Notice of Student Services

a year ago

In compliance with state and federal law, the Valley View School District has developed policies to insure FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) to all school-age children residing within the district’s boundaries. 

The Valley View School District provides no-cost screening to children residing within the Valley View School District, who are suspected of having a disability that would interfere with his/her academic progress. Parents/guardians who suspect their child to be in need of specially designed instruction or related services under IDEA, may request a screening or evaluation at any time by contacting any of the Valley View School District administrators.

The screening procedure may include, but not be limited to the following:

  • ·         Existing classroom data/record review.
  • ·         Cumulative educational records.
  • ·         Enrollment/attendance records.
  • ·         Ability/achievement scores.
  • ·         Vision and hearing screening.
  • ·         Participation in Child Study.
  • ·         Medical records review.
  • ·         Observation of classroom behavior.
  • ·         Reports/recommendations released by the parent/guardian from outside agencies.

The evaluation process, which will not proceed without parental consent, will include data collected through the screening process along with a multi-disciplinary evaluation. The multi-disciplinary team (MDT) may consist of the following:


Parent / Guardian

School Psychologist

Teacher(s)

Administration

Guidance Counselor

Speech/Language Pathologist

Occupational Therapist

Physical Therapist

Other Staff as Necessray            

 

Results of the evaluation are reviewed by the MDT to determine if the child qualifies as a in need of specially designed instruction under IDEA. Special Education services will be recommended through an annual development/review of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to those students who qualify under one or more of the following exceptionalities:

  • ·         Autism
  • ·         Deaf / Blindness
  • ·         Deafness
  • ·         Emotional Disturbance
  • ·         Hearing Impaired
  • ·         Intellectual Disability
  • ·         Multiple Disability
  • ·         Orthopedic Impairment
  • ·         Other Health Impaired
  • ·         Specific Learning Disability
  • ·         Speech/Language Impaired
  • ·         Traumatic Brain Injured
  • ·         Visual Impairment including Blindness

 

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Notice of Child Find

a year ago

Child find refers to activities undertaken by public education agencies to identify, locate, and evaluate children residing in the State, including children attending private schools, who are suspected of having disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disability, and determine the child's need for special education and related services. The purpose is to locate these children so that a free appropriate public education (FAPE) can be made available. The types of disabilities that if found cause a child to need services are: Autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment due to chronic or acute health problems, specific learning disabilities, speech or language, traumatic brain injury and visual impairment including blindness, and developmental delay for preschool age children. Developmental delay is defined as a child who is less than the age of beginners and at least 3 years of age is considered to have a developmental delay when one of the following exists; (i) The child’s score, on a developmental assessment device, on an assessment instrument which yields a score in months, indicates that the child is delayed by 25% of the child’s chronological age in one or more developmental areas. (ii) The child is delayed in one or more of the developmental areas, as documented by test performance of 1.5 standard deviations below the mean on standardized tests. Developmental areas include cognitive, communicative, physical, social/emotional and self-help. In addition, school age individuals with IEPs in correctional facilities are entitled to FAPE, as are “Gifted” students, within the Commonwealth. 

 

Each school district is required to annually provide notice describing the identification activities and the procedures followed to ensure confidentiality of personally identifiable information. This notice is intended to meet this requirement.

Identification activities are performed to find a child who is suspected as having a disability that would interfere with his or her learning unless special education programs and services are made available. These activities are sometimes called screening activities. The activities include: Review of group data, conducting hearing and vision screening, assessment of student's academic functioning, observation of the student displaying difficulty in behavior and determining the student's response to attempted remediation. Input from parents is also an information source for identification. Parents who suspect their child is eligible for special education services and programs may request an evaluation at any time through a written request to the building principal. After a child is identified as a suspected child with a disability, he or she is evaluated, but is not evaluated before parents give permission for their child to be evaluated.

 

 

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Notice of Early Intervention Services

a year ago

Children age three through the age of admission to first grade are also eligible if they have developmental delays and, as a result, need Special Education and related services.


Developmental delay is defined as a child who is less than the age of beginners and at least 3 years of age and is considered to have a developmental delay when one of the following exists: (i) The child’s score, on a developmental assessment device, on an assessment instrument which yields a score in months, indicates that the child is delayed by 25% of the child’s chronological age in one or more developmental areas. (ii) The child is delayed in one or more of the developmental areas, as documented by test performance of 1.5 standard deviations below the mean on standardized tests.


