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504 Student Accommodations

504 Student Plans

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a Federal civil rights law that is designed to eliminate disability discrimination in education; it prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Requires school districts to provide a FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education). It requires school districts to provide aids and services designed to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities as adequately as the needs of students without disabilities are met. The goal of Section 504 is to level the playing field so students may show their true intelligence without the hinderance of their disability.

New Process for Student’s with Life Threatening Medical Conditions

The Student 504/ADA department is in process of overseeing compliance of all students with life-threatening health conditions. Under Washington State Law, any student with a Life-Threatening Health Conditions qualifies for Section 504 Civil Rights Protections, but without going through the SPS Section 504 process, providing 504 Civil Rights Protections causes our department to be out of compliance with the State of Washington. Below is an excerpt from the Superintendent’s Policies and Procedures for Students in the General Education Setting Under Section 504 (2162SP)

For a student whose only disability is a life-threatening health condition, an Individual Health Plan/Emergency Care Plan (ECP) will serve as the student’s Section 504 Plan.

The process to put such plans in place (RCW 28A.210.320) is based on procedures that satisfy the requirements of Section 504, including the school nurse conducting an assessment and referring student to School Based 504 Team to provide procedural safeguards.

If the life-threatening condition affects the student’s education, then a Section 504 Plan would be written that includes accommodations for both the life-threatening health condition and academic accommodations in one plan.

You will receive a request Consent to evaluate / Acceptance of 504 civil rights protections (504-4) form via DocuSign from Daniel Davis. If you sign consent, then your student will be provided Section 504 Rights (504-1) and Procedural Safeguards under Section 504. Consent and acceptance will allow school staff to be able look at your student’s Emergency Care Plan (ECP) at any time during the day as well as allows the Student 504 Department to required teachers to sign off that they have reviewed and acknowledged the ECP. We will be providing audits to principals monthly that will allow them to reach out to teachers who have not reviewed your students ECP. We believe this additional oversight will provide a safer environment for all our students with Life-Threatening Health Conditions.

The request for consent will automatically expire in 30 days if you choose not to receive the Section 504 Civil Rights Protections.

Student 504 Process

1. Student Referral (5 School Days)
  • Refer the student in writing to the school’s Building Coordinator. The form below may be used to start the process. The building coordinator will have 5 school days to acknowledge the request.
Child Find (504-2)

*A student does not need to have to have a formal medical diagnosis to be referred for consideration as a disabled student pursuant to Section 504

Families can call us in the following languages:

  • Amharic and Oromo 206-445-3848 or 206-252-0121
  • Chinese & Cantonese, Mandarin & Taishanese 206-475-1860 or 206-252-0013
  • Somali, Arabic 206-430-2494 or 206-252-0880
  • Spanish 206-471-2414 or 206-252-0208
  • Vietnamese 206-471-9386 or 206-252-0778
2. Decide Whether to Evaluate the Student (25 School Days)
  1. The school-based 504 team will have 25 school days to determine whether or not the student is a candidate for a 504 evaluation
  2. The Parent(s)/Guardian(s) will be provided a Notification of Determination on Referral for Evaluation
  3. If the student is determined to be candidate for a Section 504 evaluation, the school’s building coordinator will provide a Consent to Evaluate (504-4) form for parent/guardian signature

** While it is very useful to have supporting information from a health care provider to consider as part of evaluation process, families cannot be required to provide a medical or psychological diagnosis to refer the student for a 504 evaluation.

3. Evaluate the Student (30 School Days)
  • Once consent has been signed, the school will have 30 school days to evaluate
  • The School-Based 504 Team will review all data made available, i.e. district evaluations, parent-provided evaluations, teacher reports, report cards, test scores etc.

  

4. Determining the Student’s Eligibility
  • Evaluation results will be documented in the Determination of Eligibility Report (form 504-5)
  • The school will fill out Eligibility or Non-Eligibility Notice (504-6)
  • If the student is eligible for Section 504 Civil Rights protections with a plan, the school will have 30 school days to write and implement the Individual 504 Plan (504-8)

**District is under no obligation to provide a service that a student’s parent/guardian and/or doctor requests unless, in the District’s determination, the student needs the service to participate in and benefit from its education program

5. Develop and Monitor 504 Accommodation Plan (30 Calendar Days)
  • The School-Based 504 Team has 30 school days to develop and implement the Individual 504 Plan (504-8)
  • Parent/guardian consent is required before implementation of the initial Individual 504 Plan (504-8)
  • The Section 504 plan will be reviewed annually by school staff
  • The student will be Re-Evaluated every 3 years and when rises or school transfers occur
  • The Individual 504 Plan (504-8) can be viewed and printed through The Source login after document has been finalized
Accessing My Students 504-8

Differences Between Section 504 & IDEA*

*IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Section 504

  • Civil rights law
  • No separate funding
  • No “categories” of qualification
  • Requires substantial limitation of a major life activity
  • Parent participation recommended

IDEA

  • Federal grant program
  • State and federal funding
  • Disability categories
  • Requires adverse educational impact and need for specially designed instruction
  • Parent is required team member
  • IEP (Individual education plan)

Appeals Process

If you disagree with any of the district’s decisions regarding the 504 process, you have a right to Due Process.

Due process is as follows:

  1. Request a meeting with the school’s principal to discuss your concerns, if still dissatisfied
  2. Principal will refer you to the Student Support Services Intervention Team (S3IT)
  3. S3IT will review your concerns and all documentation and make a determination, if still dissatisfied
  4. Please refer to the Notice of Procedural Safeguards (below)
504 Notice Procedural Safeguards
Notice of Parent/Student Rights 504-1

Private School Evaluations

Section 504 only applies to private schools that receive federal financial assistance, and prohibits them from discriminating against students because of a student’s disability. It does not require private schools to substantially modify their programs to provide access to students with disabilities.

Any family that lives within Seattle Public School (SPS) district boundaries, will need to enroll with SPS for the purposes of getting a 504 evaluation. Once the student has enrolled and received and SPS student ID, please fill out the 504-2 and email to 504coordinator@seattleschools.org.

Form 504-2

Enroll my student at Seattle Public Schools

504 in The Source

Once a student has qualified for Section 504 Civil Rights protections, there will be a new blue 504 icon that will be placed next to the student’s name. This icon indicates to the teacher that the student has Section 504 Civil Rights protections. If the student qualified with an Individual 504 Plan (504-8), the teacher would then view the plan by clicking on the 504 icon.

These plans will follow the student to any school within Seattle Public Schools.

All plans can be printed off through your Source login or requested through your school.

How to access your student’s accommodation plan in The Source

The Individual 504 Plan (504-8) does not provide teachers/staff with the student’s disability. Seattle Public Schools requires parent/guardian and/or student provide permission to include that information on the 504 Accommodation Plan.