Administrative Procedure 5146 - Procedural Guidelines for Students with Disabilities under Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973

I. Purpose

1. To provide guidelines and procedures for the evaluation, identification, and provision of services to students with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
2. To ensure that no eligible student with a disability will, on the basis of that disability, be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in any service, program, event, or activity sponsored by Prince George’s County Public Schools.

This procedure is outlined as follows:

1. Purpose
2. Background
3. Definitions
4. Section 504 Procedures
   
   1. Roles and Responsibilities
   2. Evaluation
   3. The 504 Plan
   4. Annual Review
   5. Re-evaluation
   6. Dismissal from Services
   7. Parent Consent of Services
   8. Parental Notification
5. Transportation
   
   1. Eligibility
   2. Request Process
   3. Limitations
6. Field Trips and Extracurricular Activities
7. Special Education Services
8. Discipline
   
   1. Suspensions up to 10 days
   2. Suspensions for more than 10 days
   3. Manifestation Determination Review
   4. Change of Placement
   5. Educational Services during Periods of Removal
   6. Discipline of a Regular Education Student Suspected of Having a Disability under Section 504
9. Disability-based Harassment
10. Appeals/Complaint Procedures
11. Student Record Procedures
12. Related Procedures
13. Maintenance and Update of These Procedures
14. Cancellations and Supersedures
15. Effective Date

II. Background

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination against disabled persons, including students, parents, and staff members, by a school district receiving Federal financial assistance. All public schools and school districts, as well as all public charter schools and magnet schools that receive Federal financial assistance from the Department of Education must comply with Section 504.

Section 504 mandates that students with disabilities be provided a free, appropriate public education (FAPE). Requirements include the identification, evaluation, and provision of appropriate services to students with disabilities and the provision of procedural safeguards to parents of students with disabilities. Section 504 protects all students with disabilities, defined as those “having any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (including learning).” A Section 504 Plan is developed for students found eligible under this statute. The Section 504 Plan must be distributed to all employees who provide services to the student and must be implemented fully.

Inquiries concerning Section 504 are to be made to:

Section 504 Coordinator
Oxon Hill Staff Development Center
7711 Livingston Road
Oxon Hill, MD 20745
(301) 952-6255

III. Definitions

Within the context of this procedure, the following definitions apply.

1. Accommodation: Any strategy, service, or facility modification that is necessary for the student to access academic, nonacademic, and extracurricular activities comparable to those available to his/her non-disabled peers.
2. Child Find: The obligation to locate and identify every qualified disabled student residing in the school district, to take appropriate steps to notify such persons and their parents/guardians of the school system’s duty to do so, and to provide a free appropriate public education to each student regardless of the nature or the severity of the disability.
3. Evaluation: The gathering of data or information from a variety of sources to determine if the student has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major bodily function. The information may include, but is not limited to: data from student records, grades, teacher observations, parent reports, classroom or standardized assessments, educational or psychological assessments and/ or medical information. An evaluation of a student under Section 504 may require school teams to conduct additional assessments if there is insufficient data for the team to make an eligibility determination.
4. Free appropriate public education (FAPE): Provision of regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet a student’s individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of students without disabilities are met. These provisions are made at no cost to the disabled person or his/ her parents/ guardians, except for the fees that are imposed upon non-disabled students or their parents/guardians.
5. Individual With a Disability: A student is considered disabled under Section 504 if he/she:
   1. Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities;
   2. Has a record or history of such an impairment; or
   3. Is regarded as having such impairment.
      1. A student meets the requirement of being regarded as having such impairment if the individual establishes that he or she has been subjected to discrimination because of an actual or perceived physical impairment.
      2. A student who meets the definition of a student with a disability solely because he or she is regarded as having a disability does not need to be provided with accommodations or modifications.
         
         A student is not considered disabled if he/she (1) is disadvantaged solely as a result of cultural, environmental, or economic factors; or (2) has a temporary impairment. A “temporary impairment” is transitory and minor, such as an impairment with an actual or expected duration of six months or less (e.g., broken limb)

6. Major Life Activity: These include walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and performing manual tasks. The disabling condition need only substantially limit one major life activity in order for the student to be eligible.
   
   Major Life activities also include operation of “major bodily functions” such as: functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel functions, bladder, brain, circulatory, endocrine, reproductive, neurological and respiratory.

