Special Programs Department

Special Education

Caledonia Community Schools, in cooperation with Kent Intermediate School District, provides a continuum of special education programs and services to students from birth to age 26 who are eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  These include early childhood services, resource programs, categorical classrooms, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, school social work, and teacher consultation.  Our special education department is comprised of special education teachers, school psychologists, school social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, vision consultants, hearing consultants, paraprofessionals, speech and language therapists, teacher consultants and the Special Education Administrative office staff.

Determination of a Specific Learning Disability

When students have supportive relationships and opportunities to develop and practice social, emotional, and cognitive skills across many different contexts, academic learning accelerates. Hundreds of studies offer consistent evidence that SEL bolsters academic performance.

Michigan SEL Standards

Harmony SEL (Y5-6th Grade)

To find Social-Emotional support at your child's school, visit our staff directories to find a complete list of Student Support Specialists available at each building. 

To find a local therapist or crisis support, please visit our resource page.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 guarantees certain rights to individuals with disabilities, including the right to full participation and access to a free and appropriate public education to all children regardless of the nature or severity of their disability.  Specifically, 29 U.S.C. §794(a), 34 C.F.R. §104.4(a) states: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance . . . "

Section 504 Child Find Notice

Child Find is a legal requirement that schools find all children who have disabilities and who may be entitled to specialized services. The school must evaluate any child that it knows or suspects may have a disability. 

Caledonia Community Schools has the legal obligation to locate, evaluate, and identify any child residing in the District who qualifies for Section 504 accommodations or services. Children eligible for Section 504 accommodations or services include those children who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. 

A referral for evaluation can be made by a doctor, parent, or school personnel.  If you suspect your child has a disability and may require Section 504 accommodations, please contact your child’s building administrator, teacher, school counselor/student support specialist or the district 504 coordinator.

An overview of the Section 504 evaluation and eligibility process is provided in A Parent's Guide to Section 504.  This user-friendly handbook also includes information regarding the development of the 504 Plan and frequently asked questions to support parents. If you would like more information about Section 504, please contact your child’s building administrator, school counselor/student support specialist or the district 504 coordinator.

Section 504 Grievance Procedure 

A Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is a framework for how school districts can build the necessary systems to ensure that each and every student receives a high-quality educational experience. It is designed to support schools with proactively identifying and addressing the strengths and needs of all students by optimizing data-driven decision-making, progress monitoring, and the use of evidence-based supports and strategies with increasing intensity to sustain student growth.

Each building has interventions in place to support student achievement. Please reach out to your child's teacher if you have concerns about their academic needs.

IF YOUR FAMILY LIVES IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS: Your school-age children may qualify for certain rights and protections under the federal McKinney-Vento Act.

• In a shelter In a motel or campground due to the lack of an alternative adequate accommodation
• In a car, park, abandoned building, or bus or train station
• Doubled up with other people due to loss of housing or economic hardship

If this applies to you or you are concerned about someone else, please contact our McKinney Vento Coordinator, Katie Dorband at dorbandk@calschools.org or (616) 891-8185 X7337.

To ensure academic achievement for all Multilingual Learners by promoting English language proficiency through rigorous instruction that integrates both content and language learning and by valuing our students’ rich language and cultural backgrounds.

If you are looking for more support, visit the Multilingual Learner page on our website for more detailed information and contacts at each building. 

For information about our School Health Services, please refer to this page on our website. 

MiPSE Parent Portal

We are excited to announce that families of students with disabilities now have online access to MiPSE, Michigan PowerSchool Special Education, to view their child’s finalized educational documents. Check out this page on our website to learn more about this great program and access our parent portal resources.