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The
Carmichaels Area School District uses the following procedures for
screening, identifying, and evaluating specified needs of school-aged
students requiring special programs of service.
The district
meets the health requirement screen as described in Section 1402 of
the School Code. The district routinely conducts screening of a
child’s hearing acuity in the following grades: Kindergarten, 1, 2,
3, 7, 11, and others according to need. Visual acuity is screened in
every grade. Height and weight data are collected yearly at every
grade level. Visual acuity, hearing acuity, height and weight
screenings are conducted throughout the school year at the child’s
home school. Dental exams are conducted in the spring of each school
year in Kindergarten, grade 3 and 7 at the respective schools. In the
fall of each school year, physicals are conducted in Kindergarten,
grade 6 and 11 as well as scoliosis screening in grades 6 and 7. TB
testing is completed in the winter months of each school year in
grades 1 and 9.
Kindergarten screening is held in
March of each school year at the Elementary Center. Speech and
language skills are screened during Kindergarten in the fall of each
school year and upon referral from parents and/or professional staff.
Gross motor and fine motor skills, academic skills, and
social-emotional skills; are assessed by classroom teachers on an
on-going basis and referrals made when needed.
From time to time the School
District will administer standardized tests to students, beginning
during the first grade year. Reports of these tests are provided to
parents each year. In addition, most elementary students will be
tested by their teachers to see if they have learned the particular
skill being taught. These tests are given throughout the year. The
PSSA is administered at the mandated grade levels in the spring of
each school year. Other testing occurs on the basis of individual
need. Vocational interest tests may be given in the secondary
schools. Report cards are issued quarterly. Any parent who has a
question about the testing program should contact the Building
Principal.
At the elementary level, screening
information is used by the building principal to address the specific
needs of the student and/or to document the need for further
evaluation. If it is determined that the child needs additional
services, the classroom teacher, Building Principal and School
Psychologist will consult and the necessary adjustments relative to
such areas as learning, behavior, and physical performance will be
attempted to keep the child involved with traditional classroom
experiences. If a student doesn’t make progress, parents will be
asked to give written permission for a multidisciplinary evaluation.
At the secondary level, screening
information is reviewed by a team consisting of a minimum of a
classroom teacher, Building Principal, and School Psychologist to
determine if adjustments can be made in the child’s current program
and/or if a multidisciplinary evaluation is warranted.
Parents with concerns regarding
their student may contact the building principal at any time to
request a screening or evaluation. The request shall be in writing.
If the request is made orally, the parent will be asked to make the
request in writing and will be provided with the proper form.
Communication with parents and students shall be in English or their
native language. For parents with a hearing impairment, the school
district will provide a person to communicate in sign language.
After the multidisciplinary
evaluation is completed, a Comprehensive Evaluation Report (CER) is
compiled with parent input and includes specific recommendations for
the types of intervention necessary to accommodate the child’s
specific needs. Parents are then invited to participate in a meeting
where the results of the evaluation are explained and discussed. An
Individual Education Program (IEP) is developed for those students
qualifying for special education services. The IEP Team consists of
the following: the parents, the Building Principal/LEA, a special
education teacher and a regular education teacher. Other team members
may include: the student when appropriate, the school psychologist,
public agency representative, other teachers or specialists, other
administrative staff, etc. Parents are an integral part of the IEP
Team and are encouraged to be physically present at the IEP meeting.
The district makes every effort to ensure parent participation. The
district notifies the parent in writing and makes documented phone
calls to make parents aware of the IEP conference and the importance
of parent participation. Parents are then presented a Notice of
Recommended Assignment (NORA) with which they agree or disagree. If
parents agree, the IEP is implemented. If parents disagree with the
recommendations, the issue may be taken to a pre-hearing conference,
mediation, or due process hearing.
