Resources

To view special education information, updates and resources from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), click here.

Homebound/Hospital Instruction

• Medical Certification for Home/Hospital Instruction
• Parent/Instructor Responsibilities
   

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act

• McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Common Form
• Most Frequently Asked Questions on the Educational Rights of Children and Youth in Homeless Situations
   

Medicaid

• Release of Information/Consent to Bill Medicaid
   

Procedural Safeguards 

• Notice of Procedural Safeguards for the Parents/Guardians of Students with Disabilities
   

Release/Exchange of Information

• Authorization for the Release/Exchange of Information in English
• Authorization for the Release/Exchange of Information in Spanish

Section 504 Plans

• Parent/Guardian Request for a Section 504 Plan
• Procedures and Guidelines for the Implementation of Section 504
• IDEA Versus Section 504
• Differences Between High School and College - IDEA Versus Section 504

• Postsecondary Education and Employment Outcomes for Transition-age Youth with and Without
  Disabilities: A Secondary Analysis of American Community Survey Data
   
• Pro Ed College Readiness Student Self Survey Results
   
• An Effective Model for College Students with Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders 
   
• DO-IT: Helping Students with Disabilities Transition to College and Careers
   
• A Guide to Assessing College Readiness for Parents of College-Bound Students Who Learn Differently

The academic progress of students with significant cognitive disabilities is measured via the Dynamic Learning Maps Alternative Assessments (DLM-AA). The DLM-AA is a computer-based assessment system that lets students show what they know in ways that traditional tests cannot. It was created by the Dynamic Learning Maps Consortium, which is composed of 18 state departments of education and other educational agencies. Their work is guided by the core belief that "all students should have access to challenging grade-level content that helps them improve their learning processes."   

Below is how the Illinois State Board of Education describes DLM. 

"The DLM system is designed to map a student’s learning throughout the year. The system uses items and tasks that are embedded in day-to-day instruction and aligned with the common core standards. In this way, testing happens as part of instruction, which both informs teaching and benefits students. Eventually, an end-of-the-year assessment will be created for states that want to include a summative test in addition to the instructionally embedded system."

In our schools, DLM assessments are given to students in mathematics and English language arts (ELA). The assessment process takes approximately one hour for math and 75 minutes for ELA. Students do not need to prepare for the assessment, and parents/guardians are provided with pertinent information about it prior to the testing window. All results are completely confidential.

Please visit https://dynamiclearningmaps.org/illinois to learn more about DLM.