Student Support Services

You can use this page to provide information about special or gifted education programs, child find, homeless student services, ADE resources, etc. Every district’s offerings are different, so focus on the district’s specific services here.

English Language Learners

The Office of English Language Acquisition Services (OELAS) provides comprehensive support for students learning English as a second language.

How It Works: When new students enroll, they take the Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA) to determine their English proficiency level. Based on the results, your child might be placed in:

  • Structured English Immersion classes
  • Push-in or pull-out English coaching support

We notify parents of the assessment results and placement decisions.

Our Goal: We’re here to help students develop the English language skills they need for both academic success and social connection. Every student deserves the support they need to thrive!

  • Assess and identify students who need language support
  • Build confidence in English communication
  • Teach academic vocabulary for success in all subjects
  • Support teachers with effective instructional strategies
  • Keep parents informed about their child’s progress and options
  • Empower families to support their child’s language learning journey
  • Maintain compliance with state and federal requirements

Homeless Information – McKinney-Vento Act

The mission of the Homeless Education Program is to ensure that homeless children and youth have access to a free, appropriate public education, comparable to that provided to the children of any Arizona resident and consistent with Arizona’s mandatory school attendance laws. Learn more by following the links below.

Title IX

Per “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

District Policies, Procedures, and Forms

Child Find Screening

The purpose of Child Find, under both federal and state requirements, is to ensure that all children from birth to age 21 with delays or disabilities are identified, located, and evaluated so they can receive necessary early intervention supports or special education services. Public agencies responsible for providing these supports and services are required to actively seek out children who may be eligible and to conduct an eligibility process that includes screening and evaluation based on state-established criteria.

For more information on this topic, please contact the ADE/Child Find Unit at 1-800-352-4558. You can also visit these resources:

● CHILD FIND,
● AZ DES/AzEIP,
● Zero to Three,

Preschool Screenings. West Sedona offers FREE developmental screenings for children aged 2 years 9 months to 5 years who live in the district. The main goal is to provide early intervention for children with disabilities. If you have concerns about your child’s development, please reach out to us for help. These screenings cover various developmental areas: hearing, vision, speech and language, motor skills, cognitive skills, adaptive skills, and social-emotional development.

Step 1–Intake/Pre-Registration: The purpose of this step is to create a student file in the Preschool Office. Parents and/or Legal Guardians, bring in the following documents for pre-registration:

● Fill out the Brief information sheet.

■ Child Find Information Sheet (English)
■ Child Find Information Sheet (Spanish)

● Birth Certificate
● Proof of Residency (within 30 days)
● Photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, passport)
● If available, Hearing and Vision Results–must be dated within 1 year
● Any outside therapy notes (if your child is receiving speech therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, or other services through an outside (not a school) agency.

Please note that appropriate proof of residency is a utility bill, mortgage statement, or rent statement dated within the last month (30 days). Coupon books or ‘ junk’ mail will not be accepted as proof of residency.

Step 2– Hearing and Vision Screening: The purpose of this step is to either identify or rule out a suspected delay in hearing and vision. We will ask the parent to sign a permission form allowing us to screen for hearing and vision. These results are required to have in the child’s file.

Hearing and Vision results may be received in 2 ways:

1. The student passes the hearing and vision screening.

i. If a child is referred through the OAE hearing screener, we will schedule a follow-up screening within 2 weeks.
ii. If the child does not pass the vision screener, we will give you a copy of the results, and it is at the discretion of the parent to consider following up by making an eye appointment for the child.

2. Families bring in current (within 1 year) hearing and vision results from a doctor’s office or other credible organization.

Step 3–Child Find/Screening: The purpose of Child Find/Screening is to help the team determine if an evaluation is necessary because of a suspected disability in the area of cognitive, self-help/adaptive, social-emotional, expressive language, receptive language and speech, fine motor, gross motor, and sensory.

On the day of Child Find:

1. Report to the Sedona West Elementary
2. The child will be screened in the areas of: cognitive, self-help/adaptive, social-emotional, expressive language, receptive language and speech, fine motor, gross motor, and sensory. This will take approximately 1 hour.
3. Within 10 days of screening, parents will receive an update stating:

a. No–There is not a suspected delay. We will provide you with strategies and next steps.
b. No–There is not a suspected delay at this time, however, the team would like to rescreen in 6-9 months.
c. Yes–There may be a suspected delay. We will schedule a date for a formal evaluation, issue a Prior Written Notice for Initial Referral, and provide you with Procedural Safeguards (parent rights).

Screenings are conducted by appointment only (after Steps 1 and 2 are completed) from 8:00 a.m. to noon on the following dates:

● September 16, 2025
● October 28, 2025
● December 9, 2025
● January 13, 2026
● February 24, 2026
● March 31, 2026
● May 12, 2026

If you have any questions regarding Child Find, please feel free to contact Kelly Freudenthal, Director of Student Services at (928) 204-6771 (office).