OpenEd supports all learners, including those with special needs.
All students can access free tutoring, either one-on-one or in small groups, to get the guidance that they need. Eligible students can also receive support from our Special Education team.
How It Works
Once enrolled, your student is considered a full-time public school student at one of our partner schools. Each of these schools has a Special Education team that services IEPs and Section 504 Plans.
All SPED services are delivered online.
Special Education Pre-Referral Process
In accordance with federal and state law, if a student demonstrates signs of a learning disability or condition—such as speech difficulties—that may impact their ability to perform at grade level, a pre-referral process should be initiated by the parent or teacher. This process typically spans 4–6 weeks and includes documented interventions, observations, evaluations, and consistent monitoring of the student’s progress.
This pre-referral phase is part of determining whether a student may be eligible for IEP or 504 services. During this time, formal interventions, testing, and data tracking help identify whether a learning disability is present or if other factors—such as the student's curriculum—may be contributing to the challenges.
Before proceeding, please note:
1. Curriculum Review:
If the evaluation team determines that a student’s current curriculum is contributing to their difficulty progressing, they may be required to switch to a different provider for core subjects (e.g. BYU Independent Study, Edgenuity, etc.).
2. Purposes of Accommodations:
IEP/504 services provide additional tools and strategies to support student success within the general education curriculum—they do not replace the curriculum or modify state graduation requirements.
3. Long-Term Goal:
The ultimate aim of Special Education services is to help students learn how to manage their disability effectively so that, ideally within three years, they can access and succeed in the general education setting with greater independence.
Next Steps: Getting Started With The Pre-Referral Process
If you’re ready to move forward, please follow these steps to begin gathering the necessary documentation.
1. Collect Student Work Samples:
Begin collecting student work samples over 2 weeks that clearly indicates the student’s challenges with grade-level progress. Save all samples digitally as PDF or PNG files in a sharable folder (such as Google Drive or Dropbox).
2. Begin a Monitoring Journal:
Start a digital journal (document) where you record observations of the student during academic study times over a two week period. Please include 5-7 specific instances where the student demonstrated difficulty with grade level content. Indicate the date and time of each observation. Once complete, add the journal of your observations to the same shared folder.
3. Share the Folder:
After collecting work samples and documenting your observations in a Monitoring Journal, email [email protected] with a link to the shared folder for review.
4. Start Exact Path Interventions:
Our team will provide access to Exact Path, our digital learning and assessment tool. This is a free resource available in your library. The student will need to complete at least 4 weeks of targeted interventions in Math and Language Arts to provide OpenEd with additional information to support the need for services.
5. Add Additional Documentation:
Please upload any additional assessments, notes, or relevant observations to the shared folder. This helps the Special Education team form a complete picture of your student’s needs.
6. Referral Submitted:
Once all documents are submitted, OpenEd will share them with the Special Education team of your student’s school of enrollment for review. They will coordinate any additional evaluations as needed.
7. Eligibility Review Meeting:
When appropriate, the school’s Special Education team will convene an IEP or 504 Plan eligibility review meeting. Parents will be invited to participate in this important step.
Resources For Students With Dyslexia
OpenEd’s personalized education focus, which allows students to work at their own pace and pay special attention to specific subjects, is especially beneficial for students with learning differences like dyslexia.
Many parents ask for suggestions on the best curriculum or learning resources to help a child struggling with dyslexia. Over the past few years, parents have shared various recommendations, which you can find here.
Have Questions?
We’re here to help! If you have questions or need support, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].