Early Intervention Transition: Child Find
Act 212 of 1990, the Early Intervention Systems Act.
Established early intervention services in Pennsylvania for children
with disabilities from age three to the age of beginners (that is the
minimum age established by each school district for admission to first
grade. According to 20 U.S. C. 1419 and under Pennsylvania’s State
Special education Plan, all students transitioning from early
intervention programs to kindergarten or first grade programs within
their school district of residence are to do so without interruption in
program. All children who are not provided with transition procedures
will remain eligible for the early intervention services described in
their preschool IEPs when they enter kindergarten or first grade.
Early intervention programs are annually responsible for
identifying, by February 1, all children who are approaching the age for
kindergarten or first grade in their district of residence, notifying
families of children approaching kindergarten age that their children
may remain in early intervention for another year, informing families
about the transition process; convening transition meetings (which must
also be attended by the district of residence); and ascertaining whether
the family intends to register the child with their school district of
residence for the next year.
For those children whose parents have indicated their
intention to register them in a district kindergarten or firs grade,
school districts must conduct multidisciplinary evaluations (MDE) and
develop individualized educational programs (IEP) in accordance with the
timelines mandated in Pa. Code Chapter 14.
Screening and Evaluation
The Peters Township School District employs the following
procedures for locating, identifying and evaluating the needs of school
age students requiring special education programs and / or services.
These procedures, as required by State regulations, are as follows:
As prescribed by Section 1402 and 1403 of the School Code,
the district routinely conducts health screening for kindergarten (K)
through 12th grade students: Vision (K-8, 10); Hearing (K-3-11); Height /
Weight (K-12); Mandated Physical Exams (K, 6,11) and Sports Physicals;
Dental Screening (K, 1,3,7,10); Scoliosis Screening (6,7).
Speech and language skills are screened in kindergarten and on a referral basis by the speech clinicians in each building.
Gross motor and fine motor skills, academic and social emotional skills are assessed by the teachers and support staff on an ongoing basis. Various screening activities on an ongoing basis include: review of group-based data such as cumulative enrollment and health records, report cards, ability and achievement test scores. Identified needs from these screening sources, as well as information obtained from parents and outside agencies, are assessed, noted within the student's record and discussed with parents. Screening information will be used by teams of professionals (i.e. Instructional Support, and/or Student Assistance, etc.) within the student's school to meet his or her specific needs or to document the need for further evaluation. If it is determined that a child needs additional services, the teams of professionals will make adjustments relative to such things as the child's learning style, behavior, physical inabilities, and speech difficulties to be more in keeping with traditional classroom experience. If a student does not make progress, parents will be asked to give written permission for further individual professional evaluations.
Following the professional evaluation, an evaluation report is prepared with parent involvement and includes specific recommendation of the type of intervention necessary to address the needs of the student. When the evaluation report is competed in accordance with the State regulations, an education planning team meeting with parents' involved is scheduled to develop an appropriate education plan for the student.
Parents of students who suspect their child is in need of
special education may request a multidisciplinary team evaluation of
their child through a written request to the building principal or
director of pupil services.
Evaluation Report
Following the professional evaluation, an evaluation report is prepared with parent involvement and includes specific recommendation of the type of intervention necessary to address the needs of the student. When the evaluation report is competed in accordance with the State regulations, an education planning team meeting with parents' involved is scheduled to develop an appropriate education plan for the student.
Parents of students who suspect their child is in need of
special education may request a multidisciplinary team evaluation of
their child through a written request to the building principal or
director of pupil services.
Services for School Age Students With Disabilities or Mental Giftedness
The Peters Township School District provides a free,
appropriate public education to students with disabilities and/or mental
giftedness according to state and federal mandates. To be eligible, the
child must be of school age, have a disability or mental giftedness and
be in need of specially designed instruction. In addition, the student
must meet eligibility criteria for mental giftedness and/or one or more
of the following physical or metal disabilities as set forth in the
Pennsylvania State Regulations; autism, deaf-blindness, visual
impairment, including blindness, deafness, hearing impairment, metal
retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, emotional
disturbance, specific learning disability, other health impairment,
traumatic brain injury, or speech/language impairment.
Services designed to meet the needs of disabled students or mentally gifted students include the annual development of an individualized education program (IEP) for disabled students, triennial, multidisciplinary reevaluation (except for those students with metal retardation where the reevaluation occurs on a biennial basis). In addition, types of program interventions are supportive intervention in the regular class, supplemental intervention in the regular class; a special education resource program; placement in a part-time or full-time special education class in a regular school; or, placement in a full0time special education class outside of the regular school. The extent of special education services for disabled or mentally gifted students and the location of the delivery of such derives are based upon student's identified needs and/or abilities, chronological age and the level of intensity of the specified interventions. Parents are an integral part of the IEP team and are encouraged to be physically present at the IEP meeting. The school district also provided related services, such as transportation, physical therapy and occupational therapy that are required to enable the student with disabilities to derive educational benefits.
Prior to the initiation of services, parents of a student with disabilities are presented a "Notice of Recommend Educational Placement" (NOREP) and parents of a mentally gifted student with a “Notice of Recommendation Assignment (NORA) with which they may agree or disagree. If parents disagree with the program being recommended, they have the right to request a pre-hearing conference, mediation, and/or a due process hearing.
Services for Students In Non Public Schools
Public special education is accessible to resident students
attending nonpublic schools by permitting the nonpublic school student
with a disability to enroll on a part-time dual enrollment basis in a
special education program operated in a public school.
Parents of nonpublic school student who suspect that their
child in disabled and in need of special education may request a
multidisciplinary team evaluation of their child through a written
request to the building principal.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Peters Township School District will not discriminate in
employment, educational programs, or activities based on race, color,
national origin, age, sex, disability, handicap, marital status or
because a person is a disabled veteran or a veteran. Reasonable
accommodations will be provided for employees and program participants
who are disabled. No preschool, elementary or secondary school student
enrolled in an Intermediate Unit program shall be denied equal
opportunity to participate in age and program appropriate instruction or
activities due to race, color, disability, handicap, creed, national
origin, marital status or financial hardship. Participation in
instruction and activities for a student identified as exceptional may
be modified according to the Individual Educational Program (IEP)
developed for the student. Reasonable accommodations will be provided
for students who are disabled.
The policy of nondiscrimination extends to all legally
protected classifications. Publication of this policy is in accordance
with state and federal laws, including Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972 and Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973.
Inquiries should be directed to the Assistant Superintendent's office at Peters Township School District , 631 East McMurray Road, McMurray, PA 15317.
Secondary Transition for Students with Disabilities
Transition is the process of preparing students for life after they leave high school including successful participation in post-secondary education or training, employment, and community living. These three areas are often referred to as "post-school outcomes" and are the driving force behind IEPS written for students in high school. Transition planning can begin in middle or early high school as students explore what they want their post-outcomes to be through career awareness and career exploration activities. It continues through high school as instruction supports these outcomes. During the course of transition planning, families are provided with information about community agencies such as the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Office of Mental Health/Mental Retardation. These agencies and others, may be able to assist students after they leave high school. For additional informational regarding Transition Planning, please contact the Special Education Supervisor.
Special Education Student Records
Special education records are destroyed following the expiration of 6 years after a student attains the age of 21. At that point, all education records pertaining to a student are deemed to be unnecessary for the provision of education services or any other school purpose. If you would like a copy of your child’s records, you must request a copy prior to the predetermined date for destruction by contacting the Director of Pupil Services.