7. Physical or Mental Impairment:

   1. Any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more body systems: neurological, musculoskeletal, special sense organs, respiratory (including speech organs) cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, genirto-urinary, hemic and lymphatic, skin and endocrine; or

   2. Any mental or psychological disorder, such as intellectual disability, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness and specific learning disabilities.

8. Placement:

   1. Services and accommodations that a student with a disability must receive in order to obtain a free, appropriate public education; or

   2. School or school program to which a student is assigned (including home and hospital services).

9. Substantial Limitation:

   1. The ability or inability to perform a major life activity as compared to non- disabled peers. The determination of substantial limitation must be made on a case-by-case basis, with respect to each individual student, by the 504 Team. Evidence of barriers or obstacles in accessing education curriculum or programming should be considered a substantial limitation. Academic success does not, alone, translate to a lack of substantial limitation.

   2. Substantial limitation to a major life activity shall be interpreted without regard to the ameliorative effects of mitigating measures, other than ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses. Mitigating measures are things like medications, prosthetic devices, assistive devices, or learned behavioral or adaptive neurological modifications that an individual may use to eliminate or reduce the effects of impairment. These measures cannot be considered when determining whether a person has a substantially limiting impairment.

   3. Impairments that are episodic or in remission should be evaluated as if the episode is occurring now.

IV. Section 504 Procedures

The Prince George’s County Public Schools System is obligated to locate and identify every qualified disabled student residing in the County, to take appropriate steps to notify such persons and their parents/guardians of the school system’s duty to do so, and to provide a free appropriate public education to each student regardless of the nature or the severity of the disability.

1. Roles and Responsibilities
   1. The Section 504 Building Facilitator – Principals in each school must assign an administrator to serve as a 504 Building Facilitator. In the instance that the Principal is the only administrator assigned to the building, the Principal will designate someone to serve in this administrative capacity. The 504 Building Facilitator will:
      1. Serve as a liaison between the school and Section 504 Office;
      2. Address parent concerns with the Section 504 process;
      3. Provide in-service training for school staff, including school based Section 504 team;
      4. Ensure the proper maintenance of Section 504 student records, including ensuring that all Section 504 student information is regularly updated in the on-line student data management system;
      5. Ensure that Section 504 plans are distributed to all employees who provide Section 504 services to students;
      6. Coordinate articulation activities to include the appropriate transfer of student Section 504 Information;
      7. Monitor Section 504 Case managers;
      8. Monitor implementation of Section 504 accommodations using formal/informal observation process;
      9. Ensure the appropriate inclusion of students with disabilities in field trips and/or extracurricular activities;
      10. Ensure the appropriate discipline procedures for students with disabilities are followed.
   2. The Section 504 Case Manager – School counselors shall serve as Case Managers for students with Section 504 Plans. Principals in schools without a counselor must assign a person to serve as a case manager for students receiving Section 504 services. Teachers cannot serve in this role. The Section 504 Case Manager will:
      1. Distribute Section 504 plans to all employees who provide Section 504 services to students;
      2. Ensure that Section 504 plans are reviewed annually and students receiving Section 504 services are re-evaluated every three (3) years;
      3. Ensure that Section 504 evaluation documentation, meeting invitations, discussion notes, plans and all other related Section 504 documentation is properly filed in the appropriate section of the student Limited Access Folder;
      4. Coordinate articulation activities to ensure the appropriate transfer of student Section 504 information.
   3. The Section 504 Team - The Section 504 Team shall be comprised of individuals knowledgeable about the student, the condition, evaluation procedures, and placement options. The Section 504 Team shall include the school administrator or designee, parents, the student's teacher, professional school counselor, and the student, as appropriate.
      
      The school administrator shall assume all obligations and responsibilities as the Chairperson of the Section 504 Team. A representative of Health Services shall participate on the Section 504 Team if the student has a health or medical condition. A school psychologist shall participate if the student has a psychological or mental condition. A Pupil Personnel Worker shall participate if the student has attendance or discipline concerns. Other individuals may participate, based on the student's individualized needs. Parents may invite other individuals to participate on the Section 504 Team.
2. Evaluation
   
