Special Services

We’re Here for You

Missouri Digital Academy (MODA) 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.

Child Find

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act includes the Child Find mandate. Child Find requires all school districts to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. If you have questions or feel like your child may need specialized services, please contact Patricia Douglas at pdouglas@k12.com or call 989.303.9168.

Special Education

MODA provides a complete special education program for all students that qualify. Accommodations, adaptations, assistive technology, and other supports for students with disabilities according to individualized plans developed by their MODA’s teachers, parents, counselors, and other professionals. MODA is responsible for the development of the IEP, evaluation, and services, as defined by the student’s IEP. Please contact your MODA if you have any questions or need support. MODA’s special education administrator, Patricia Douglas, can be contact at pdouglas@k12.com or call 989.303.9168.

English Learners

MODA provides accommodations, adaptations, assistive technology supports, and other supports for students with English language needs according to individualized plans developed by MODA’s teachers, parents, counselors, and other professionals. The student’s resident district and home school is responsible for the development of the English Learner Plan, evaluation, and services, as defined by the student’s plan. If you have questions regarding the implementation of accommodations, curriculum, or course adaptations, or assistive technology needs, please contact our ELL Coordinator, Erica Rappa, at erappa@k12.com or call 314.300.6191.

Section 504 and Health Plan Supports

MODA provides 504 accommodations, adaptations, and assistive technology supports for students with disabilities according to their 504 or health plan developed by MODA’s teachers, parents, counselors, and other professionals. MODA is responsible for the development of the 504 or health plan, evaluation, and services, as defined by the student’s 504 or health plan. If you have questions regarding the implementation of accommodations, curriculum or course adaptations, or assistive technology, please contact Liz O’Rourke at lorourke@k12.com or call 314.485.9946.

Parent Language Interpreters or Accommodation Needs

Parents/guardians of students with disabilities may request professional language interpreter services at any time by contacting Patricia Douglas at pdouglas@k12.com or call 989.303.9168.

Additionally, if any parent/guardian has a disability or other limitation that would impact their ability to participate fully in their child’s educational planning process, MODA would be happy to discuss accommodations that may be available to maximize the parent/guardian’s participation. Individuals seeking to discuss accommodations for this reason may contact Patricia Douglas at pdouglas@k12.com or call 989.303.9168.

Admission of Homeless Children and Youth

The McKinney Act of 1987, or P.L. 100-77, ensures that each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth shall have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as provided to other children and youth. Under the Act, schools are prohibited from delaying a homeless child’s entry into school due to delays in obtaining school records. Rules regarding guardianship must be waived for homeless students living with foster parents or relatives other than their legal guardians. Individuals seeking to discuss accommodations for this reason may contact Cheyanne Wheelis at cwheelis@k12.com or call 314.396.2884.

The McKinney-Vento Definition of Homeless

Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (per Title IX, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act) defines homeless as follows:

The term “homeless children and youths”–

  • (A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (within the meaning of section 103(a)(1)); and
  • (B) includes–

(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals;

(ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (within the meaning of section 103(a)(2)(C));

(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

(iv) migratory children (as such term is defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).

Additional information about supports is available by contacting Cheyanne Wheelis at cwheelis@k12.com or call 314.396.2884.

Admissions of Youth in Foster Care

The “Foster Care Education Bill of Rights” requires public school districts and child-placing agencies in Missouri to ensure youth in foster care do not fall through the cracks when it comes to receiving an education because of situations they experience while in care. The Foster Care Education Bill of Rights requires school districts to designate a staff person as the educational liaison for foster children. The liaison shall do the following in an advisory capacity:

  • Ensure and facilitate the proper educational placement and enrollment in school and check out from school of foster children;
  • Assist foster care pupils when transferring schools by ensuring proper transfer of credits, records, and grades;
  • Request school records within two business days of a foster child in a school; and
  • Submit records of a foster child within three business days of receiving a request for school records.

Additional information about supports are available by contacting Cheyanne Wheelis at cwheelis@k12.com or call 314.396.2884.

Advanced Learners

MODA’s goal is to provide a quality education and to ensure appropriate learning opportunities that will foster maximum mental, physical, and emotional development of each student. Some children demonstrate or show a potential for demonstrating a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to other children of similar age, experience, or environment. These children may perform at a very high level in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area, showing an unusually high capacity for leadership, or excel in a particular academic field. MODA will provide extension activities, accommodations, adaptations, and assistive technology supports for students identified as gifted according to their gifted plan developed by their resident district’s teachers, parents, counselors, and other professionals. MODA is responsible for the development of gifted plans, evaluation, and services, as defined by the student’s gifted plan. If you have questions regarding the implementation of accommodations, curriculum or course adaptations, or assistive technology, please contact Patricia Douglas at pdouglas@k12.com or call 989.303.9168.

Career Education

MissouriConnections.org is available to Missouri students, parents, guidance counselors, educators, and job seekers at no charge, and can help determine career interests, explore occupations, establish education plans, develop job search strategies and create résumés.

Missouri Career Education combines academics and occupational skill training to prepare students of all ages with programs designed around the 16 career clusters.

Anti-Bullying Resources

Learn how to stop bullies and keep your kids safe at school. For MODA’s complete policy, please refer to the MODA Student Handbook.

Child Abuse Hotline

Any person may report suspected child abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Anonymous reports are accepted from individuals who are not mandated by occupation to report, but please consider identifying yourself. Being able to contact you later helps the Children’s Division staff complete a more thorough investigation. They may also need to ask you for more information during the investigation process.

When making a report, be sure to have the following information:

  • Name of the child
  • Name of the parent(s)
  • Name of the alleged abuser
  • Where the child can be located

The Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline Unit utilizes Signs of Safety when screening calls. To learn more about Signs of Safety, please visit https://www.signsofsafety.net/

The Children’s Division Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline (CA/NHU) is toll-free and answered seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year: 1.800.392.3738.