Exceptional Services

Our Purpose

Athens City Schools provides a comprehensive array of services to meet the needs of students, ages three through twenty-one, who have been identified as disabled. Services provided to any given child are based upon that child's individual needs. Our mandate is to assure that each child receives a free, appropriate, public education. Special education services are designed to provide the supports necessary to allow a child to derive meaningful benefit from his or her educational experience.

Gifted and Talented

Gifted children are those who perform at high levels in academic or creative fields when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. All second grade students in the Athens City Schools will be observed as potential gifted referrals using a gifted behavior checklist provided by the State Department of Education. A student may be referred for consideration for gifted services by teachers, counselors, administrators, parents or guardians, peers, self, and other individuals knowledgeable of the student's abilities. Parents must be informed when students are referred.

For each student referred, information is gathered in the following three areas:

Aptitude – Aptitude should be assessed through an individual or group test of intelligence or creativity.
Characteristics – A behavior rating scale designed to assess gifted behaviors is completed by a classroom teacher.
Performance – At least three indicators of performance at a gifted level must be submitted. These may include, but are not limited to, achievement test scores, products, work samples, and/or portfolios.

The scores from the assessments/items used are entered on a matrix where points are assigned according to established criteria. The total number of points earned determines if the student qualifies for gifted services.

Gifted & Talented: Our Purpose

Athens City Schools is committed to supporting each of our students in achieving the highest potential possible. To that end, we offer Gifted & Talented Education services to students who are identitfied as Gifted.

According to the Alabama Administrative Code (AAC), "Intellectually gifted children and youth are those who perform or who have demonstrated the potential to perform at high levels in academic or creative fields when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. These children and youth require services not ordinarily provided by the regular school program. Children and youth possessing these abilities can be found in all populations, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor." Creativity, in this defintiion, refers to problem-solving abilities.

Gifted students are identified by a standardized process. For each student referred, information is gathered in the areas of Aptitude, Characteristics, and Performance. The information is entered on a matrix where points are assigned according to established criteria. The total number of points earned determines if the student qualifies for gifted services. Athens City Schools has a state approved Local Education Agency (LEA) Plan for Gifted that outlines gifted processes and services.

All children do have abilities and can excel. However, the brains of gifted students work differently than normal students. In their area(s) of giftedness, these students must learn at a faster pace and have depth and complexity in content and activities. Otherwise, this information will be mislearned or students will underachieve. Gifted students have unique learning needs that require special education services, or interventions, in order for these students to reach their potential. Gifted students may be gifted in one domain or subject area, such as math or science, in all subjects, and/or in creativity or problem-solving.

There are two models of program services for gifted students in Alabama. Both models must follow the Alabama Administrative Code (AAC). However, the identification of students is what defines the program.

Gifted Program identifies students using the Alabama State Departmnet of Education (SDE) Gifted Eligbility Determination Form and requires a gifted certified specialist to facilitate services.
Enrichment Program identifies gifted students plus an additional talent pool using a state-approved, multiple criteria eligiblity matrix and requires a gifted certified specialist to facilitate services.

An Enrichment Program should not be confused with the term enrichment, which is any supplemental activity that is above and beyond the core curriculum standards offered in any classroom and may be administered or faciliated by any certified teacher or mentor.

Any student may be referred if they are enrolled in the public school system and are at least 6 years of age. Referral requests may be submitted at any time. A student may be referred for consideration for gifted services by teachers, counselors, administrators, parents or guardians, peers, self, and other individuals with knowledge of the student’s abilities.

Section 504

STUDENTS PROTECTED UNDER SECTION 504

Section 504 is a section in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities.

To qualify for protection under Section 504, a student must have a documented disability that substantially limits his/her learning or other major life activity (e.g., walking, talking breathing).

Under Section 504, we are able to provide accommodations that "level the playing field" for a student with disabilities. These services are typically different from special education services. We can offer accommodations in the way we present material to a student or in the way a student is asked to respond, but if the student requires specially designed instruction, then the student would need to be evaluated for special education services. Examples of accommodations are: having a lengthy assignment presented in smaller segments (e.g., instead of giving all 20 problems to the student at once, present the student with five problems; when those are complete, present the student with five more, until all are complete), giving additional time to complete a test, allowing a student with a visual impairment to copy from notes on his/her desk rather than from the board, or redirecting a student to task who has an attention deficit disorder. The accommodations that are put in place must be directly related to the disability. Under Section 504, we do not modify or change the curriculum or standards being taught, nor do we provide pull-out service to a special education resource room.
There is a referral and eligibility process for Section 504. Depending on the documentation available, additional testing to confirm the disability and it's impact on learning may be needed. If the student is eligible, a 504 Plan, if needed, is developed. The 504 Plan will specify the accommodations this student needs. 504 Plans are updated annually.
For further information, please contact Mrs. Dimika Cummings, 504 Coordinator, at 256-233-6600 or dimika.cummings@acs-k12.org.

Child Find

Athens City Schools ensures that all children residing within our jurisdiction, birth to twenty-one, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who need special education and related services, are identified, located and evaluated.

Child Find applies to children who attend private schools within Athens City Schools jurisdiction, highly mobile children with disabilities (i.e. migrant and homeless children), and children who are suspected of having a disability and are in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade.

If you know of a child, 3 yrs. and older, who may be in need of special education services call: (256) 233-6600

For children, birth-2 yrs., please contact Early Intervention Services of Alabama: 1-800-543-3098. Spanish-speaking families may call (1-866-450-2838). Please have child/parent information (child’s name, date of birth, address, phone numbers, etc.) available.

Special Announcements

SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS NOTICE Attention Parents/Guardians, Former Students, Eligible (Adult) Students: Special Education records which have been collected by the Athens City School District related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of Special Education in the district, must be maintained under state and federal laws for a period of five years after Special Education services have ended for the student. Special Education services end when the student is no longer eligible for services, graduates, completes his or her educational program at age
21, or moves from the district. This notification is to inform parents/guardians and former students of Athens City School District's policy of destroying special education records upon the expiration of five years from the date the services end. These records will be destroyed in accordance with state and federal law unless the parent/guardian or adult student notifies the Athens City School District otherwise. After five years the records are no longer useful to the district, but they may be useful to the parent/guardian or former student in applying for Social Security benefits, rehabilitation services, college entrance, etc If you wish to maintain this information for your personal records and for any questions or more information, please contact the Special Education Department of the Athens City School District at 256-232-0212 before June 15, 2023.