A 504 plan is based on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a civil rights law that ensures all children have equal access to an education. The 504 plan is a legal document. It is designed to provide modifications, accommodations, or related services to assist students with special needs who are in a regular education setting. A 504 plan is not an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) as is required for special education students. Students can be considered for a 504 plan if they have a physical or emotional disability, or if they have an impairment that restricts one or more major life activities. These plans are developed through individual school building committees. Major life activities include but are not limited to caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, and learning. Possible  accommodations may include:

•        A child’s seat assignment can be adjusted to accommodate a disability.
•        A diabetic child may be permitted to eat in the classroom.   
•        A student’s assignments or testing conditions may be adjusted.

The responsibility of the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) is to determine if students ages 3-5 are eligible for special education or related services. A child can be referred to the CPSE only by his/her parents. CPSE evaluations are usually conducted in the areas of cognition, speech/language, social/emotional functioning, adaptive functioning, and motor development. 

Your child must be registered in the Rye City School District to be referred to CPSE. Evaluations take place only after written permission is obtained. The committee then meets to review the multidisciplinary evaluations in order to determine if the child is eligible for special education. At that meeting, the child's strengths and concerns are discussed. If it is determined that the child is eligible, the child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is drafted. The IEP includes goals and objectives, and service recommendations based on those goals and objectives. The plan is reviewed yearly at a CPSE meeting to review the child’s progress, determine ongoing eligibility, and update goals.

New York State (NYS) regulations defines an IEP as a written statement for a student with a disability that is developed, reviewed and revised by a Committee on Special Education, Subcommittee on Special Education or Committee on Preschool Special Education.  The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is the cornerstone of the special education process for each individual student with a disability.

The IEP is the tool that ensures a student has access to the general education curriculum and is provided the appropriate learning opportunities, accommodations, adaptations, specialized services and supports needed for the student to progress towards achieving the learning standards and to meet his or her unique needs related to the disability. Each student with a disability must have an IEP in effect by the beginning of each school year.  Federal and State laws and regulations specify the information that must be documented in each student’s IEP.  In NYS, IEPs must be on a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Education.

The Committee on Special Education (CSE) services children from ages 5-21. Students may be referred by their parents; a designee of the school district in which the student resides, or the public school district the student legally attends or is eligible to attend; the commissioner or designee of a public agency with responsibility for the education of the student; and/or a designee of an education program affiliated with a child care institution with the committee on special education responsibility. Evaluations are conducted by district staff. A parent/guardian may choose to have a child evaluated privately at their own cost. The district has the right to have a district staff member, certified in the area, review the evaluations and the reports. Throughout the process, parent permission and approval are needed in order to continue to the next step. Consent is always obtained in writing. A parent has the right to stop the process at any point by submitting a request in writing.

Parent University: CPSE to CSE Transition 2/28/24

2024-2025 Transportation Request

504 Due Process

Comprehensive Review Announcement

Comprehensive Review Compliance Letter

A Parent's Guide to Special Education - English

A Parent's Guide to Special Education - Spanish

Parent and Educator Resource Guide to Section 504 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools

Procedural Safeguards Notice

RAISE (Rye's All Inclusive Special Education)