description of each evaluation procedure, assessment, record, or report that the local educational agency used as the basis for the proposed or refused action, and a description of the factors that are relevant to the local educational agency's proposal or refusal. A response by a local educational agency under this subdivision does not preclude the agency from asserting that the parent's request for a hearing is insufficient under subd. 2.
2. A hearing may not occur until the party requesting the hearing, or the attorney representing that party, files a request that meets the requirements of par. (a) 2. The request under par. (a) 2. shall be considered sufficient unless the party receiving the request notifies the hearing officer and the other party in writing within 15 days of receiving the request that the receiving party believes the request does not meet the requirements of par. (a) 2. Within 5 days of receiving a notice under this subdivision, the hearing officer shall determine whether the request meets the requirements under par. (a) 2. and notify the parties.
258,95
Section
95. 115.80 (1) (f) of the statutes is created to read:
115.80 (1) (f) The party receiving a request for a hearing shall send to the party requesting the hearing a written response that addresses the issues raised in the hearing request within 10 days of receiving the request.
258,96
Section
96. 115.80 (1) (g) of the statutes is created to read:
115.80 (1) (g) A party filing a written request for a hearing under par. (a) may amend its request only if the other party consents in writing and is given the opportunity to resolve the issues presented by the request at a meeting under sub. (2m), or if the hearing officer grants permission at least 5 days before the hearing is scheduled to occur. The applicable timeline for resolution under sub. (2m) and for a hearing under sub. (6) recommences when the party files an amended request for a hearing. Nothing in this paragraph precludes a parent from filing a separate hearing request on an issue separate from the hearing request already filed.
258,97
Section
97. 115.80 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.80 (2) The division shall maintain a list of qualified hearing officers who are not employed by or under contract with the department or the local educational agency, other than being appointed under this subsection, and who do not have a personal or professional interest that conflicts with the person's objectivity in the hearing, to serve as hearing officers in hearings under this section. A hearing officer must possess knowledge of, and the ability to understand, state and federal special education laws, rules, and regulations, and legal interpretations by federal and state courts. A hearing officer also must possess the knowledge and ability to conduct hearings and render and write decisions in accordance with appropriate, standard legal practice. Upon receipt of a written request for a hearing under sub. (1), the division shall appoint a hearing officer from the list.
258,98
Section
98. 115.80 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:
