AB674,22,16 10. Learning disabilities.

AB674,22,19 (b) "Child with a disability" may, at the discretion of the local educational agency and consistent with department rules, include a child who, by reason of his or her significant developmental delay, needs special education and related services.

AB674,22,21 (6) "Division" means the division for learning support, equity and advocacy in the department.

AB674,23,2 (7) "Free appropriate public education" means special education and related services that are provided at public expense and under public supervision and direction, meet the standards of the department, include an appropriate preschool, elementary or secondary school education and are provided in conformity with an individualized education program.

AB674,23,4 (8) "Hearing officer" means an independent examiner appointed to conduct hearings under s. 115.80.

AB674,23,7 (9) "Individualized education program" means a written statement for a child with a disability that is developed, reviewed and revised in accordance with s. 115.787.

AB674,23,11 (10) "Local educational agency", except as otherwise provided, means the school district in which the child with a disability resides, or the department of health and family services or the department of corrections if such department is responsible for providing a free appropriate public education to the child.

AB674,23,13 (11) "Native language", when used with reference to an individual of limited English proficiency, means the language normally used by the individual.

AB674,24,2 (12) "Parent" means a biological parent; a husband who has consented to the artificial insemination of his wife under s. 891.40; a male who is presumed to be the child's father under s. 891.41; a male who has been adjudicated the child's father under subch. VIII of ch. 48, under ss. 767.45 to 767.51, by final order or judgment of an Indian tribal court of competent jurisdiction or by final order or judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction in another state; an adoptive parent; a legal guardian; a person acting as a parent of a child; a person appointed as a sustaining parent under s. 48.428; or a person assigned as a surrogate parent under s. 115.792 (1) (a) 2. "Parent" does not include any person whose parental rights have been terminated; the state or a county or a child welfare agency if a child was made a ward of the state or a county or child welfare agency under ch. 880 or if a child has been placed in the legal custody or guardianship of the state or a county or a child welfare agency under ch. 48 or ch. 767; or an American Indian tribal agency if the child was made a ward of the agency or placed in the legal custody or guardianship of the agency.

AB674,24,9 (13) "Person acting as a parent of a child" means a relative of the child or a private individual allowed to act as a parent of a child by the child's biological or adoptive parents or guardian, and includes the child's grandparent, neighbor, friend or private individual caring for the child with the explicit or tacit approval of the child's biological or adoptive parents or guardian. "Person acting as a parent of a child" does not include any person that receives public funds to care for the child if such funds exceed the cost of such care.

AB674,24,17 (14) "Related services" means transportation and such developmental, corrective and other supportive services as may be required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, including speech-language pathology and audiology services; psychological services; physical and occupational therapy; recreation, including therapeutic recreation; social work services; counseling services, including rehabilitative counseling; orientation and mobility services; medical services for diagnostic and evaluative purposes only; and the early identification and assessment of disabling conditions in children.

AB674,24,21 (15) "Special education" means specially designed instruction, regardless of where the instruction is conducted, that is provided at no cost to the child or the child's parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including instruction in physical education.

AB674,24,25 (16) "Supplementary aids and services" means aids, services and other supports that are provided in regular education classes or other education-related settings to enable a child with a disability to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate.

AB674,25,1 (17) "Transition services" has the meaning given in 20 USC 1401 (30).

AB674,25,4 115.762 Division for learning support, equity and advocacy. (1) Appointment of administrator. The state superintendent shall appoint the administrator of the division.

AB674,25,7 (2) Staff. Subject to the approval of the state superintendent, the administrator of the division shall appoint qualified staff necessary to perform the duties required of the division.

AB674,25,8 (3) Division duties. The division is responsible for all of the following:

AB674,25,11 (a) Ensuring that all children with disabilities, including children who are not yet 3 years of age, who reside in this state and who are in need of special education and related services are identified, located and evaluated.

AB674,25,14 (am) Ensuring that a free appropriate public education is available to all children with disabilities who reside in this state, including such children who are suspended or expelled from school.

AB674,25,16 (b) Developing and implementing a practical method to determine which children with disabilities are receiving special education and related services.

AB674,25,18 (c) Complying with the requirements of this subchapter and applicable federal law, including 20 USC 1415 (k).

AB674,25,23 (d) Coordinating and supervising the provision of all publicly funded special education and related services for children with disabilities in this state and ensuring that such education and services meet the educational standards of the department, including any criteria established by the department relating to enrollment.

AB674,25,25 (e) Pursuant to s. 115.77 (4), approving the plan for the provision of all special education and related services provided by a local educational agency.

AB674,26,3 (g) Monitoring and enforcing local educational agency and child caring institution compliance with this subchapter and applicable federal law, including 20 USC 1415 (k).

AB674,26,5 (h) Maintaining current information on all publicly funded special education and related services within this state and making this information public.

AB674,26,11 (i) Coordinating a comprehensive system of personnel development that is designed to ensure an adequate supply of qualified special education, regular education and related services personnel and that meets the requirements of applicable federal law, including participation, as appropriate, by institutions of higher education, state and local agencies and other public and private organizations.

AB674,26,20 (j) Examining data to determine if significant discrepancies are occurring in the rate of long-term suspensions and expulsions of children with disabilities among local educational agencies or compared to such rates for nondisabled children within such agencies. If such discrepancies are occurring, the division shall review and, if appropriate, revise or require the affected local educational agency to revise its policies, procedures and practices relating to the development and implementation of individualized education programs, the use of behavioral interventions and procedural safeguards to ensure that such policies, procedures and practices comply with this subchapter.

AB674,26,25 (4) Limitation. Nothing in this subchapter requires that special education and related services be provided to a child with a disability who is at least 18 years old but not yet 22 years old and who, in the child's educational placement before his or her incarceration in a state prison, was not identified as a child with a disability or for whom an individualized education program was not developed.

AB674,27,4 115.77 Local educational agency duties. (1) In sub. (1m) (a) to (d), except as provided in s. 118.51 (12) (a) and (b) 2., if a child with a disability is attending a public school in a nonresident school district under s. 118.51, "local educational agency" means the school district that the child is attending.