   Determining whether a child is a qualified disabled student under Section 504 begins with the evaluation process. Section 504 requires informed parental permission for initial evaluations. PGCPS shall identify all students who are disabled under Section 504, by taking the following steps:
   1. Students suspected of having a disability under Section 504 shall be referred to the Section 504 team for an evaluation. A member of the school staff, the special education team, parents/guardians, physicians, or appropriate agency representatives may make written referrals to the Section 504 team. A meeting to review information and determine eligibility shall be held within thirty (30) school days after the request has been made to the school team.
   2. Referrals to the Section 504 team shall be made in writing. Supporting documentation of the condition (e.g., medical, psychological, agency reports), if available, shall be attached to the referral.
   3. The Section 504 Team shall provide the parents/guardians advanced written notification (no fewer than five school days) of the evaluation meeting, including a copy of the procedural safeguards. A Section 504 Team meeting must proceed in the parent’s absence if the school has made reasonable attempts to secure parental participation, including written notification and a record of telephone calls. A school must attempt to schedule Section 504 team meetings on dates convenient to both the school and parents.
   4. A physician's diagnosis, alone, may not form the sole basis for finding a student disabled under Section 504. Section 504 regulations require that school districts draw from a variety of sources in the evaluation process so that the possibility of error is minimized. The information obtained from multiple confirming sources must be documented and all significant factors related to the student's learning process must be considered. These sources and factors may include, but are not limited to: class or state assessments, educational and/ or psychological assessments, student records, observations, anecdotal reports, teacher reports, medical information, physician's orders, emergency care plans and other data, as appropriate. Grades alone are an insufficient basis upon which to determine eligibility, or ineligibility, under Section 504.
   5. In addition to securing informed parental permission for Section 504 Evaluation, written parental consent shall be secured prior to administering any additional assessments needed to determine if a student is disabled under Section 504. If additional assessments are required, they shall be completed within sixty (60) school days of parental consent.
      1. Tests and other assessment materials must be validated for the specific purpose for which they are used and administered by trained personnel in conformance with the instructions provided by their producer;
      2. Tests and other assessment materials include those tailored to assess specific areas of educational need and are not merely those which are designed to provide a single general intelligence quotient; and
      3. Tests must be selected and administered so as best to ensure that, when a test is administered to a student with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, test results accurately reflect the student's aptitude or achievement level or whatever other factor the test claims to measure, rather than reflecting the student's impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills (except where those skills are the factors that the test claims to measure).

3. The 504 Plan

   1. Plan development. A Section 504 plan shall be developed as soon as possible, but in no case later than thirty (30) school days after a 504 evaluation has been conducted and a student is identified as disabled under Section 504.
      
      The Section 504 plan shall be designed to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that meets the student’s individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of students without disabilities are met. The provision of services shall be based on evaluation data, including classroom or state assessments, teacher recommendations, educational and/ or psychological assessments, medical information, physician's orders, input from parents and other data, as appropriate.

   2. Placement. The Section 504 Team shall determine the student's placement. In determining placement, the Section 504 Team shall consider supplemental aids and services appropriate to enable the student to be educated in the general education environment. The Section 504 Team shall ensure that a student is educated as close to his/her home as possible if it is determined that the Section 504 Plan cannot be implemented at the student's boundary school with the use of supplementary aids and services.

   3. Distribution to employees. The Section 504 Plan must be distributed to all employees who provide services to the student and must be implemented fully. Substitute teachers, both long- and short-term, must receive appropriate information regarding Section 504 plans.

   4. Data management. All students receiving Section 504 services must be identified and coded in the student data management system. The student data management system should be updated on a monthly basis to reflect newly identified students eligible under Section 504 and/or students who exit Section 504 services.

   5. Record keeping. In accordance with Administrative Procedure 5125, all Section 504 documentation will be maintained in a limited access folder and Section 504 student information will be provided when a student changes from one school to another within PGCPS. The most current Section 504 plan should be archived by computer or other mechanical storage/retrieval device along with Category I student data outlined in Administrative Procedure 5125.

4. Annual Review. A student’s Section 504 plan shall be reviewed and revised, as appropriate, at least annually, or sooner at the request of a parent or teacher. Requests for Section 504 plan review or revisions, made by a parent or teacher, must be conducted within a reasonable time. The parent shall be provided with advance written notification of the review meeting (no fewer than five school days). A Section 504 team meeting must proceed in the parent’s absence only after the school has made reasonable requests to secure parental participation, including written notification and a record of telephone calls. A school must attempt to schedule Section 504 meetings on dates convenient to both the school and parents. The parent shall also be provided written minutes of all Section 504 Team decisions reached at meetings. The minutes shall include a statement of the reasons for each decision and describe the evaluation data used to reach each decision.

