ADA 504 Procedures

  • PROCEDURES FOR RECEIVING CONSIDERATION FOR 504/ADA ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE SCHOOL SETTING

    New Trier High School is committed to providing a free appropriate public education to each resident disabled person who qualifies under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008.

    To qualify for accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008, a student must have a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, including but not limited to: learning, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, communicating, concentrating, reading, breathing, working, caring for one's self, thinking, performing manual tasks, lifting, and bending. (See 34 C.F.R. Section 104.3)

    The specification of physical or mental impairment requires an individual evaluation which must be administered by trained personnel with tests that are validated for the specific purpose for which they are used. (34 C.F.R. Section 104.35) Many families will seek outside evaluations from pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other health professionals for diagnosis of a physical or mental impairment. Documentation must be current and within a three year period to be considered.

    It is important to remember that the presence of a physical or mental impairment does not automatically guarantee eligibility under Section 504. That impairment must substantially limit one or more major life activities for a student to be eligible.

    If you feel that your student is eligible for accommodations under Section 504, the documentation supporting this view should be submitted to the student's adviser. Once the application and supporting documentation is received by the Graduating Class Team (GCT), the student will be placed on the agenda for the next available Graduating Class Team (GCT) meeting. This meeting is co-chaired by the Graduating Class Assistant Principals. In addition to yourself and your student, other team members include the student's adviser, adviser chair, school psychologist, and any other related service member working with the student (GAP teacher, social worker, school nurse, etc). At this meeting a review of the student's academic records will be conducted, current teacher report forms will be considered, and a review of any outside evaluations will take place. All of this information will be used to determine if the student meets the eligibility requirements under Section 504.

    The GCT team may conclude that:

    • The submitted materials, teacher feedback, and academic records support the need for protection under Section 504.
    • The submitted materials, teacher feedback, and academic records do not support the need for protection under Section 504 and no further action is necessary.
    • The submitted materials, teacher feedback, and academic records do not support the need for protection under Section 504, but the student should be referred to the Graduating Class Team to provide interventions, monitor progress, and gather more information about the student.

    The eligibility process generally takes 2-3 weeks depending on the time of year. It is important that the process is conducted with fidelity and those teachers and the team have sufficient time to provide solid feedback and review all relevant information. Therefore, applications received late in the school year may be deferred to the beginning of the following school year. All incoming freshman applications that are received over the summer will be reviewed in the fall when school resumes. A family is welcome to submit at request at any point in time. It is helpful to allow our teachers time to get to learn about their student's needs, have a sufficient number of data points, and allow the transition to high school time to settle. 

    If a student is found eligible under Section 504, the plan goes into effect immediately. The student's teachers will be notified of any accommodations the student might receive and the family will receive a copy of the plan in the mail within 48 hours of the meeting.

    Click here for a PDF file of the forms required to request consideration for eligibility under Section 504. The forms, which can be downloaded and printed, should be filled out and returned to your student's adviser.