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2007-2008 ANNUAL NOTICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

 Local school districts, charter schools and the Central Intermediate Unit (CIU) have developed policies in accord with federal and state regulations and guidelines to insure the provision of a free appropriate public education to all school-age children (3-21) with disabilities, including those who attend nonpublic schools and those who are incarcerated in county correctional facilities.

 DESCRIPTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS

 Each school district provides appropriate special education programs and related services, and the CIU provides early intervention programs that are:

·         provided at no cost to parents;

·         provided under the authority of a school entity, or the Department of Education, directly, by referral or by contract;

·         individualized to meet the educational or early intervention needs of the child;

·         “reasonably calculated to yield meaningful educational or early educational benefit and progress”; and

·         designed to conform to an Individual Education Program (IEP).

 Special education is designed to meet the needs of each exceptional student, including “specifically designed instruction conducted in the classroom, home, community settings, hospitals, institutions or other settings.  Instruction also is provided in skill areas such as physical education, speech and vocational education.”

 Early intervention programs are “appropriate programs of educational development, specially designed to meet the needs of eligible young children and address the strengths and needs of the family.”  Programs are provided to children with needs in any of the following developmental areas:  physical, sensory, cognitive, language and speech, social/emotional and self-help.

 Related services available to students include transportation and developmental, corrective and other supportive services that help an exceptional student benefit from special education.  Examples include:  speech pathology and audiology, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, social work services, school health services, early identification and assessment, medical services for diagnosis or evaluation, parent counseling and education, recreation, counseling services, rehabilitation counseling services and assistive technology services.

CHILDREN SERVED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The school districts on the accompanying list are required by the IDEIA 2004 to provide a free appropriate public education to children with disabilities who need special education and related services.  (NOTE:  The duty to identify, locate, evaluate and provide special education services to school-age individuals incarcerated in local correction institutions rest with the school district within those boundaries such as institution is located.)  Pennsylvania must adopt state laws, regulations, and/or policies conforming with the IDEIA 2004, which school districts must follow.

In Pennsylvania, school-age children with disabilities who need special education and related services are identified as exceptional.  Students are exceptional if they need specially designed instruction and

·         Who have one or more of the following physical or mental disabilities:

·autism/pervasive developmental disorder;                            ·orthopedic impairment;

·deaf-blindness;                                                                    ·other health impairment;

·emotional disturbance;                                                         ·specific learning disabilities;

·hearing impairment including deafness;                             ·speech or language impairment;

·mental retardation;                                                               ·traumatic brain injury;

●multiple disabilities;                                                               ·visual impairment including blindness.

·developmentally delayed (3-6 in the Early Intervention Program);                                                                                                   

·         Who have been determined by an IEP team, based upon recommendation in a multi-disciplinary evaluation, to need special education.

CHILDREN SERVED IN EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS

The IDEIA 2004 requires the provision of a free appropriate public education to children with disabilities between 3 years of age and the school district’s age of beginners.  In Pennsylvania, a child between 3 years of age and the school district’s age of beginners who has a developmental delay or one or more of the physical or mental disabilities listed above may be identified as an “eligible young child.”

Eligible young children are afforded the rights of school-age exceptional children, including screening, evaluation, individualized education program planning, and provision of appropriate programs and services.  The Pennsylvania Department of Education is

responsible for providing programs and services to eligible young children under Act 212 of 1990, the Early Intervention Services System Act.  The CIU provides programs and services to eligible young children on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Education.  For more information, contact the CIU Preschool Office at 814-342-0884, ext 3060.

REFERRAL OF CHILDREN FOR SCREENING AND EVALUATION

Local school districts and the CIU have procedures to identify children needing special education.  Those procedures are “screening” and “evaluation.”  If a disability is suspected, teachers, other school personnel or parents may refer a child for screening or evaluation.

Parents, guardians or surrogate parents may contact their local school district or CIU contact person to obtain specific information about the times and locations of screening activities.  The contact person for each school district and phone number is included on the accompanying list.

SCREENING OF CHILDREN

School districts provide a system of screening to:

·         identify and provide initial screening for students before referral to special education;

·         conduct vision, hearing, motor skills and speech and language screening;

·         identify students who are in need of special education services.