5. Re- Evaluation
   A student will be re-evaluated at least every three (3) years, and prior to any significant change in the student's program or placement, including a disciplinary removal in excess of 10 school days, dismissal from services, or if a teacher or parent requests a re-evaluation. Teams should re-evaluate whenever there is reason to believe the student no longer has a disability that substantially limits a major life activity or if an additional disability and accompanying accommodations need to be added to the Section 504 plan.
   
   Re-evaluations will follow the same procedures used during the initial evaluation, including scheduling a Section 504 meeting, with advanced written notification to the parents including the Procedural Safeguards.

6. Dismissal From Services
   Before a student can be dismissed from Section 504 services, the Section 504 team shall determine whether the student continues to have a disability that substantially limits one or more life activities. If it is determined that a student no longer has a disability that substantially limits a major life activity, that student shall be exited from Section 504. This decision must be properly documented and placed in the student’s Limited Access Folder and reflected in the on-line student data management system.

7. Parental Consent of Services
   Section 504 requires informed parental permission for initial Section 504 evaluation and services. Should a parent refuse consent to Section 504 evaluation and/or initial services, the refusal shall be documented in writing along with documentation that the parent has received a copy of the Section 504 procedural safeguards.
   
   If after provision of services, a parent revokes consent for continued Section 504 services, a 504 team meeting shall be convened and the student shall be re- evaluated to determine whether the student continues to have a disability that substantially limits one or more life activities. If it is determined that a student, for whom the parent has revoked services, continues to have a disability that substantially limits a major life activity and Section 504 accommodations are necessary to meet the student’s individual educational needs, the Section 504 team’s decision must be properly documented in writing, the parent should be advised of the team’s recommendation to continue Section 504 services and the parent shall put in writing the desire to terminate Section 504 services.
   

8. Parental Notification
   Parents shall receive written notification of all Section 504 meetings to include the following:

   1. Meeting invitation - The Section 504 Team shall provide the parent an invitation to all team meetings and advance notification of the purpose of the meeting, at least five school days prior to the meeting date.

   2. Procedural Safeguards - Parents shall be provided a copy of the Section 504 Procedural Safeguards with notification of each Section 504 meeting. The procedural safeguards shall contain information concerning a parent's right to notice, the opportunity to examine relevant records, an impartial hearing with opportunity for participation by the student's parents/guardians and representation by counsel, and a review procedure.

   3. Written minutes - The parent shall also be provided written minutes of all Section 504 Team decisions reached at meetings. The minutes shall include a statement of the reasons for each decision and describe the evaluation data used to reach each decision.

V. Transportation

1. Eligibility. A student with a disability under Section 504 may be eligible for transportation as a related service to support his/her Section 504 Plan. A student’s need for transportation and all other related services shall be considered during the Section 504 evaluation meeting and during subsequent Section 504 annual review meetings. A Section 504 team, including the nurse, shall be convened if a student is suspected of requiring specialized transportation, or if a parent requests specialized transportation. The Section 504 Team shall consider multiple confirming data when considering the need for transportation services, including but not limited to, the physician’s statement. Students receiving specialized transportation must have been identified as disabled and have a Section 504 Plan. A student with a temporary impairment is not considered disabled under Section 504.
2. Request process. If the Section 504 team has determined that specialized transportation is a necessary service to meet the student’s individual educational needs, the school shall complete the Section 504 Transportation Request Form and forward it to the Office of School Health Policy, Services and Innovations along with the Section 504 plan and team minutes from the most recent Section 504 team meeting. If the parent has a statement from the student's physician, it shall be forwarded to Health Services with the Section 504 Transportation Request Form. A physician's statement must be presented on physician letterhead, include the physician’s signature and provide a description of the student’s condition and its relation to the student’s need for transportation services.
   
   The Office of School Health Policy, Services and Innovations shall conduct an assessment to determine whether the student has health related needs which require specialized transportation or other accommodations. The Supervisor of School Health Policy, Services and Innovations / Designee shall complete and return the Section 504 Transportation Request Form to the school. The need for specialized transportation must be reviewed annually, or sooner, if necessary, along with the Section 504 Plan.
3. Limitations. The following limitations apply to the provision of transportation  as  a  related  service  in  a  Section  504  Plan:
   1. Transportation for siblings is not provided under Section 504.
   2. Students with disabilities under Section 504 are subject to the same transportation conditions as their non-disabled peers when requesting a student transfer to attend a school outside of their designated attendance area.

VI. Field Trips and Extracurricular Activities

Students disabled under Section 504 will participate in field trips, to the maximum extent appropriate to their individual needs. Schools must make the necessary arrangements for field trips in advance and in such a manner as to allow students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate. Attendance of a parent/ guardian may not be a requirement for participation. Consideration should be given to the need for specialized transportation.

