IN Greensburg Salem Fall 2018 | Page 38

 nnual Public Notice of Special Education A Services and Programs, Services for Gifted Students, and Services for Protected Handicapped Students A ccording 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. Responsible school districts and intermediate units are required to conduct child find activities for children who may be eligible for services under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Individual with Disabilities Act (IDEA 2004), and gifted services as defined in the PA school code. The Greensburg Salem School District provides a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to children with disabilities who need special education and related services. FAPE is provided to students who need specially designed instruction and have one or more of the following physical or mental disabilities: Autism, Deaf-blindness, Deafness, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Disability (ID), Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, Other Health Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Speech or Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Visual Impairment including Blindness Screening Greensburg Salem School District (GSSD) has established and implemented procedures to locate, identify, and evaluate children suspected of having disabilities. These procedures involve screening activities which include, but are not limited to: yearly review of group-based ability and achievement test scores, cumulative records, enrollment records, health records, and report cards; hearing screening, vision screening, motor screening; and speech and language screening. Early Intervention The IDEA 2004 also requires the provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education to children with disabilities between three years of age and the school district’s age of beginners. In Pennsylvania, a child between three years of age and the school district’s age of beginners who has a developmental delay 36 GREENSBURG SALEM or one or more of the physical or mental disabilities listed in the first section may be identified as an “eligible young child.” Eligible young children are afforded the rights of school age children with disabilities, 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 Westmoreland Intermediate Unit (724-836- 2460) provides programs and services to eligible young children on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Except as indicated above or otherwise announced publicly; screening activities take place in an on-going fashion throughout the school year. Screening is conducted in the child’s home school unless other arrangements are necessary. Evaluation When screening indicates that a child may be a child with disabilities, the GSSD will seek parental consent to conduct an evaluation. “Evaluation” means procedures used in the determination of whether a child has a disability and the nature and extent of the special education and related services that the child needs. The term means procedures used selectively with an individual child and is not limited to tests administered to or procedures used with all children. In Pennsylvania, this evaluation is conducted by a group of qualified professionals and the parent. The group of qualified professionals shall include a certified school psychologist when evaluating a child for autism, emotional disturbance, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, other health impairments, specific learning disability, or traumatic brain injury. The evaluation process must be completed no later than sixty school days after the district receives written parental consent and must include “protection-in-evaluation procedures,” (for example, tests and procedures used as part of the multidisciplinary evaluation process may not be racially or culturally biased.) Upon completion of the administration of tests and the collection of other evaluation materials, a group of qualified professionals and the parent of the child will determine whether the child is a child with a disability and what the educational needs are of the child. Information obtained from a variety of sources, including aptitude and achievement tests, parent input, teacher recommendations, physical condition, social or cultural background, and adaptive behavior will be documented and considered carefully. If a determination is made that a child has a disability and needs special education and related services an Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be developed for the child. Identification Activities Parents who think their child has a disability may request, at any time, that the GSSD conduct a multidisciplinary evaluation. This request should be made in writing to the Building Principal or the Office of the Director of Pupil Services. If a parent makes an oral request for a multidisciplinary evaluation, the school district shall provide the parent with a form for that written request. Parents also have the right to obtain an independent educational evaluation, if they disagree