Notice of Special Education Programs and Services
Students who (1) meet the eligibility criteria for one
or more disabilities as defined in the Pennsylvania State Standards, and who (2)
need specially designed instruction may qualify as exceptional students. Disabilities include autism, blindness/visual
impairment, deafness/hearing impairment, deaf-blindness, emotional disorder,
mental retardation, specific learning disability, traumatic brain injury,
speech/language impairment, orthopedic impairment, multiple disabilities, and
other health impairment. The school
district engages in screening and evaluation procedures to ensure that students
with disabilities are identified and receive an appropriate individualized
education program (IEP) consisting of specially designed instruction and
related services. Special Education
services are provided in compliance with state and federal laws, at no cost to
parents, and are designed to yield meaningful progress toward educational
goals.
Screening activities are conducted throughout the
school year to find children who may be eligible for special education. Screening procedures include review of
cumulative and health records, report cards, test scores, as well as hearing,
vision, physical, and speech/language screenings. If screening results indicate that a student
may be exceptional, the district seeks parental consent for a
multi-disciplinary team evaluation. Parents who suspect their child is exceptional may, at any time, submit
a written request for an evaluation to the building principal.
Signs that your child may have a disability are: exhibition of an emotional disturbance over a
long period of time that affects your child's ability to learn; consistent
problems in getting along with others; difficulty communicating; lack of
interest or ability in age-appropriate activities; resistance to change;
difficulty seeing or hearing that interferes with the ability to communicate;
health problems that affect educational performance including attention
problems; and difficulty performing tasks that require reading, writing, or
mathematics.
If after an evaluation, a student is determined to be
eligible for special education an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is
developed by a team that includes the parents, teachers, school representative,
and others, as appropriate. The IEP is
revisited, at minimum, once a year. The
extent and location of services is determined by the IEP team and is based on
the student's age and individual needs and abilities. The district also provides related services
such as transportation or physical and occupational therapy to enable the
student to benefit from education.
Parents not only have the right to notifications
concerning evaluations and IEPs, but also the right to review their child's
records, and to expect the school district to protect the confidentiality of
student records. Parents may obtain more
information on special education programs and services by contacting Mr. John Lizik, Special Education Coordinator at 535-5523 or jlizik@cvk12.org.
