Special Education in Tarrant City Schools consists of specially designed instruction for students who qualify under one of the 13 areas of eligibility defined by the Alabama Administrative Code. These services may also include related and supplementary aids tailored to each student’s unique needs. Related services, such as Speech/Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Behavioral/Counseling, are provided as determined by the IEP team. Additional supports, known as supplementary aids, are available to help students succeed, including assistive technology when needed to facilitate learning and growth.

In Alabama, there are 13 areas of eligibility that include:

• Autism

• Deaf-Blindness

• Developmental Delay

• Emotional Disability

• Hearing Impairment

• Intellectual Disability

• Multiple Disabilities

• Other Health Impairment

• Orthopedic Impairment

• Specific Learning Disability

• Speech or Language Impairment

• Traumatic Brain Injury

• Visual Impairment

Parent requests for testing must be submitted in writing to the school's special education teacher. For more information, please contact your child’s teacher, school administrator, guidance counselor, or call our office at 205-849-3700. Each school has a Problem Solving Team (PST), part of the Response to Instruction (RTI) framework, which identifies students needing additional support and intervention. These interventions may prevent the need for special education services and are provided concurrently during the evaluation process to ensure tiered instruction effectively addresses student needs.

Child Identification, as outlined by the Alabama Administrative Code (AAC), encompasses CHILD FIND, Pre-referral Intervention Strategies in the General Education Classroom, Referral, Evaluations, and Eligibility. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) serving children with disabilities must have procedures to ensure all children in their jurisdiction who need special education and related services are identified, located, and evaluated, regardless of the severity of their disability. This includes children attending private or religious schools within the LEA’s jurisdiction, highly mobile children (such as migrants), homeless children, wards of the State, and children suspected of having a disability, even if they are progressing from grade to grade without failure or retention.

Written consent for services is required once a child is determined eligible for special education. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be created by a team that includes parents, a general educator, a special educator, and a representative from the local education agency (LEA). Additional professionals may participate as needed to support the child’s needs. The school-based IEP team collaborates with parents and the student to establish goals tailored to the child’s unique educational requirements, ensuring access to the general education curriculum.

Before enrolling, you can contact Special Education Services at 205-849-3700 for more information about the services offered by Tarrant City Schools. During enrollment, speak with school personnel about available services and share any documentation from a previous school or district to help establish or consider appropriate services for your child.

Please contact Mrs. Cathy Brown at 205-849-3700.

Please share this information with your child's teacher or school administrator. While prescriptions are considered during the evaluation process, they do not automatically determine school-based services. All students must meet the criteria set by the Alabama Administrative Code for special education services.

Please share this information with your child's teacher or administrator. A meeting will be arranged to review all relevant details and consider the results of an independent evaluation. It's important to note that diagnostic criteria differ from the eligibility requirements for special education services as defined by the Alabama Administrative Code. As a result, even if parts of the private evaluation are accepted, additional information may be necessary to meet state eligibility standards.

Extended School Year (ESY) services are provided beyond the regular school calendar at no cost to parents. To qualify, there must be documented evidence of significant regression in critical skills during breaks (such as Spring Break, summer, or Christmas) that cannot be regained within a reasonable re-teaching period (6-8 weeks). ESY services are intended to maintain essential skills, not to introduce new learning. If you believe your child may qualify, please reach out to their teacher. The need for ESY is also reviewed at every IEP team meeting.

In accordance with the Alabama Administrative Code r.290-8-9-8 (2) (h), education agencies must retain special education records for five (5) years after the end of the program for which they were used. After this period, the agency will notify parents in writing that the records are no longer needed and will be destroyed.

This notice informs parents and former students that special education and gifted records for individuals who have not received services in Tarrant City Schools for five (5) or more years will be destroyed after June 30 each year. Legal guardians or former students age 19 or older must contact Special Education Services to arrange record pick-up before June 30. The office is located at 1318 Alabama St., Tarrant, AL 35217, and can be reached at 205-849-3700.

Child Find is a comprehensive, statewide initiative led by the State Department of Education and the Department of Rehabilitation Services. Its purpose is to locate, identify, and evaluate children with disabilities from birth to age 21 who may require special education and related services. This effort is crucial for ensuring that children with disabilities, including those who are not yet enrolled in school, are provided with the support they need as early as possible. 

Child Find covers children in various situations, such as those attending public or private schools, those who are homeschooled, and children who are homeless or wards of the state. It also includes children in highly mobile populations, such as migrant or military families. By collaborating with parents, educators, and community organizations, Child Find helps to ensure that children receive appropriate services to support their educational and developmental needs, promoting their success and well-being.

It assists the child, family, and provider in planning appropriate services and connecting families to resources for students who meet eligibility requirements in specific disability areas.

Early Intervention and Special Education Services collaborate with community service agencies, parents, and local school systems to identify and locate children with disabilities. For more information about the referral process for children from birth to age 21, please contact Cathy Brown, Special Education Coordinator for Tarrant City Schools, at 205-849-3700.

- Autism: A developmental disability that impacts verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction before age three, affecting educational performance.  
- Deaf-Blind: Combined hearing and visual impairments causing severe communication and educational needs that cannot be met by programs solely for deaf or blind students.  
- Developmentally Delayed: Significant delay in adaptive, cognitive, communication, social/emotional, or physical development by age three, requiring special education services.  
- Emotional Disability: Behavioral or emotional responses significantly different from norms, affecting educational performance over a long period and to a marked degree.  
- Hearing Impairment: A hearing issue, permanent or fluctuating, that affects educational performance, including both deaf and hard-of-hearing conditions.  
- Intellectual Disability: Limitations in mental and adaptive functioning affecting academic and social performance, categorized as mild, moderate, or severe/profound.  
- Multiple Disabilities: Coexisting impairments (e.g., intellectual disability and blindness) that create severe educational needs not addressable by services for one impairment alone.  
- Orthopedic Impairment: Severe physical impairments affecting education, caused by congenital issues, disease, or injury, requiring educational impact for service eligibility.  
- Other Health Impairment: Health issues like asthma, ADHD, or epilepsy causing limited strength or alertness and affecting educational performance, beyond medical diagnosis alone.  
- Specific Learning Disability: Disorders in psychological processes affecting language use, impacting abilities like reading, writing, and math, excluding issues due to other disabilities or disadvantages.  
- Speech or Language Impairment: Disorders in articulation, voice, fluency, or language that negatively impact educational performance.  
- Traumatic Brain Injury: Brain injury from external force causing cognitive, behavioral, or physical impairments that affect education, excluding congenital or degenerative injuries.  
- Visual Impairment: Vision issues, even with correction, impacting educational performance, including partial sight and blindness.