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Special Education Hub
Special Education Services
Eligible students receive special education and related services according to their Individualized Education Program (IEP). A student’s IEP team consists of an administrator, a special-education teacher, a general education teacher, related service providers, the student’s parents, and (if applicable) the student. The IEP team determines the least restrictive environment for students to receive services. The IEP team meets once a year to review and revise IEPs but can meet more frequently to address mastery or new challenges.
Special-education programs in our schools
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All schools in our division support the structured teaching classroom for students with autism and emotional/behavioral needs who are able to access the general education curriculum with individualized supports. This includes intensive individualized instruction in communication, social skills, emotional self-regulation, coping strategies, executive functioning, and work habits.
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Charlottesville City Schools actively works to identify students in the City of Charlottesville who are in need of special-education and related services. As a part of these “child find” activities, our division screens for hearing, vision, fine motor, gross motor, and speech. Learn more about our screening process at the Student Health Hub.
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Do you suspect that your child has a disability? Contact your child’s school. The school will do an evaluation to determine whether the child has a disability as well as the nature and extent of services that the child may need. See the Virginia Families Guide to Special Education for detailed information. If the child is eligible to receive special education and related services, a team will develop the child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).
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For students with significant intellectual disabilities who cannot access the general education curriculum, our division offers Life Skills Education and Adaptive Curriculum Program (LEAP). LEAP is offered for kindergarten through post-high at Jackson-Via Elementary, Walker, CHS, and Parkside.
Related services
Charlottesville City Schools has staff who offer the following supportive services that may be required for a student to make progress toward their special education goals:
- Physical and Occupational Therapy
- Speech-Language Therapy
- Hearing and Visual Impairment Services
- Personal Care
- Nursing
- Transportation
- Counseling
Additionally, through our partnership with the Piedmont Regional Education Program (PREP), we offer assistive technology.
Family Resources and Special Education Advisory Committee
Current parents: Charlottesville City Schools sends out periodic updates on special-education matters via ParentSquare.
Sign Up for Special Ed Updates
Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
Whether a student has a complex disability or just needs a little extra help, the Charlottesville City Schools Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) collaborates with administrators to ensure our schools are meeting the needs of each student.
Parent/Family Liaison
Charlottesville City Schools contracts with PREP to provide a Parent Resource Center and Parent/Family Liaison.
Stephanie Hicks
Parent/Family Liaison
Charlottesville City Schools contracts with PREP to provide a Parent Resource Center and Parent/Family Liaison.
Stephanie Hicks
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Beginning in the 2024-2025 School Year, the School Board designates a faculty member to serve as a special education parent/family liaison, who serves as a resource to parents and families to understand and engage in the referral, evaluation, reevaluation, and eligibility process if they suspect that their child has a disability and the IEP process and works in collaboration with the special education family support centers established by the Parent Training and Information Center of the Commonwealth pursuant to Virginia Code § 22.1-214.5.
Online Resources for Families
Additional information about special education and procedural safeguards is available by contacting Rachel Rasnake (see contacts, above), your school principal, or VDOE’s Office of Dispute Resolution and Administrative Services.
Transition Planning
Additional Resources
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Since transition planning is student-centered, it is important that the student participate in the IEP. As early as middle school (age 14), the IEP team may begin to develop educational and transition plans that will be reviewed each year. Team members may include the parent(s), special education and general education teachers, a career/technical instructor, career assessment specialist, school counselor, agencies providing adult services (e.g., Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS), Department of Social Services, Juvenile Justice, etc.). Working together, opportunities can be created for career, self-advocacy, interpersonal, and living skills essential for the successful transition from school to work and adult living.