OFFICE OF SPECIAL STUDENT SERVICES
Mrs. Robin Johnson,
Supervisor of Special Education
977 South St. Marys Road
St. Marys, PA 15857
Phone: 814-781-2120
Fax:
814-781-6308
The
St. Marys Area School District subscribes to the philosophy that all students,
regardless of ability, are unique individuals who have the potential to learn.
The SMASD also is committed to providing each student an education of the
highest quality.
INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT
In the St. Marys Area School District,
very effort is made to meet pupils needs without placement into special
education. At the elementary and middle school levels, students are first taken
through the Instructional Support Team (IST) process. With this process, the
IST support teacher collects data and determines the student’s instructional
level. If necessary, the support teacher then recommends adjustments to be made
in order to accommodate the student’s instructional level within the regular
classroom. Should the IST team feel further assessment is in order, referral
for a multi-disciplinary evaluation (MDE) is made.
While IST is not available at the
secondary level, accommodations and adjustments must also be implemented prior
to referral for a MDE.
CHILD-FIND
ACTIVITIES
According to state and federal special education regulations,
annual public notice to parents of children who reside within a school district
is required regarding child find responsibilities. St. Marys Area School
District is required to conduct child find activities for children who may be
eligible for services via Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For
additional information related to Section 504/Chapter 15 services, the parent
may refer to Section 504, Chapter 15, and the Basic Education Circular entitled
Implementation of Chapter 15. Also, school districts are required to conduct
child find activities for children who may be eligible for gifted services via
22 PA Code Chapter 16. For additional information regarding gifted services,
the parent may refer to 22 PA Code Chapter 16. If a student is both gifted and
eligible for Special Education, the procedures in IDEA and Chapter 14 shall
take precedence.
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY EVALUATION (MDE)
The MDE is a more formalized process
of pupil assessment where designated tests, observations and other sources of
data are conducted and analyzed by a team. Parental permission is obtained
before the MDE is conducted. In addition, parents are viewed as being integral
members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT), and are asked to provide input
for the evaluation. A certified school psychologist oversees the MDE. Upon
completion of the MDE, a comprehensive Evaluation Report (ER), is completed for
the student. Recommendations regarding the student’s specific strengths and
needs are indicated in the ER.
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP)
Should the multi-disciplinary team
(MDT) determine that the student is exceptional and in need of specially
designed instruction, parents will be asked to participate in the development
of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for their child in conjunction
with an IEP team .
The IEP is an outline of the special
education and related services that the student must be given in order to be
successful in school. As with the MDE, parents are considered to be a vital
part of the IEP team. IEPs are typically designed to last for a year in
duration. However, parents may request an IEP conference at any time should
they feel that adjustments need to be made to their child’s program.
Once the IEP is developed, parents
will be asked to give their permission to implement the IEP through the Notice
of Recommended Assignment (NOREP).
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
The importance of parents as
partners in the educational process in the SMASD cannot be overstated. Without
question, parents are the most critical members of the team, and need to be
involved in all aspects of evaluation, program development and placement of
their child.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORDS / INFORMATION
The St. Marys Area School District
is required by law to keep records of all special education students. Included
is information such as birth date, address, telephone number, achievement test
results, psychological test results, teacher progress reports and routine
medical records.
As students are re-evaluated
annually, information is added to their file. According to SMASD Board Policy,
parents can review their child’s file and challenge the validity of any record
or report.
In addition to the parents, only school
personnel who have a legitimate interest in the child are permitted to review
these files. Any other persons must have the written approval of the parent
before they are allowed to see the file or receive copies of information in the
file.
All records are reviewed each summer
by a school psychologist or administrator. Information no longer needed to plan
for a student’s education program is removed and destroyed. However, parents
are notified first and are permitted to review and copy this information.
In all aspects of evaluation,
program development and placement, parents will be advised of their rights and
will be afforded what is known as due process. Should disagreements occur in
any of these areas, parents will also be informed of the methods of recourse
available to settle the dispute (i.e., prehearing conference, mediation, due
process hearing, etc.). Please keep in mind that the vast number of
disagreements between school and parents can be resolved informally (and
positively!)
Gifted Services/Chapter 16
St. Marys Area School District promotes enrichment or acceleration for learners identified as gifted. Students who demonstrate the need for a Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP) may participate in the gifted activities. In Pennsylvania, the provision of services to identify gifted students is governed by Chapter 16 of the school code: Gifted Education.
Chapter 15/Section 504 / Protected Handicapped Students
The
law allows for services to be provided to protected handicapped students in
addition to services for special education students as defined by Chapter 14
and services designed for identified gifted students as defined by Chapter 16.
Protected handicapped students, as a group, are covered by Chapter 15 of the
school code. Chapter 15 is sometimes called section 504 which is the
federal name for this program. The goal of Chapter 15/504 is to provide
protected handicapped students, without discrimination, related services and
accommodations that are needed to allow for equal opportunity to participate in
the school program. Students must meet the requirements which include being
school age with a physical or mental handicap that substantially limits or
prohibits participation in or access to an aspect of the school program.
Forms
IEP-Individual IEP2011.docEducational Program
NOREP-Notice of Recommended
Educational Placement
Procedural Notice Safeguard
Letter