The Carmichaels Area
School District operates a comprehensive continuum of services for
special needs students. Approximately 95% of all identified
exceptional children are serviced in their home school. Types of
services available include: Learning Support which is primarily for
students with academic learning needs, Life Skills Support which
focuses primarily on the need for independent living skills, Emotional
Support which addresses social and emotional difficulties, Multiple
Disabilities Support which is for students with more than one
disability, Physical Support for students who’s need is the result of
a physical disability, Autistic support for those students diagnosed
with Autism and/or Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Speech and
Language Support which is for students who have articulation and/or
expressive/receptive language difficulties, Hearing Support for
student who are hearing impaired/deaf, vision support which is for
students who are blind or visually impaired, and Gifted Support for
those students identified as mentally gifted. The small number of
students whose needs cannot be accommodated in the public school
setting can receive services in an approved private school or other
licensed facility at school district expense. No such placement is
made without an IEP meeting and parental agreement.
If a child does not
quality for special education services, he/she may still be considered
a protected handicapped student and require services under Chapter
15. A protected handicapped student is a student who is school age
with a physical or mental disability, which substantially limits or
prohibits participation in or access to any aspect of the school
program. The Carmichaels Area School District provides each protected
handicapped student the aids, services or accommodations; which are
needed to provide equal opportunity to participate in and obtain the
benefits of the school program and extra curricular activities to the
maximum extend appropriate to the student’s abilities. If you believe
your child comes under this classification and is in need of a service
to assist him/her in benefiting from his/her education, you should
contact the Building Principal.
The Carmichaels Area
School District recognizes the need to protect the confidentiality of
personally identifiable information in the education records of
exceptional children. The Carmichaels Area School District
Confidentiality Assurance Policy has been prepared as to insure the
privacy rights of both the parents and the exceptional child in the
collection, maintenance, release, and destruction of these records.
The Carmichaels Area School District and its staff are required by
Federal law and State and Federal Rules and Regulations to protect the
rights of students. The foundation of these rights comes from Federal
Legislation entitled the family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of
1974 – FERPA (also known as the Buckley Amendments). All students are
protected by the State Regulations contained in Chapter 12 known as
Students’ Rights and responsibilities. In addition, State Rules and
regulations protect regular and special education students’ right and
privacy.
School records are
always open and available to parents and only to school officials who
have a legitimate “need to know” information about the child.
Disclosure of information means to permit the release, transfer or
other communication of education records to any party, by oral,
written and/or electronic means. This means that information about a
student cannot be shared in conversation without permission. This
also applies to other personnel who do not have an educationally
relevant reason to possess knowledge of a student.
The parents of a
student or eligible student have the right to inspect and/or challenge
their child’s or their own educational records, to receive copies of
the records, and to have a school official explain the records if
requested as outlined in the Carmichaels Area School district Policy.
The school district will disclose directory information which
includes: the student’s name, address, telephone number, date and
place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially
recognized activities and sports, weights, and heights of members of
athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the
most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the
student, and other similar information. Should the parent of a
student or eligible student wish to refuse disclosure of this
information, a written notice of refusal of disclosure of directory
information must be sent to the Principal within twenty (20) days of
this public notice. To inspect your child’s or your record, contact
the Building Principal.
Carmichaels Area
School District will release information from a student’s education
records without prior consent to officials of other primary or
secondary schools or school systems in which a student weeks or
intends to enroll. Transcripts to post-secondary institutions in
which a student seeks or intends to enroll will be sent upon request
of parents of a student or eligible student. Parents, upon written
request, may receive a copy of records they may be released by the
school district. The parents have the right to request that their
child’s or their educational records be changed if they are
inaccurate, misleading or violate students’ rights, and to have a
hearing if that request is refused.
A more detailed
explanation of these rights, the procedure to follow, and the
limitations on the release of records; is presented in the school
district’s policy on the collection, maintenance and release of
student records. You may obtain a copy of this policy by contacting
the Building Principal.
For further
information on the screening procedures, evaluation procedures, and
provision of services to protected handicapped students, contact Mrs.
Mary Ann Taylor, Carmichaels Area Jr. Sr. High School, 300 West Greene
Street, Carmichaels, PA 15320 or call (724) 966-5045, ext. 3100.
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