outh Fayette SOUTH FAYETTE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
South Fayette Township School District
system . At the elementary school ( K-2 ) and the intermediate school ( 3-4-5 ), a child study team has been established as part of the pre-referral intervention process . The team consists of principals , guidance counselors , regular education teachers , reading specialists , school psychologists when needed and special education staff when needed . Parents are also part of this process and are contacted and strongly encouraged to participate in all phases of the child study team process . The Child Study Team assists teachers and parents with supporting students who are experiencing academic , behavioral , medical , emotional and social skills difficulties . Also at the elementary school , the Kindergarten Express classrooms in kindergarten and the Reading Achievement classrooms in first and second grades provide students with research-evidenced based reading instruction . These classrooms provide intensive reading instruction for students that are considered below basic or basic . Our reading specialists and paraeducators have received intensive instruction on the reading process and have been trained to provide explicit and systematic instruction . Research-evidence based instruction include phonemic awareness activities , word building , syllasearch , developing vocabulary through Isabel Beck ’ s model of robust vocabulary instruction , Questioning the Author strategy , Text Talk strategy , chunking text , “ What are you thinking ?” strategy , scrolling , character mapping , and color coding text . Kindergarten students are screened using the Early Screening Profile from American Guidance Service during our kindergarten registration . Students identified as lacking readiness skills are placed in the Kindergarten Express classroom for half a day and the regular kindergarten classroom the other half . Students receive intensive instruction with a reading specialist and paraeducator . Instruction includes activities focusing on phonemic awareness , letter recognition and sounds , decoding ( word building ), sight word recognition , reading decodable text , and comprehension . All first grade through fifth grade students ( elementary and intermediate schools ) are assessed using the assessments from the Reading Achievement Center at the beginning of each school year . Students are assessed on sight word recognition , decoding pseudo words , fluency , and comprehension . Students scoring below basic are placed in the Reading Achievement classroom at the beginning of the school year . Students scoring basic are either placed in the Reading Achievement classroom or monitored in the regular reading classroom . Placement of these students is determined by the degree of reading deficiency . Basic students not placed in the Reading Achievement classroom are monitored closely with reading strategies implemented in the regular reading classroom . If these students do not progress , they will be placed in the Reading Achievement classroom for intensive reading instruction . Each Reading Achievement classroom contains eighteen students . The Reading Achievement classrooms in first grade through fifth grade ( elementary and intermediate buildings ) provide intensive small group instruction for the entire language arts block . Students rotate in groups among a reading specialist , classroom teacher , and a paraeducator in first and second grade . Students in third , fourth and fifth grades also rotate in small groups of six among a reading specialist and a classroom teacher . Students are provided intensive instruction in phonemic awareness , decoding ( word building and syllasearch ), vocabulary development , fluency , and comprehension strategies . Students are given numerous opportunities to apply these reading strategies to reading various types of text . Materials used in the Reading Achievement classrooms were developed by Harcourt Journeys , and the Allegheny Intermediate Unit Reading Specialists / Consultants . Students are routinely assessed on decoding , vocabulary , fluency , and comprehension to monitor their progress . The intermediate building has an after school math program as well . This initiative was developed to provide instructional support to students in the 3rd , 4th , and 5th grade math curriculum at the intermediate school . Students are selected
50 SOUTH FAYETTE by assessment scores and teacher recommendations . This program is formatted to meet the individual needs of the students by providing small group instruction twice a week . Lesson plans are the direct result of data taken from the PSSA and curriculum-based assessments from both the third and fourth grade math programs . Also , included in the lesson plan is instruction in the PSSA format . The students are assessed on a regular basis and parents are contacted as needed . In middle school , the Academic Intervention Model ( AIM ) is utilized as the pre-referral intervention process for students who are in need of academic assistance . The AIM process is a team based intervention model . There are collaborative intervention team meetings with the parents to identify targeted interventions related to specific academic skill areas that need to be addressed for the student . Research-based intervention strategies are implemented for a period of time in the regular classroom setting to assist the student in an attempt to foster academic success . An implementation plan is developed and monitored by the student ’ s team of teachers and reviewed and revised if necessary . If it is determined by the team that the interventions are not working and the student is not meeting success , the student may be referred for a multi-disciplinary team evaluation . The South Fayette Student Assistance Teams ( SAP ) provides additional support used by the district to identify at-risk students . SAP teams are currently in place at the middle and high school levels . SAP is a cooperative effort with parents in utilizing the support staff , students , and community through contracted services with Holy Family Institute . It is a proactive prevention / intervention program that attempts to provide intervention before school performance is seriously compromised . The SAP Core Team of individuals are trained in the SAP Model and focus on screening / intervention