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 . . . "

A Parent's Guide to Section 504

Section 504 Child Find Notice

Caledonia Community Schools has the 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.

If you suspect your child has a disability and may require Section 504 accommodations, or if you would like more information about Section 504, please contact the counselor in your child's building.

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

Section 504 Grievance Procedure 

This year Caledonia is excited to offer a Student Assistance Program (SAP) with Pine Rest. An SAP provides all students in our district and anyone in their household with access to 3 free counseling sessions per issue with a licensed mental health professional. Families wishing to access these benefits just need to call 800-442-0809, press 1, and say "I have an SAP with Caledonia Community Schools." 

Email: sap@pinerest.org

Web: pinerest.org/SAP

Personal Advantage Library: pinerest.org/PAL

Commonly Asked Questions:

• Does Caledonia receive information on who accesses services?

  • No, Caledonia only receives information on the number of individuals accessing services. NO identifying information is shared between entities.

• Does this only apply to students?

  • Students and ALL members of their household can access 3 free counseling sessions per person.

• What if a different problem comes up?

  • You are limited to 3 counseling sessions per episode of care. If a new concern requires counseling support, you will receive 3 more counseling sessions for the new episode of care.

• What if I want to continue in counseling after my 3 free sessions?

  • At intake, Pine Rest will ask about your insurance information so you can be matched with a professional who can take your insurance if you wish to continue after your 3 free sessions are over. If you cannot afford to continue care, Pine Rest has a financial assistance program that may help.

• What other benefits are available?

  • The SAP program provides all our families with access to Elder Care Consultation, Legal Consultation, and Financial Consultation. Please refer to this flyer for details.

Student Assistance Program Flyer

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.