A student who has a disability under Section 504 will have the same opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities as any other student. The Section 504 plan may include accommodations for the student to access extracurricular activities, if necessary. Students with disabilities must meet the same academic eligibility requirements as their non-disabled peers as described in Administrative Procedure 5122.

VII. Special Education Services

If, at any time, the school team suspects that the student may have a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and demonstrates a need for specialized instruction beyond the accommodations and services provided by a Section 504 plan, a referral shall be made to the IEP team.

VIII. Discipline

1. Suspensions up to 10 days. A student with a disability under Section 504 may be suspended for up to 10 days in a school year for any violation of the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, to the same extent that removal is applied to students without disabilities.
   
   A student receiving services under Section 504 may not be excluded from his/her current educational placement if the removal constitutes a significant change in placement. A significant change in placement occurs if the student is subjected to: a) a removal for more than 10 consecutive school days; or b) a series of removals of 10 school days or less at a time that creates a pattern of exclusion. The factors that should be considered in determining whether a series of removals creates a pattern of exclusion include: a) the length of each exclusion; b) the proximity in time of the exclusions to one another; c) the total amount of time the student is excluded from services; and d) the similarity of the behavior which resulted in the disciplinary action. If the Section 504 Team determines that a removal constitutes a change in placement, the procedures set forth below apply.
2. Suspensions for more than 10 days. When a principal requests that a student with a disability under Section 504 be suspended for more than 10 consecutive days, or be suspended for more than 10 cumulative days which constitutes a change in placement, the Section 504 Team shall conduct a Manifestation Determination review. The school principal or designee must schedule a Section 504 meeting immediately, but not more than 10 school days after the date the disciplinary action was taken. The parent must be provided advance written notification of the meeting that indicates the purpose of the meeting.

3. Manifestation Determination review. The Section 504 team must conduct a Manifestation Determination review to determine whether the conduct that prompted the disciplinary action was a manifestation of the student’s disability.

   1. The Section 504 Team shall consider all relevant information in relation to the behavior that resulted in the disciplinary action including:

      1. Diagnostic results and evaluations;

      2. Observations of the student;

      3. Information supplied by the parents;

      4. The student’s Section 504 plan and Behavior Intervention Plan, if applicable; and

      5. The student’s current educational placement.

   2. The Section 504 Team may determine that the behavior is not a manifestation of the disability if:

      1. The behavior subject to the disciplinary action was not a direct result of the failure to implement the Section 504 Plan; and

      2. The conduct was not caused by and did not have a direct and substantial relationship to the disability.
         
         If any of the standards set forth are not met, the Section 504 Team must find that the behavior is a manifestation of the disability, and the student must be returned to school.
         
         If the Section 504 Team determines that the conduct that prompted the disciplinary action was not a manifestation of the student’s disability, the student may be subjected to the same disciplinary measures as a student without disabilities who engages in comparable behaviors.

   3. If the Section 504 Team determines that the conduct that prompted the disciplinary action was a manifestation of the student’s disability, it shall:

      1. Review and revise as appropriate the student’s Section 504 Plan to address needed services;

      2. Review and revise as appropriate the student’s Behavior Intervention Plan to address the problem behavior;

      3. Determine    whether    the    student’s    current    placement    is appropriate;

          

      4. Implement services as soon as possible; and

      5. Discontinue the suspension/expulsion.
         
         The Section 504 Team may, after a review, determine an alternative placement that provides the student a free appropriate public education, is more appropriate. The Section 504 meeting minutes must provide a clear description of the specific actions taken and the reasons considered.

4. Change in Placement
   
   The Section 504 Team shall meet and conduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment within 10 days of the decision to remove a student for more than 10 schools days in a school year, and a Behavior Intervention Plan shall be developed if one had not been previously done. If the student already had a Behavioral Intervention Plan, the Section 504 team should consider making revisions to the Behavior Intervention Plan to address the behavior that led to the disciplinary action.

5. Educational Services during Periods of Removal
   
   A school is required to provide services to a student with a disability under Section 504 who has been disciplinarily removed for less than 10 school days, or for more than 10 days when the Section 504 Team has determined that the behavior is not a manifestation of the disability, if services are provided to students without disabilities, in accordance with the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.

