Listed below are the steps a school should take to proceed with homebound services for students without an IEP:
1. In order for a student to be placed on homebound, the school must receive a note from the doctor stating that the student should be on homebound services, the reason why, and the expected days to be on homebound (keep in mind, the student must be expected to be absent from school for more than two weeks). This should be recorded in EIS.
2. The law ultimately states that students cannot be penalized for grading purposes nor be denied course completion
3. However, each operator can determine what those services look like (the safety of the teacher and the mental state of the student are considerations when determining those services).
4. This should be a decision made by a committee at the school (i.e. Principal, homebound teacher, parent, etc.)
5. The law does not state that the homebound teacher should be licensed in a specific area (therefore, it could be a teacher, paraprofessional, counselor, etc.)
6. The law does not specify the specific number of hours the school must provide.
****Ultimately, the legal guidance states that students cannot be penalized or failed because they are homebound. It is up to the school and the parents to determine how to best service that student.
According to the student membership manual:
C-102 Homebound and Hospitalized Students
1. A student may be eligible for hospitalized or homebound services if he or she is expected to be unable to attend class for at least two weeks. Services to the hospitalized or homebound student should begin as soon as possible in order to assure the student of continuing educational support.
a) A child with a physical or mental impairment that, in the opinion of a physician licensed by the State Board of Medical Examiners (a psychologist is not a licensed physician), will cause the child to be absent for more than two consecutive weeks should be placed on homebound status. If this is a special education student, he or she should have an IEP meeting as soon as possible. Any child who has a health care condition requiring homebound placement may need to be considered for Section 504 eligibility/services.
b) On a temporary basis, a child who is certified by an appropriate specialist as having a handicapping condition and verified by the IEP as the appropriate interim service for that child may be considered for hospitalized or homebound services.
2. At the beginning of the homebound period, the appropriate staff enters the beginning date and the estimated date of return. When the student returns, the estimated date of return is changed to actual date. These students are not to be dropped and re-entered, but should remain enrolled and be counted
present.
TN Code 49-6-3002 states:
(b) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, if a student is unable to attend regular classes because of illness, injury or pregnancy and if the student has participated in a program of hospital or homebound instruction administered or approved by the LEA, then the student shall not be penalized for grading purposes nor be denied course completion, grade level advancement or graduation solely on the basis of the student's absence from the regular classroom during the period of the hospital or homebound instruction.