2165P: Home or Hospital Instruction

Request

The procedures for instituting Home/Hospital instruction are as follows:

A. Qualified medical practitioner completes Section 1 of the Request for Home Hospital Instruction Form (Procedure 2165P – Exhibit A)

B. Parent or guardian completes Section 2 the Request for Home/Hospital Instruction Form (Procedure 2165P - Exhibit A)

C. School-based team including school counselor, 504 Plan case manager (if needed), and/or IEP case manager (if needed) completes Section 3 of the Request for Home/Hospital Instruction (Procedure 2165P - Exhibit A)

D. When the Request for Home Hospital Instruction Form (signed by a qualified medical practitioner and parent and completed by school team) is received by the Special Education office, special education staff will determine if the student is eligible for Home/Hospital Instruction. If the student is found eligible, special education staff will work with school staff to initiate Home/Hospital instruction services.

Role of Home/Hospital Instructor

The function of the Home/Hospital instructor is to provide instructional assistance and serve as a liaison between the student and the school in the following manner:

A. Elementary (emphasizes reading, math, and language skills, with integration of science, social studies, and social emotional learning as time allows)

1. Contact school counselor and classroom teacher initially and on a weekly basis.

2. Obtain current academic standing.

3. Obtain books, materials, and assignments from the classroom teacher.

4. Keep parents/guardians informed as to the progress of the student.

5. The Teacher of Record, the classroom teacher, will complete the progress report. It is critical that the Teacher of Record and Home/Hospital instructor collaborate in the completion of the progress report. In acknowledgement of the limited amount of time available to students who are tutored during Home/Hospital services, it may not be possible to assess all components within a content area. For example, the Reading subcategory of Literacy, Comprehension of Non-fiction Text may be the only instructed, thus assessed, component. All other components within the category should be scored as not introduced. Not Introduced, “NI,” should be used to indicate topics that were not instructed during the reporting period.

6. The Teacher of Record and Tutor should collaborate to complete any narrative comments that would support a family in understanding their students’ strengths and goal areas.

7. Attendance for students receiving Home/Hospital instruction services is marked as “Excused-ILL”

B. Secondary (receives instruction in required subjects)

1. Contact school counselor and have counselor set up initial contact with Home/Hospital instructor and classroom teacher(s).

2. Obtain current academic standing.

3. Contact each classroom teacher on a weekly basis and arrange for books, materials, and assignments; also include a class schedule, class outlines, etc., of what the student needs to fulfill course assignments and assessments for quarter, semester, and year.

4. The Teacher of Record, the classroom teacher, will complete the progress report. It is critical that the Teacher of Record and Tutor collaborate in the completion of the progress report.

5. Attendance for students receiving home/hospital instruction services is marked as “Excused-ILL”

If the student is unable to complete regular classroom assignments, the Home/Hospital instructor will inform the counselor and regular classroom teacher(s) who will modify or develop alternative classroom assignments to meet required course work. Classroom teachers may choose to consult with curriculum developers for support in reducing or adjusting assignments.

Instructor Communication

The instructor will:

A. Contact parent or guardian and arrange a Home/Hospital instruction schedule.

B. Discuss with the parent or guardian any conditions surrounding the student's disability or educational development that may have a bearing on the program.

C. Discuss the need for a supervising adult to be in the home during the instructor's visit.

D. Discuss the need for an appropriate learning environment.

1. Other youngsters and/or adults should maintain a quiet environment while the lesson is in progress.

2. The student should be awake, properly dressed, and ready for lessons at the appropriate time.

3. Adequate study time should be scheduled each day, considering the physical limitations of the student.

E. Evaluate the student’s work and make a report to the student's school counselor.

Termination of Home/Hospital Instruction

Instruction will be terminated if the qualified medical practitioner determines the advisability of the student returning to school, or upon completion of the requested number of weeks of Home/Hospital instruction.

Extension of the original instruction period up to 18 weeks can be determined by consultation between the parent/guardian, qualified medical practitioner, school-based team, and member of the special education department overseeing Home/Hospital instruction.

If an extension of the original request goes beyond 18 weeks a new Request for Home Hospital Instruction Form (Exhibit B) must be signed by the attending qualified medical practitioner, parent/guardian, and reviewed by the school team. This new request must be submitted to the Special Education office, and special education staff will work with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to determine if the request for an extension beyond 18 weeks can be granted. The Home/Hospital instructor will contact the Special Education office when the student returns to school.

Establishing a Re-entry Plan

Prior to re-entry to the school community, the school Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) should convene. It is essential to include the classroom teacher, home hospital tutor, school nurse, as well as school personnel who will support the process of re-entry. This team should address the following topics:

A. Introduction/welcome plan for the student and their peer groups.

B. Review and plan for medical supports needed in the school setting.

C. Determine what data is needed to prepare a plan for missed content. Plan should be sensitive to the student’s health needs upon return and communicated with the student’s family.

D. Discuss and plan for social emotional and academic progress monitoring.

E. Identify a school staff member (counselor, teacher, or admin) to conduct regular one-on-one check-ins with the student and update the teacher and family.

F. Decision on whether the student should be evaluated for a Section 504 Plan or Special Education services. Most students with a health condition that requires the student to be absent from school would qualify as a student with a disability under Section 504 and may require a 504 plan and related accommodations, or the student may be eligible and in need of special education services. Per federal and state Child Find requirements, the MDT team should determine if the student is eligible to be evaluated, and if so, begin the evaluation process.

Instructor Reimbursement Procedures

A. The Special Education office will generate timesheets based on assigned number of weeks/hours.

B. Timesheets are mailed or provided in a digital format to Home/Hospital instructors who complete the timesheets and return them to the Special Education office for processing.