Subdivision 1. Requirement. (a) Before a pupil is referred for a special education evaluation, the district must conduct and document at least two instructional strategies, alternatives, or interventions using a system of scientific, research-based instruction and intervention in academics or behavior, based on the pupil's needs, while the pupil is in the regular classroom. The pupil's teacher must document the results. A special education evaluation team may waive this requirement when it determines the pupil's need for the evaluation is urgent. This section may not be used to deny a pupil's right to a special education evaluation.
(b) A school district shall use alternative intervention services, including the assurance of mastery program under section 124D.66, or an early intervening services program under subdivision 2 to serve at-risk pupils who demonstrate a need for alternative instructional strategies or interventions.
(c) A student identified as being unable to read at grade level under section 120B.12, subdivision 2, paragraph (a), must be provided with alternate instruction under this subdivision that is multisensory, systematic, sequential, cumulative, and explicit.
Subd. 2. Early intervening services program. (a) A district may meet the requirement under subdivision 1 by establishing an early intervening services program that includes:
(1) a system of valid and reliable general outcome measures aligned to state academic standards that is administered at least three times per year to pupils in kindergarten through grade 8 who need additional academic or behavioral support to succeed in the general education environment. The school must provide interim assessments that measure pupils' performance three times per year and implement progress monitoring appropriate to the pupil. For purposes of this section, "progress monitoring" means the frequent and continuous measurement of a pupil's performance that includes these three interim assessments and other pupil assessments during the school year. A school, at its discretion, may allow pupils in grades 9 through 12 to participate in interim assessments;
(2) a system of scientific, research-based instruction and intervention; and
(3) an organizational plan that allows teachers, paraprofessionals, and volunteers funded through various sources to work as a grade-level team or use another configuration across grades and settings to deliver instruction. The team must be trained in scientific, research-based instruction and intervention. Teachers and paraprofessionals at a site operating under this paragraph must work collaboratively with those pupils who need additional academic or behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment.
(b) As an intervention under paragraph (a), clause (2), staff generating special education aid under section 125A.76 may provide small group instruction to pupils who need additional academic or behavioral support to succeed in the general education environment. Small group instruction that includes pupils with a disability may be provided in the general education environment if the needs of the pupils with a disability are met, consistent with their individualized education programs, and all pupils in the group receive the same level of instruction and make the same progress in the instruction or intervention. Teachers and paraprofessionals must ensure that the needs of pupils with a disability participating in small group instruction under this paragraph remain the focus of the instruction. Expenditures attributable to the time special education staff spends providing instruction to nondisabled pupils in this circumstance is eligible for special education aid under section 125A.76 as an incidental benefit if:
(1) the group consists primarily of disabled pupils;
(2) no special education staff are added to meet nondisabled pupils' needs; and
(3) the primary purpose of the instruction is to implement the individualized education programs of pupils with a disability in this group.
Expenditures attributable to the time special education staff spends providing small group instruction to nondisabled pupils that affords more than an incidental benefit to such pupils is not eligible for special education aid under section 125A.76, except that such expenditures may be included in the alternative delivery initial aid adjustment under section 125A.78 if the district has an approved program under section 125A.50. During each 60-day period that a nondisabled pupil participates in small group instruction under this paragraph, the pupil's progress monitoring data must be examined to determine whether the pupil is making progress and, if the pupil is not making progress, the pupil's intervention strategies must be changed or the pupil must be referred for a special education evaluation.
1989 c 329 art 3 s 21; 1998 c 397 art 2 s 164; art 11 s 3; 1998 c 398 art 2 s 38; 2007 c 146 art 2 s 31; 2011 c 76 art 1 s 18; 1Sp2011 c 11 art 3 s 12; 2016 c 189 art 25 s 38; 1Sp2017 c 5 art 2 s 43
Structure Minnesota Statutes
Chapters 120 - 129C — Education Code: Prekindergarten - Grade 12
Chapter 125A — Special Education And Special Programs
Section 125A.01 — Definitions.
Section 125A.02 — Child With A Disability Defined.
Section 125A.023 — State Agency Coordination Responsibilities.
Section 125A.027 — Local Agency Coordination Responsibilities.
Section 125A.03 — Special Instruction For Children With A Disability.
Section 125A.04 — High School Diploma.
Section 125A.06 — Blind Persons' Literacy Rights.