for students who may be experiencing drug and alcohol , depression , and / or family issues , referrals to appropriate agencies or treatment facilities , aftercare for those returning from treatment , and crisis intervention as needed . If appropriate , a referral process is initiated at each building level through the Child Study Teams , AIM Grade Level Teams , Student Assistance Teams ( SAP ), counseling departments , principals or the Department of Student Support Services Services . Assessment data is used by the team to meet the student ’ s specific needs by recommending modifications or adaptations to the regular education program , creating interventions to address the problem and monitoring the student ’ s response to intervention , or to document the need for further evaluation . If it is determined that a student is in need of further evaluation , the student is referred for a multidisciplinary team ( MDT ) evaluation , which requires parent permission and includes parent input . Next , a “ Prior Written Notice for Initial Evaluation and Request for Consent Form ” is issued to the parent to sign giving the school district permission to conduct the evaluation . The school district has 60 calendar days to complete the evaluation . After the evaluation is completed , an evaluation report is prepared which includes specific recommendations for the types of intervention necessary to meet the needs of the student and to determine the child ’ s eligibility for special education services based upon a disability . When the evaluation report is completed parents are invited if necessary to a multidisciplinary team meeting to review findings and plan for the student ’ s needs . After the MDT evaluation is completed , the parents are given a NOREP , which they sign to indicate their agreement or disagreement with the recommendation . Parents of students who suspect that their child has a disability and is in need of special education may request an Intervention Team meeting or multidisciplinary team evaluation of their child through a written request to the building principal or Director of Student Support Services .
You may find information regarding the appropriate developmental milestone descriptors for infants and toddlers at the Center for Disease Control ( CDC ) website : cdc . gov / ncbddd / autism / ActEarly / default . htm For additional information regarding the signs of developmental delays , please contact the Director of Student Support Services at 412-221-4542 , Ext . 429 .
Services for School Age Students with Disabilities or Mental Giftedness :
The South Fayette Township School District provides a free , appropriate public education to students with disabilities or mental giftedness according to state and federal rules . To be eligible , the child must :
• Be of school age .
• Have a disability or mental giftedness and be in need of specially designed instruction .
• Meet eligibility criteria for one or more of the following physical or mental disabilities as set forth in the Pennsylvania State Standards : autism , deaf-blindness , blindness , visual impairment , emotional disturbance , specific learning disability , other health impairment , traumatic brain injury , and speech / language impairment , orthopedic impairment , hearing impairment , deafness , multiple disabilities or mental retardation . Services designed to meet the needs of eligible disabled students include : a ) The annual development of an individualized education program ( IEP or Gifted IEP ). b ) A triennial multidisciplinary re-evaluation for students with disabilities ( except for those students with mental retardation where evaluation remains biennial ). c ) A range of supports for students from itinerant level to supplemental level to full time level special education support within the school district or placement in a full-time special education disabilities class outside of the regular school . The extent of special education services for disabled or mentally gifted students and the location for the delivery of such services are determined by the parents and the district staff at the IEP team meeting and are based on the student ’ s identified needs and abilities , chronological age and the level of intensity of the specified intervention . The school district also provides related services , such as transportation , physical therapy , occupational therapy and assistive technology if they are required to enable the student with disabilities to derive educational benefits . a ) Prior to initiation of services , parents of a student with disabilities are presented a “ Notice of Recommended Educational Placement / Prior Written Notice ” ( NOREP ) and parents of a mentally gifted student with a “ Notice of Recommended Assignment ” ( NORA ) with which they agree or disagree . If parents agree to the program outlined by the multidisciplinary team and the parent signs either the NOREP or NORA , then the program is implemented for their child . If parents disagree with the program being recommended , they have the right to request IEP facilitation , mediation and / or a due process hearing . Parents are issued their “ Procedural Safeguards ” which outlines in detail their legal rights as a parent of a child identified as having a disability or considered mental gifted . Lastly , if a child proves to have a disability or handicapping condition under PA Chapter 15 and the American Disabilities Act and it is determined the child is entitled to services and accommodations that are necessary to enable them access and safety when participating in programs and activities of the school , then a 504 Student Services Plan is outlined between the parent , district LEA and district staff . Parents are also given “ Procedural Safeguards ” for Chapter 15 504 Student Services Plans which outlines their rights as a parent of a student who has a disability and requires accommodations . Detailed information regarding Chapter 14 special education , Chapter 16 gifted education and Chapter 15 504 Service Plan / Agreement procedures and services may be obtained by calling the Student Support Services Department at South Fayette Township School Schools , ( 412 ) 221-4542 , extension 429 .
Services for Students in Nonpublic Schools : Public school education may be accessible to resident students attending nonpublic schools on a dual enrollment basis in