The purpose of the Identification Meeting is to determine if an evaluation is warranted, because the student is suspected of having one, or more, of the fourteen disabling conditions.

• The case manager will convene an Identification Meeting within 20 calendar days (excluding school holidays, but not summer vacations) of the district’s receipt of the Referral form or parent’s written request.
   
• If a language disability is suspected based upon the referral, the SLS will be invited to the meeting as well.

The assigned case manager  will generate and  complete the Notice of Meeting  and procedural safeguards required by NJAC 6A: 14-2.1et seq. including appointment of surrogate parent, when appropriate.. Along with this written notice, the case manager must include a copy of “Parental Rights in Special Education” (PRISE) to the parent.

• Written notice must be sent fifteen days prior to the meeting. Three attempts will be made all within this time-frame. It may include two letters and one phone call. All contacts shall be documented on the summary of contacts form located in the student’s record. Copies of the letters will be given to the referring general education teacher, fellow CST members/ and appropriate building administrator.
   

Prior to convening the Identification Meeting, the case manager will gather information about the child from teacher(s), school nurse, outside agencies, hospitals, etc. If it is needed Release of Information form must be signed by parent/guardian/adult student and mailed to the appropriate agency, hospital, clinic, school, etc. Relevant school information such as the following need to be included:

• Cumulative record
• Work samples
• Standardized test scores
• General education interventions, including I&RS and discipline records
• Thoroughly filled out referral form
• Audiometric and vision screening
• Nurses summary of medical information
• IDEA test result/Home Language Survey (bilingual students only)
• Reports from other school districts and/or outside agencies

Identification meetings will be conducted in collaboration with district; the earliest available date will be scheduled to ensure compliance with 20-day code limit. The teacher and principal will be given a copy of the notice, delineating whether coverage is required. The principal will then ensure attendance of the general education teacher at the Identification Meeting. 
 

• If the decision is to evaluate the student, all areas of suspected disabilities are to be assessed and the nature and scope of these evaluations must be delineated on the Evaluation Determination-Evaluations Warranted form.
   
• If the Identification Meeting results in a decision not to evaluate the child, recommendations to parents and general education staff will be made to address the referral problem(s).

  If the parents/guardian/adult student’s native language is other than English

• Written notice and parent conferences will be conducted in the language used for communication by the parent and student unless it is clearly not feasible to do so.
  • Foreign language interpreters or translators and sign language interpreters (educational interpreters) for the deaf shall be provided, when necessary, by the district board of education at no cost to the parent
• If the native language is not a written language, the district board of education shall take steps to ensure that:
  • the notice is translated orally or by other means to the parent in his or her native language or other mode of communication; and
  • the parent understands the content of the notice
• Our staff at Cross County Clinical Services can assist district in fulfilling this mandated requirement as we will staff cases base upon desired language

Participants at the Identification Meeting include:

• CST Social Worker
• School Psychologist
• Learning Disabilities Teacher/Consultant (LDTC)
• Speech/Language Specialist (SLS), for preschool age student or if a language disability is suspected.
• General education teacher
• Parent/guardian
• Adult student, if appropriate
• Other individuals who are knowledgeable about student, if appropriate
• Agency representative, if appropriate
• For Bilingual Students:
  • Needs Assessment Coordinator
  • Bilingual/ESL Teacher (must be a participant)
  • Translator /Sign Language Interpreter, if applicable

Note: For participants who are unable to attend mandated meeting but wish to participate, conference calls or video conferences can be considered. Meetings shall be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time considering teacher preparation periods or the principal will be responsible for providing coverage for the classroom teacher.
 
 
When the suspected disability is a disorder of voice, articulation and/or fluency only for students ages five to 21, the following must attend the Identification Meeting :

• Parent
• Speech-language Specialist
• The student’s general education teacher, or if the student has no general education teacher, a general education teacher who is knowledgeable about the district’s programs.

At the Identification Meeting
The case manager shall ensure that:

• All needed documentation is available and presented including required reports
• All mandatory notified participants are present
• The appropriate OSE forms are thoroughly completed and all participants sign attendance on Evaluation Determination Warranted/Not Warranted form(s).
• The Identification Meeting proceeds, if the parent doesn’t attend, or request a change of date, and all reasonable documented attempts have been made to ensure parental participation.
• Participating members at the Identification Meeting should reach a decision as to whether or not an evaluation is warranted.
• If the Identification Meeting results in a decision not to evaluate the child, recommendations to parents and general education staff should be made to address the referral problem(s).
• If the decision at the Identification Meeting, was that an evaluation is warranted, case-manager shall complete the Evaluation Warranted check all areas of suspected disability that the student will require testing and secure parental consent. Parent must sign consent prior to beginning evaluations.
• After the Identification Meeting, the parent must be informed of the results of the meeting, via the Evaluation Determination Warranted/Not Warranted form
• Once written consent to evaluate the student is obtained, the:
  • Parent must be given 15 days to consider the decision, however, once consent is obtained evaluation(s) can commence immediately;
  • Student must be evaluated, eligibility determined, and, if the student is eligible for special education/speech-language services, an IEP must be developed and the student placed in the designated program within 90 calendar days. However, if the parent repeatedly fails or refuses to produce the child for the evaluation, the time period shall not apply.

• If parental consent for initial evaluation is refused, despite all school-based attempts, the case manager should consult with the school district representatives and follow their recommendations. 

NOTE: If the parent/guardian/adult student/ informs the case manager that he/she has invited an attorney to be present at an upcoming CST meeting, case  manager will inform local school district representative as notification to the district's legal department. If a parent/guardian/adult student brings an attorney to the meeting without prior notification, the meeting must be delayed while the case manager contacts the legal department. CST cannot conduct a meeting where there is legal representation only for the parent/guardian/adult student.