Section 125A.08 — Individualized Education Programs.
Section 125A.083 — Student Information Systems; Transferring Records.
Section 125A.091 — Alternative Dispute Resolution And Due Process Hearings.
Section 125A.094 — Restrictive Procedures For Children With Disabilities.
Section 125A.0941 — Definitions.
Section 125A.0942 — Standards For Restrictive Procedures.
Section 125A.11 — Special Instructions For Nonresident Children.
Section 125A.12 — Attendance In Another District.
Section 125A.125 — Report On Homeless Children Served.
Section 125A.13 — School Of Parents' Choice.
Section 125A.14 — Extended School Year.
Section 125A.15 — Placement In Another District; Responsibility.
Section 125A.155 — Special Education Reciprocity; Commissioner Duties.
Section 125A.17 — Legal Residence Of A Child With A Disability Placed In A Foster Facility.
Section 125A.18 — Special Instruction; Nonpublic Schools.
Section 125A.19 — Nonresident Education; Billing.
Section 125A.20 — Transportation Aid Agreements.
Section 125A.21 — Third-party Payment.
Section 125A.22 — Community Transition Interagency Committee.
Section 125A.23 — Agency Access To Nonpublic Data.
Section 125A.24 — Parent Advisory Councils.
Section 125A.25 — Legislative Commitment To Conciliation.
Section 125A.259 — Citation; Interagency Early Childhood Intervention System.
Section 125A.27 — Definitions.
Section 125A.28 — State Interagency Coordinating Council.
Section 125A.29 — Responsibilities Of County Boards And School Boards.
Section 125A.30 — Interagency Early Intervention Committees.
Section 125A.31 — Local Primary Agency.
Section 125A.32 — Individualized Family Service Plan (ifsp).
Section 125A.33 — Service Coordination.
Section 125A.34 — Early Intervention Respite Services.
Section 125A.35 — Early Intervention Service Dollars.
Section 125A.36 — Payment For Services.
Section 125A.37 — Payor Of Last Resort.
Section 125A.38 — Maintenance Of Effort.
Section 125A.39 — Local Interagency Agreements.
Section 125A.40 — Third-party Payment.
Section 125A.41 — Coordinating Health Insurance Benefits.
Section 125A.42 — Procedural Safeguards; Parent And Child Rights.
Section 125A.43 — Mediation Procedure.
Section 125A.44 — Complaint Procedure.
Section 125A.45 — Interagency Dispute Procedure.
Section 125A.46 — Due Process Hearings.
Section 125A.48 — State Interagency Agreement.
Section 125A.50 — Alternative Delivery Of Specialized Instructional Services.
Section 125A.51 — Placement Of Children Without Disabilities; Education And Transportation.
Section 125A.515 — Placement Of Students; Approval Of Education Program.
Section 125A.53 — Director Of A Special Education Cooperative.
Section 125A.55 — Accommodating Students With Disabilities.
Section 125A.56 — Alternate Instruction Required Before Assessment Referral.
Section 125A.58 — Purchasing Guidelines.
Section 125A.59 — Interagency Agreement To Purchase Used Assistive Technology Devices.
Section 125A.60 — Purchase Agreement; Price Formula.
Section 125A.61 — Location And Status.
Section 125A.62 — Duties Of The Board Of The Minnesota State Academies.
Section 125A.63 — Resources; Deaf Or Hard-of-hearing And Blind Or Visually Impaired.
Section 125A.64 — Powers Of Board Of The Minnesota State Academies.
Section 125A.65 — Attendance At Academies For The Deaf And Blind.
Section 125A.66 — Obligations Of The Academies.
Section 125A.67 — Staff Of The Academies.
Section 125A.68 — State Adopted Procedures.
Section 125A.69 — Admission Standards.
Section 125A.70 — Expense Of Pupils.
Section 125A.71 — Deposit And Appropriation Of Rents And Fees Of Academies.
Section 125A.72 — Student Activities Account.
Section 125A.73 — Duties Of State Departments.
Section 125A.74 — Medical Assistance Payments To School Districts.
Section 125A.744 — Statewide Data Management System To Maximize Medical Assistance Reimbursement.
Section 125A.75 — Special Education Programs; Approval; Aid Payments; Travel Aid; Litigation Costs.
Section 125A.76 — Special Education Aid.