At Virtus Academy, we seek to meet all learners where they are, providing students at every grade level with the right-fit opportunities to help them achieve at their highest level. Consistent academic preparation is critical to personal and professional growth, from counseling and MTSS to English Language Proficiency and Gifted & Talented.
Through state-mandated services and unique VA enrichment activities, our teachers and administrators go the extra mile to help every Wolf Pack student put their best foot forward.
Child Find
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) contains a Child Find mandate that requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to seek out students who are potentially eligible under the IDEA and refer them for an evaluation.
Per the IDEA regulations at 34 CFR § 300.111, South Carolina has a continuing Child Find procedure in place to locate all children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities attending private schools and homeschool programs, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who need special education and related services.
This effort also includes highly mobile children with disabilities, such as migrant and homeless children, and children who are suspected of being a child with a disability and in need of special education, even though they are advancing from grade to grade.
Annual Notice of Child Find (Special Education and Referral Procedures) 2023-2024
Upon request, The Charter Institute at Erskine is required to evaluate the child for eligibility for special education services. A request for evaluation is known as a referral. When the district receives a referral, the district will appoint an Evaluation Planning team to determine if the child has a disability, and if the child needs special education services. The district locates, identifies, and evaluates all children with disabilities who are enrolled by their parents in schools within the school district. A school staff member who reasonably believes a child may be a child with a disability has a legal duty to refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child is enrolled in. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child’s parent that the referral will be made. Others, including parents, who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school or district in which the child is enrolled. Referrals must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability.
A referral may be made by contacting by phone, email, or postal address.
Isabella Montgomery, Special Education Coordinator
MTSS
Virus Academy relies on a multi-tiered system of support or MTSS for a proactive and preventative framework that integrates data and instruction to maximize student achievement and support students’ social, emotional, and behavior needs from a strengths-based perspective.
The MTSS framework allows educators to engage in data-based decision-making related to program improvement, high-quality instruction and intervention, social and emotional learning, and positive behavioral supports necessary to ensure positive outcomes for districts, schools, teachers, and students.
This framework comprises four essential components: screening, progress monitoring, multi-level prevention system, and data-based decision-making. Depending on state law, MTSS data may also support identifying students with learning or other disabilities.
For more information, contact MTSS Liaison India Brown at ibrown@virtusacademysc.org
Gift & Talented
Our Program for Accelerating Knowledge, also known as P.A.C.K., empowers students to elevate the pace at which they learn through exposure to advanced learning opportunities and experiences.
Open to students of all ages and grades who meet national eligibility requirements, P.A.C.K. comprises classroom education, schoolwide projects, fundraising activities, and special events.
Students are identified as Gifted & Talented if they score at or above the 96th national age percentile on the Total Battery/Composite on a nationally normed aptitude test. Other identifiers include meeting the standards in two of three aptitude dimensions, such as 93rd national age percentile or better on one or more parts of a nationally normed test of academic aptitude, 94th national age percentile or better on a nationally normed test of reading or math; or achieve a grade point average of 3.75 of a possible 4.0 on the SC Performance Tasks Assessment administered in grades 2–5.
For more information, contact Toni Brandt, Chief Academic, tbrandt@virtusacademysc.org or 843-799-4032 x111.
504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Section 504 provides: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall, solely by reason of their 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.
The Section 504 regulations require a school district to provide a “free appropriate public education” (FAPE) to each qualified student with a disability who is in the school district’s jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. These regulations require identification, evaluation, and provision of appropriate services and procedural safeguards.
For more information, contact 504 Coordinator Patricia Mann at pmoran@virtusacademysc.org
Special Education Services
At Virtus Academy of South Carolina, we are committed to providing a supportive and inclusive educational environment for all students, including those with disabilities. Our Special Education program ensures that students with identified needs receive the services and support required to access the general education curriculum and achieve academic success.
Eligibility and Evaluation
Students who may need special education services are referred for an evaluation through a team process that includes educators, specialists, and parents/guardians. A comprehensive evaluation determines whether a student qualifies for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Evaluation Process
The evaluation process helps determine whether a student qualifies for special education and what support they may need to succeed in school.
Step 1: Referral
A student may be referred for a special education evaluation by:
- A parent or guardian,
- Or another professional (such as a doctor or therapist).
- A teacher or school staff member,
The referral is a formal request to evaluate the student’s learning, behavior, or development.
Step 2: Parent/Guardian Consent
Before any evaluation can take place, the school must get written permission from the parent or guardian. No testing will happen without this consent.
Step 3: Evaluation
Once consent is received, a team of qualified professionals will assess the student in areas such as:
- Academic skills,
- Behavior and emotional development,
- Speech and language,
- Motor skills,
- Social skills, and
- Other areas related to the suspected disability.
This evaluation must be completed within 60 calendar days of receiving consent.
Step 4: Eligibility Meeting
After the evaluation is complete, the school holds a meeting with:
- Parents/guardians,
- Teachers,
- Specialists, and
- Other team members.
Together, they review the evaluation results and decide if the student is eligible for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Step 5: Development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP)
If the student qualifies, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is created. The IEP is a legal plan that outlines:
- The student’s strengths and needs,
- Annual educational goals,
- Services and supports the student will receive, and how progress will be measured.
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
If a student is found eligible under IDEA, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed. The IEP outlines specific goals, accommodations, modifications, and services that the student will receive. Parents are important members of the IEP team and are involved in the development, review, and revision of the IEP.
Step 6: Review and Re-Evaluation
- The IEP is reviewed at least once a year.
- A re-evaluation is done at least once every three years, or sooner if needed.
Inclusion and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
We strive to educate students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their needs. This means that, whenever possible, students receive instruction alongside their peers in the general education classroom, with the support they need to succeed.
Parent and Student Rights
Parents and guardians have specific rights under state and federal law, including the right to participate in meetings, access educational records, and request an independent evaluation. A copy of the “Procedural Safeguards” document is available upon request and will be provided at key points in the special education process. If you have any questions or would like to request an evaluation please contact
Director of Student Services: Isabella Montgomery
Phone: 843-799-4032 ext 1206
Email: imontgomery@virtusacademysc.org
Multi-Language Learners
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires standardized, statewide entrance and exit procedures for multilingual learners (MLs). ESEA section 3113(b)(2) states that all students who may be MLs are assessed for such status within thirty (30) calendar days of enrollment in a school.
In South Carolina, all potential MLs must be screened using a South Carolina-approved English Language Proficiency (ELP) screener to determine identification within the first thirty (30) calendar days of enrollment at the start of the school year. Additionally, students who enroll after the start of the school year should be identified within the first two (2) weeks, or fourteen (14) calendar days, of enrollment to ensure students receive the appropriate services promptly.
For more information, contact Multi-Language Coordinator Patricia Mann at pmoran@virtusacademysc.org
Homebound Services
When VA students have extended medical absences or an impairment that prevents them from regularly attending class, we rely on Homebound Services to help maintain academic continuity.
The South Carolina Board of Education outlines the provision of medical homebound services, and a medical homebound form must be completed and signed by the student’s medical provider and parent or guardian.
