We’re Here for You

Destinations Career Academy of Colorado (Destinations) offers robust special education services to support students and meet their needs, empowering them to thrive in school and beyond. With high-quality, personalized learning and the help of teachers and support staff, students with special needs can achieve their academic goals, find their confidence, and pave a path to success.

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Student Supports, Services, & Rights

Colorado Destinations Career Academy (CODCA) is committed to equitable access, inclusive services, and meaningful family engagement. The information below outlines available supports, services, and parent rights under state and federal law. In compliance with applicable laws and regulations—including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973—CODCA does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the administration of its educational programs, activities, or employment, and remains dedicated to providing equal educational opportunities for all students with disabilities.

Special Programs at CODCA

  • Gifted and Talented
  • Homeless & Migrant
  • Multilingual Learners (ML)
  • Section 504
  • Special Education
  • Students in Foster Care

Denise Dutton
Special Programs Administrator
Email: ddutton@k12.com
Phone: 720.460.0959

Language Access & Accessibility Supports

Notice of students’ rights is available upon request in alternative formats, including audiotape, Braille, and languages other than English (translate.google.com). Professional interpreter services are also available upon request. Requests may be made at any time by contacting Denise Dutton at ddutton@k12.com.

Additionally, parents or guardians who have a disability or other limitation that may affect their ability to fully participate in their child’s educational planning process are encouraged to contact the Special Education team to discuss available accommodations. Colorado Destinations Career Academy (CODCA) is committed to ensuring meaningful participation and will work collaboratively to identify appropriate supports. For accommodation inquiries, please contact Denise Dutton at ddutton@k12.com.

Procedural Safeguards

In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), educational agencies are required to provide parents of students with disabilities with notice that includes a full explanation of the procedural safeguards available under IDEA and U.S. Department of Education regulations. Additional information is available at www.cde.state.co.us.

Annual Public Notice of Special Services & Programs

TIn accordance with federal and state regulations, CODCA will provide annual public notice to families informing them of CODCA’s child find responsibilities, procedures involved in the identification of educational disabilities, and determination of students’ service and support needs.

Families are encouraged to review the following information that describes these regulations. Information regarding CODCA’s internal practices to comply with these is available in CODCA’s Special Programs Manuals and Handbooks.

Child Find

CODCA strives to identify, locate, and evaluate all enrolled children who may have disabilities. Disability, as stated in IDEA, includes such conditions as hearing, visual, speech, or language impairment, specific learning disability, emotional disturbance, cognitive disability, other health or physical impairment, autism, and traumatic brain injury. The process of identifying, locating, and evaluating students is referred to as Child Find.

As a public school, we are dedicated to ensuring every student receives Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), in accordance with federal and state mandates, regardless of their disability or its level of severity. To comply with the Child Find requirements, CODCA will implement procedures to help ensure that all CODCA students with disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disability, who need special education and related services are identified, located, and evaluated, including students with disabilities who are multilingual learners, homeless, or wards of the state.

All information collected will be held in strict confidence and released to others only with parental permission or as allowed by law. In keeping with this confidence, CODCA will keep a record of all persons who review confidential information. In accordance with state regulations, parents have the right to review their child’s records.

Through the Child Find process, services may include a comprehensive evaluation, an individualized education program, and referrals to external agencies for additional support.

Consent

CODCA cannot proceed with an evaluation or with the initial provision of special education and related services without the written consent of a student’s parents/legal guardians. For additional information related to consent, please refer to the Procedural Safeguards Notice, which can be found at https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/iep_forms or by accessing the link via the Child Find section of the CODCA website. Once written parental/guardian consent is obtained, CODCA will proceed with the evaluation process. If the parent disagrees with the evaluation results, parents/guardians can request an independent education evaluation at public expense.

Special Education (IEP) or Service Agreements (504 Plans)

Once an evaluation process is completed, a team of qualified school personnel, parents/guardians, and other relevant service providers holds an evaluation determination meeting to come to an agreement on whether the student meets eligibility for one of the disability categories under IDEA: https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/iep_forms. If the student is determined to be eligible and requires specially designed instruction, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be developed. The IEP team will review and finalize an educational program designed to meet the student’s documented needs.

For students found to be eligible for special education services, once the team agrees on the supports and services within the student’s IEP, a Prior Written Notice (PWN) will be provided to the parent/guardian for review and signature. The signed PWN must be returned to CODCA before implementation may begin. CODCA may proceed with implementing the student’s IEP or Section 504 Plan only on receipt of the signed PWN.

Some students may be identified as having one or more disabilities but do not meet the eligibility criteria under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In these cases, the student’s disability may still require CODCA to develop a 504 Plan to document the accommodations and/or modifications necessary to support the student’s access to school-based instruction, facilities, and activities.

A student may be eligible for protections and services under Section 504 if the student has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities and otherwise meets applicable legal requirements.

CODCA will ensure that qualified students with disabilities are provided equal opportunity to participate in the school program and activities to the maximum extent appropriate for each student. In compliance with state and federal law, CODCA will provide necessary educational services, supports, and supplementary aids to enable students with disabilities to access and benefit from their educational programs, without discrimination or out-of-pocket cost to the student or family.

Parents and guardians have the right to revoke consent for special education and related services after initial placement. Revocation of consent results in the discontinuation of all special education services, supports, and accommodations provided under the student’s IEP or Section 504 Plan.

For more information related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, visit the Colorado Department of Education’s Special Education Rules and Regulations page.

Privacy & Confidentiality

To maintain the privacy of students’ special education records, both within its central office and across school systems and databases, CODCA follows protocols consistent with the federal regulations associated with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). For additional information about the privacy and security guidelines for your child’s educational records, visit https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/iep_forms.

Grievances, Collaboration, & Resolution

CODCA acknowledges that despite the best intentions of all parties, disagreements or miscommunications can arise between the school-based team and CODCA families or students. Should this situation occur, the CODCA special education case manager will initiate an IEP team discussion in which the specific details contributing to any educational concern are fully discussed and addressed, as the entire team determines what would be most appropriate for the student. Collaboration is a primary focus for this type of meeting, and the CODCA Special Education Team seeks to establish and maintain the confidence of its families to always serve its students to maximize their educational success.

Formal Grievance & Due Process Options

Families are not obligated to pursue the above alternatives to due process if they believe their concerns can only be resolved through a formal due process hearing. Families may file a formal complaint with the Colorado Department of Education using the procedures outlined at https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/iep_forms.

  • IEP Facilitation – IEP facilitation is a voluntary process that can be utilized when all parties to an IEP meeting agree that the presence of a neutral third party would help facilitate communication and the successful drafting of the student’s IEP. This process is not necessary for most IEP meetings. Rather, it is most often utilized when there is a sense from any of the participants that the issues at the IEP meeting are creating an impasse or acrimonious climate.
  • Mediation – A voluntary process in which both parties work with an impartial, third‑party mediator from the Colorado Department of Education to resolve the identified concerns. If an agreement is reached, the mediator documents the terms, the agreement is signed by both parties, and the terms are implemented.