Preschool Special Education (CPSE)

1. Initial referral and Parental Consent for Evaluation· 
2. Evaluation by an Approved Evaluator 
3. CPSE Meeting Determine Eligibility Develop IEP 
4. Recommended Implementation of IEP 
5. Annual Review Within 1 yr of Date of IEP 

A student must be registered in the Central Islip School District prior to any evaluation. Please click the link below to register your child in the Central Islip School District.  Registration and Enrollment Page. Upon completion of Registration, you will be contacted by the Central Islip Preschool Department to schedule an appointment 

Receives initial referral and obtains parental consent for evaluation

A student suspected of having a disability shall be referred in writing to the chairperson of the district's committee on special education. The school district must initiate a referral and promptly request parental consent to evaluate the student to determine if the student needs special education seNices and programs. Arranges for evaluations

Arranges for evaluations

Holds a meeting to review and discuss to determine eligibility· If eligible, develop Individualized Education Program (IEP) • Children must meet eligibility requirements to qualify for services 

• A 12-month delay in one or more areas 
• A 33% delay in one area or 25% delay in two areas 
• A score of 2.0 standard deviations below the mean in one area or 1.5 SD below in two areas

Or Meet criteria for student with a disability who because of mental, physical, or emotional reasons is identified as having one of the following disabilities as defined in section 200.l(zz):

• Autism 
• Deafness Deaf-Blindness 
• Hearing Impairment 
• Orthopedic Impairment 
• Other Health Impairment 
• Traumatic Brain Injury 
• Visual Impairment including Blindness 

The Evaluation Includes: 

• Physical exam to assess health, vision, hearing and immunization record (provided by the parent and submitted to the CPSE)
• Social History including your child's developmental history and family information
• Psychological evaluation to test learning potential, abilities and educational strengths and needs Observation of child
• Other appropriate assessments or evaluations in your child's area of concern, which may include a Functional Behavior Assessment 

The purpose of a CPSE meeting is to:

• Discuss evaluation results
• Determine the child's eligibility for special education programs and services; and if appropriate Develop an IEP to meet the needs of the child

Annual Review

At least once per year, the committee will review the child's IEP determine if the annual goals for the student are being achieved and make recommendations for the next school year based on:

• Progress
• Reevaluation and any new information about the student's educational needs
• Reviews can occur more frequently and are done to discuss changes to the child's current program

Continuum of Services

• Related Services: Speech, OT, PT and more 
• Special Education Itinerant Services (SEIS} S
• EIS and Related Services
• Special Class in an Integrated Setting (SCIS)
• Special Class

Locations for the Delivery of Services 

• Home
• Workplace of Provider
• Child Care 
• Head Start 
• Nursery School 
• Pre-K 
• Center-Based Program

CPSE Preschool Transportation is coordinated through Suffolk County.  The link to the Suffolk County Preschool Transportation form is linked below.  Please note that Suffolk County offices can take several days (up to 2 weeks) to complete your application for transportation.  The Central Islip School District is not able to fasttrack or escalate preschool CPSE transportation requests. 

Suffolk County Preschool Enrollment and Bus Transportation two-sided form

• To be fully informed
• To be notified about all meetings at least five school days before
• To request a meeting at a mutually agreed upon time and place if parent can't attend scheduled meeting.
• To participate in decision making 
• To have all information explained
• To have confidentiality maintained
• To be able to review records if requested
• To have consent sought for evaluations and services 
• To be provided a procedural safeguard notice
• To request mediation and/or an impartial due process hearing if they disagree with the CPSE's recommendations 

Suffolk County Children with Special Needs Website

Planning for Transition Three Options: 

1. Transition to Preschool Special Education 
2. Not eligible for Preschool Special Education services
3. Connection to community programs or resources (Through your child's Ongoing Service Coordinator) 

Early Intervention (El) Service Coordinator notifies school district of your child's potential eligibility for Preschool no fewer than 90 days before the child's potential eligibility for Preschool Special Education services. If parents prefer, children can continue to receive El services beyond their 3rd birthday, only if: 

1. the child is referred to the CPSE
2. an evaluation or review of records is conducted
3. the child is found eligible for preschool special education prior to their 3rd birthday
4. AND an IEP is developed

Children who will be five years of age on or before December 1 are eligible to attend Kindergarten starting in September of the school year. 

At the last CPSE meeting:

• Discuss yearly progress (Annual review);
• Determine Extended School Year services {ESY) (for the current school year, as a preschooler)
• Determine whether your child will be declassified; OR
• Referred to Committee on Special Education (CSE)

If child's birthday is between January 1 and August 31, they can remain in El until September 1 of the year they turn three. If child's birthday is between September 1 and December 31, they can remain in El until January 2 of the next year. tf eligibility for CPSE is not determined prior to the child's 3rd birthday, El services cease the day before their birthday. 

If a child is determined eligible, the start of services will be discussed at the CPSE meeting and on the IEP. In general:• If child's birthday is between January 1 and June 30, services can begin on January 2 of the year he/she turns three years old. • If child's birthday is between July 1 and December 31, services can begin on July 1 of the year he/she turns three years old.