The screening process includes:

·         for students with academic concerns, a curriculum-based or performance assessment;

·         for students with behavioral concerns, a systematic observation of student’s behavior in the classroom or elsewhere;

·         any required intervention based on the above assessment results;

·         an assessment of the student’s response to intervention;

·         a determination of whether the student’s assessed difficulties are due to lack of instruction or limited English proficiency;

·         a determination as to whether the student’s needs exceed the functional ability of the regular education classroom;

·         activities designed to gain the participation of the parents.

EVALUATION OF CHILDREN

Before evaluation, parents are told the following information:

·who referred the child for evaluation;                            ·that parent involvement in any testing procedure is encouraged;           

·why the child was referred;                                              ·the schedule for the evaluation process; and

·how to review the child’s school records;                     ·the rights of the parent regarding consent for evaluation.

·what procedures and types of evaluation will be used;

Evaluations are conducted by a “Multi-Disciplinary Team” (MDT) to determine such things as the child’s learning ability, behavior patterns, physical abilities and communication skills.  The team is made up of the parents, a teacher, school principal and school psychologist.  The team may include a special education teacher, supervisor, speech therapist, counselor and other staff as necessary.  Methods used in the evaluation observation, review of records, and group and individual testing:  information is gathered from school personnel, medical personnel and parents.

Results of the evaluation are reviewed by the team to determine if special education services are needed.  If special education placement is recommended, parents are part of the team that determines exceptionality and develops an Individual Education Program (IEP) for the child.

No evaluation may be conducted without written parental permission.  Parents who do not consent to an evaluation may be asked to attend a conference with the teacher, principal, psychologist and possibly other special education staff.

SERVICES FOR PROTECTED HANDICAPPED STUDENTS

Students who are not eligible to receive special programs and services may qualify as protected handicapped students and, therefore, be protected by other federal and state laws intended to prevent discrimination.  School districts and the CIU must ensure that protected handicapped students have equal opportunity to participate in the school program and extracurricular activities to the maximum extent appropriate for each individual student.  In compliance with state and federal law, school districts or the CIU will provide to each protected handicapped student, without discrimination or cost to the student or family, those related aids, services or accommodations that are needed to provide equal opportunity to participate in and obtain the benefits of the school program and extracurricular activities to the maximum extent appropriate to the student’s abilities.  To qualify as a protected handicapped student, the child must be of school age with a physical or mental disability that substantially limits or prohibits participation in or access to an aspect of the school program.

These services and protections for “protected handicapped students” may be distinct from those applicable to exceptional or thought-to-be exceptional students.  School Districts or parents may initiate an evaluation if they believe a student is a protected handicapped student.  For further information on the evaluation procedures and provision of services to protected handicapped students, parents should contact the special education contact person on the accompanying list.

STUDENT RECORDS AND CONFIDENTIALITY

The CIU and school districts are required by law to keep record of all students receiving special education and early intervention services.  Included in these records are:

·birth date, address, telephone number and other general information                              ·teacher progress reports;

·achievement test results;                                                                                                          ·comprehensive evaluation reports; and

·psychological test results;                                                                                                       ·routine medical records.

As a child is reevaluated every two years for mental retardation and three years for all other disabilities, information is added to his or her file.  The CIU and school districts have developed policies to ensure that all records are confidential.  Only school personnel are permitted to see a child’s file.  Anyone else must have written approval of the parent to see the file or to receive copies of information in the file.

Parents can review the child’s file and challenge the validity of any record or report, or challenge the maintenance of information on file.  School personnel review records periodically and any no longer needed to plan that child’s education program are destroyed.  However, parents are notified first and permitted to review or copy this information.  Federal regulations give both natural parents access to their child’s education records unless there is a court order, state statue or legally binding document prohibiting access.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Detailed printed information about available special education services and programs and school district policies available from all school district upon request.  Anyone interested should contact the principal of the child’s school or the school district superintendent’s office.  Detailed printed information about CIU early intervention services and program is available from the CIU upon request.

Information and communication are in English, but will be provided in the native language or other mode of communication used by the parents, if appropriate.

SCHOOLS AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL SITES, WITH CONTACT PERSONS