Hospital/HomeboundProgram and Services

Policy and Procedures Manual

This is one of many publications available through the Bureau of Exceptional Education andStudent Services, Florida Department of Education, designed to assist school districts, stateagencies that support educational programs, and parents in the provision of special programs.For additional information on this publication, or for a list of available publications, contact theClearinghouse Information Center, Room 628 Turlington Bldg., Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

Telephone: (850) 245-0477

FAX: (850) 245-0987

Suncom: 205-0477

Email: cicbiscs@fldoe.org

Web site: http://www.fldoe.org/ese/clerhome.asp

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/clerhome.aspmailto:cicbiscs@fldoe.org

POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

HOSPITAL / HOMEBOUND PROGRAM AND SERVICES

2008

Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services Florida Department of Education

Foreword This resource manual is designed to provide the school districts in Florida with recom-mendations and suggestions for the development, management, and evaluation of programs for homebound/hospitalized (H/H) students. It is intended to help bring clarity and direction to educational planning for exceptional students in Florida while being broad enough in scope to meet the varying needs of the students and H/H staff in each district.

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Table of Contents SECTION ONE: Policy and Procedures

Overview ..................................................................................................................1 Background/History .................................................................................................1 Identification.............................................................................................................1 Criteria for Eligibility.................................................................................................2 Evaluation ................................................................................................................3 Eligibility and Placement .........................................................................................4 Individual Educational Plan.....................................................................................4 Private School Students..........................................................................................8 Continuation of Services .........................................................................................8 Reevaluation............................................................................................................9 Dismissal................................................................................................................10 Change in Placement............................................................................................11 Commonly Asked Questions ................................................................................11

SECTION TWO: Instruction and Curriculum Overview ................................................................................................................15 Certification ............................................................................................................16 Instructional Services ............................................................................................17 Roles and Responsibilities....................................................................................19 Agreements ...........................................................................................................23 Organization Structures for Personnel .................................................................23 Equipment .............................................................................................................25 Curriculum and Materials ......................................................................................26 Working with Schools............................................................................................28

SECTION THREE: Attendance and FTE Attendance Recordkeeping ..................................................................................33 FTE Reporting .......................................................................................................34

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APPENDICES A: Glossary and Links .......................................................................................... 37 B: Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rule................................... 47 C: Professional Resources .................................................................................. 49 D: Acronyms......................................................................................................... 53

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Policy and Procedures

SECTION ONE: Policy and Procedures

Overview Students who have been evaluated and deemed eligible by a group of qualified pro-fessionals for the homebound or hospitalized (H/H) program services are consid-ered students with a disability in Florida, in accordance with Section 1003.01, Flor-ida Statutes (F.S.). As such, they are entitled to all the rights and protections of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including a free appropriate public education (FAPE), as identified in Section 1003.01, F.S. This section covers policy and procedures related to eligibility and the development of an individual educa-tional plan (IEP).

Background/History The first homebound educational service began in Newton, Iowa, in 1939. Service was provided by telephone. By 1958, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) created the Division of Educators of Homebound/Hospitalized Children. Today, the H/H service delivery model is considered the most restrictive educational setting because it segregates students from other students, both with and without disabili-ties. It is, therefore, not an appropriate service delivery model for students who could be served in a school-based setting with the appropriate IEP or 504 plan serv-ices.

Identification Rule 6A-6.03020, Florida Administrative Code (FAC.), identifies a H/H student as a student who has a medically diagnosed physical or psychiatric condition that is acute or catastrophic in nature, or a chronic illness, or a repeated intermittent illness due to a persisting medical problem. The condition or illness must confine the student to home or hospital and restrict activities for an extended period of time.

The possibility of H/H services should be explored when it is anticipated that a student will be absent from school for at least 15 schools days, or the equivalent, while under a physicians care because of severe, prolonged, or chronic illness. A parent, teacher, social worker, guidance counselor, physician, and others may initiate the process as soon as it is anticipated that the student will be absent for the duration specified in the rule. There is no established waiting period that must be met when considering initi-ating the process.

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Policy and Procedures

Criteria for Eligibility Every effort should be made to raise the awareness level of the availability of H/H services for eligible students.

The criteria for eligibility for the H/H program are established in Rule 6A-6.03020, FAC. A referral for H/H services may be initiated by the parent; physician; hospital child life specialist; or school personnel, such as principal, guidance counselor, teacher, social worker, nurse, or other agency. A student is eligible for specially designed in-struction in the H/H program if all of the following criteria are met:

A licensed physician certifies: o That the student is expected to be absent from school for at least 15

consecutive school days (or the equivalent on a block schedule) due to a physical or psychiatric condition, or for at least 15 school days (or the equivalent on a block schedule), which need not run consecu-tively, due to a chronic condition

o That the student is confined to the home or hospital o That the student will be able to participate in and benefit from an in-

structional program o That the student is under medical care for illness or injury, which is

acute, catastrophic, or chronic in nature o That the student can receive instructional services without endanger-

ing the health and safety of the instructor or other students with whom the instructor may come in contact

The student is enrolled in a public school (kindergarten through twelfth grade) prior to the referral for homebound or hospitalized services, unless the student meets criteria for eligibility under State Board Rule for another program for students with disabilities under Rules 6A-6.03011, 6A-6.03012, 6A-6.03013, 6A-6.03014, 6A-6.030151, 6A-6.030152, 6A-6.030153, 6A-6.03016, 6A-6.03018, 6A-6.03022, 6A-6.03023, and 6A-6.03027, FAC.

The parent, guardian, or primary caregiver signs parental agreement con-cerning hospitalized or homebound policies and parental cooperation

The eligibility criteria for students who are pregnant are the same as for students who are not pregnant. The doctor must indicate the specific medical condition, in addition to pregnancy, that necessitates the request for H/H services; the estimated delivery date; and the estimated length of time the student will be confined to home or hospital. The medical condition necessitating services may be related to the preg-nancy. The pregnancy, in and of itself, does not constitute eligibility for H/H services.

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Policy and Procedures

Evaluation The minimum evaluation required to determine eligibility for a student being consid-ered for H/H services, as