6. Discipline of a Regular Education Student Suspected of Having a Disability under Section 504
   
   A student who has not been identified as disabled under Section 504 and who has engaged in behavior in violation of the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, may assert the protections available to disabled students, if the school had knowledge that the student was disabled before he/she engaged in the behavior which precipitated the disciplinary action. The school is deemed to have knowledge that a student is disabled if:

   1. The parent has requested an evaluation, in writing to determine whether the student has a disability under Section 504; or

   2. The student’s teacher or other school personnel have made a written referral to the Section 504 team.

The school system does not have knowledge if the parent:

1. 1. Has not allowed an evaluation of the student;

   2. Has refused services under Section 504; or

   3. The student has been evaluated and it was determined that the student did not have a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
      
      

      If the school does not have knowledge that a student has a disability prior to taking disciplinary action, the student may be subjected to the same disciplinary measures as a student without disabilities who engages in comparable behaviors.
      
      If a request for evaluation is made during the time in which the student is subjected to disciplinary measures, the evaluation must be expedited.
      
      Pending the results, the student remains in the educational placement determined by the school, including expulsion. If based on the school system’s evaluation, the student is determined to be eligible for a Section 504 Plan, services will be provided and all procedural safeguards will be followed.
      
      A school may seek a court order to remove a student with a disability under Section 504 who presents a danger to themselves or others. A request to remove a student shall be made by the principal using the appropriate school system protocol.

IX. Disability-based Harassment

When a report of bullying is submitted, school administration shall take the following actions:

1. School administration will promptly investigate all claims of disability-based harassment, take prompt and effective action to end the harassment and prevent it from recurring.
2. Where evidence of disability-based harassment is found pursuant to an investigation, and there is concern that the harassment has adversely impacted upon the ability of a disabled student to have equal access to school programs or activities, or the disabled student’s entitlement to a free appropriate public education, a Section 504 team meeting shall be convened.
3. The Section 504 team shall consider the impact of the harassment and determine whether changes to the Section 504 plan are required and identify actions required to remedy the effects of bullying on the student.

X. Appeals/Complaint Procedures

1. A parent may file a written complaint/grievance with the Prince George's County Public Schools Section 504 Coordinator to resolve any complaint regarding the evaluation, identification, disciplinary action, or placement of a student with a disability under Section 504.
2. If a complaint cannot be resolved to the parent’s satisfaction by the Section 504 Coordinator, a parent may request an appeal through the district’s Section 504 Central Office Review Panel. Central Office shall establish a Section 504 Review Panel which shall include the Section 504 Coordinator or designee, representatives of Health Services, Psychological Services, Professional School Counseling Office and other departments, as appropriate. A proceeding before the Central Review Panel, however, may not serve to delay or deny a parental request for an impartial hearing. All requests for a Central Office Review shall be made in writing to the Section 504 Coordinator.
3. An impartial hearing may be requested to review the identification, evaluation or placement of a student with a disability under Section 504. Requests for hearing shall be forwarded to the Prince George's County Public Schools Section 504 Coordinator. All requests for an impartial hearing shall be made in writing to the Section 504 Coordinator.
4. A parent may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.

XI. Student Record Procedures

Administrative Procedure 5125 addresses procedures regarding maintenance and access to student confidential records

XII. Related Procedures

• AP 5122 - Requirement for Participation in Interscholastic Athletics and Extracurricular Activities
• AP 5125 - Individual Student School-Based Records
• AP 10101 - Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook
• Code of Student Conduct; and the Special Education Handbook of Administrative Procedures.

XIII. Maintenance and Update of These Procedures

This Administrative Procedure originates with the Division of Student Services. Regular updating of procedures will be accomplished when changes are required.

XIV. Cancellations and Supersedures

This Administrative Procedure cancels and supersedes Administrative Procedure 5146, dated August 1, 2015.

XV. Effective Date

September 1, 2017

About This Procedure

Last Revised: September 1, 2017

Documents

• Administrative Procedure 5146 - Procedural Guidelines for Students with Disabilities Under Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973.pdf
• Administrative Procedure 5146 Attachment 1 - Procedural Safeguards Section 504.pdf
• Procedimiento Administrative 5146 - Directrices de procedimiento para alumnos con discapacidades previstas en el artículo 504 de la Ley de Rehabilitación de 1973.pdf
• Procedimiento Administrativo 5146 Anexo 1 - Garantías procesales.pdf

Related Policies and Procedures

• AP 5122 - Requirement for Participation in Interscholastic Athletics and Extracurricular Activities
• AP 5125 - Individual Student School-Based Records
• AP 10101 - Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook