Exceptional Children

KIPP North Carolina believes that every child deserves the opportunity to learn and thrive.

KIPP NC’s Exceptional Children (EC) program is designed to support students with diverse needs through tailored educational plans that focus on inclusion, growth, and individual achievement.

Our dedicated team of educators and support staff in schools and across the state is committed to providing a supportive, inclusive, and enriching environment where students with special needs can thrive. We understand that each child is unique, and we tailor our approach to meet their individual strengths, challenges, and goals.

With a focus on personalized learning, compassionate care, and collaboration with families, we nurture in our students the confidence and essential life skills to achieve at their fullest potential.

Project Child Find

Project Child Find is an effort coordinated by KIPP NC and the Exceptional Children Division of the state’s Department of Public Instruction. It seeks to:

Locate and identify children and youth ages birth through 21 with disabilities who are in need of special education and related services.
Inform families of the services available from KIPP NC and other state and community agencies.

Who are the children?
Children and youth who have been diagnosed or are suspected to have intellectual, physical, or emotional disabilities and are unable to benefit from a regular school program without special assistance.

What help is available?

A complete evaluation and, if appropriate,
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) for children with a disability beginning at age 3
And Individual Family Service Plan for each child with a disability birth through 2, or
A referral to other agencies when needed

For further information regarding Child Find or if you suspect your student may have a disability and need special education and/or related services, please contact either Ms. Morrison (for Durham and Charlotte inquiries) or Ms. Dagnalan (for ENC inquiries) at ec@kippnc.org.

Download the KIPP NC Project Child Find brochure here.

Download the KIPP NC Project Child Find poster here.

Parent Rights & Responsibilities in Special Education

If at any time you suspect your student may have a disability and is in need of special education and/or related services, you may request an evaluation, in writing, to your student’s principal or EC support staff.

The Department of Public Instruction has created a handbook designed to support families with the understanding of the rights and responsibilities specific to the special education process. The handbook is filled with many important notices and details, including acronyms and terms often used in special education and resources (which can be found in the appendices).

You can access the handbook here in English or here in Spanish.

Marshaling Resources for Student Achievement

If you have questions and/or concerns regarding your child’s special education services, or if you believe your student needs additional supports, please use the flow chart below to help ensure they get addressed in the most effective and efficient way possible.

First: Classroom Level

Talk to your child’s teacher about your concerns.

Second: School Level

Talk to the principal at your child’s school about your concerns.

Third: Regional Level

If you still have concerns, contact the EC Director of your school or at KIPP NC.

An additional support for families can be found in our partners at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Exceptional Children Division. The mission of the division is to ensure that students with disabilities develop intellectually, physically, emotionally, and vocationally through the provision of an appropriate individualized program in the least restrictive environment.

You can access their resources and services here.

Multi-Tiered System of Support for Families

MTSS is a framework that encompasses academic, behavioral, social, and emotional instruction and support. MTSS employs a systems approach using data-driven problem-solving to maximize growth for all.

What is MTSS?
Family engagement within an MTSS is defined by the active and meaningful partnerships that educators build and maintain with students’ families in support of student learning. It embodies the idea that all parties are equally invested in students’ education experiences, and that all parties bring knowledge and skills of equal value to the table to work together.

You can learn more about MTSS here. You can also access a video about MTSS here in English or here in Spanish.

What is support?
KIPP NC and all NC public schools implementing an MTSS framework organize student supports around instruction, curricula, and school environment.

You can learn more about what support means here.

For New-to-KIPP Families

If you are new to KIPP NC and have questions about our Exceptional Children program, please contact your child’s principal and support team.

In order to make your child’s transition into KIPP NC go smoothly, it is very important to provide your student’s new school copies of the following information during registration:

Most recent psychoeducational report, eligibility, evaluation and/or reevaluation report
Current individualized education program (IEP)
Contact information for your student’s previous school and school district

These items will support a successful transition between your child’s old and new school and will ensure that appropriate services and supports are made available.

For Out-of-State Students
Once you have shared your child’s special education records, school staff will invite you to a meeting to discuss comparable services provided on your child’s most recent IEP. During the meeting, school staff will also describe the initial eligibility process that occurs when students move from out of state and the timeline in which an initial North Carolina IEP will be developed.

For In-State Students New to KIPP
School staff will begin implementing your student’s current NC IEP on their first day of school. An invitation to review and revise your student’s IEP may be scheduled. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss your student’s transition to a new school and to determine if any adjustments to the services and supports currently being provided are needed.