Developmental areas include cognitive, communicative, physical, social/emotional and self-help. For additional information you may contact Kelly Dickey, NEIU Early Intervention Supervisor at (570) 876-9255.  

 

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Notice of Gifted Education Services

a year ago

 

In compliance with Title 22 PA Code Chapter 16, the Valley View School District conducts ongoing screenings/evaluations of students who may qualify for gifted education. The screening/evaluation process includes, but is not limited to: 

·        

  • ·         IQ score
  • ·         Achievement/ability scores
  • ·         Rate of Acquisition/Retention
  • ·         Demonstrated Achievement
  • ·         Early Skill Development
  • ·         Intervening Factors Masking Giftedness
  • ·         Parent/guardian/school input

 

If a parent/guardian believes that a school age child may be in need of specially designed instruction, a written request may be submitted to the Valley View School District. An evaluation will be completed upon receipt of a signed Permission to Evaluate.

Upon completion of a comprehensive evaluation, if the child meets the eligibility requirements, the Gifted MDT will convene to develop a Gifted Individualized Education Program (GIEP).

 

 

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Notice of Chapter 15 Section 504 Service Agreement Services

a year ago

In compliance with state and federal law, the Valley View school district will provide to each protected handicapped student without discrimination or cost to the student or family, those related aids, services or accommodations which are needed to provide equal opportunity to participate in and obtain the benefits of the school program and extracurricular activities to the maximum extent appropriate to the student's abilities. In order to qualify as a protected handicapped student the child must be of school age with a physical or mental disability which substantially limits or prohibits participation in or access to an aspect of the school program. 


These services and protections for "protected handicapped students" are distinct from those applicable to all eligible students enrolled (or seeking enrollment) in special education programs.  


For further information on the evaluation procedures and provisions of services to protected handicapped students, contact the VVSD District Office or building administration. 

 

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Provision of Related Services Including Psychological Counseling

a year ago

The Valley View School District provides psychological services to students with a disability as a related service in order to help the child benefit from special education.  

 

The need can be identified through the comprehensive evaluation or by the IEP team.  The need for psychological service is added to the IEP in the related service section, noting the specific type, frequency and duration.  Data collection and progress monitoring is used to assess the impact of the psychological counseling.

 

Psychological counseling within the Valley View School District is conducted by the school psychologist.

 

The above mentioned services are provided at no cost to the parents at any time.

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Confidentiality

a year ago

A written record of the results are called an education record, which are directly related to your child and are maintained by the school district. These records are personally identifiable to your child. Personally identifiable information includes the child's name, the name of the child's parents or other family member, the address of the child or their family, a personal identifier such as social security number, a list of characteristics that would make the child's identity easily traceable or other information that would make the child's identity easily traceable.

The school district will gather information regarding your child's physical, mental, emotional and health functioning through testing and assessment, observation of your child, as well as through review of any records made available to the school district through your physician and other providers of services such as day care agencies.

The school district protects the confidentiality of personally identifiable information by one school official being responsible for ensuring the confidentiality of the records; training being provided to all persons using the information and; maintaining for public inspection a current list of employees names and positions who may have access to the information.

The school district will inform you when this information is no longer needed to provide educational services to your child and will destroy the information at the request of the parent, except general information such as your child's name, address, phone number, grades, attendance record and classes attended, grade level completed, may be maintained without time limitation.

As the parent of the child you have a number of rights regarding the confidentiality of your child's records. The right to inspect and review any education records related to your child at are collected, maintained, or used by the school district. The school district will comply with a request for you to review the records without unnecessary delay and before any meeting regarding planning for your child's special education program (called an IEP meeting), before a hearing should you and your school district disagree about how to educate your child who needs special education, and in no case, take more than 45 days to furnish you the opportunity to inspect and review your child's records.

You have the right to an explanation and interpretations of the records; to be provided copies of the records if failure to provide the copies would effectively prevent you from exercising your right to inspect and review the records and; the right to have a representative inspect and review the records.

Upon your request, the school district will provide you a list of the types and location of education records collected, maintained, or used by the agency. [Editor note: if a district will charge a fee, then the following two sentences are necessary; if the district will not charge any fees, then this sentence is unnecessary] Additionally, the school district will charge a fee for copies of records made in response to your request for copies except it will not charge a fee if doing so will prevent you from inspecting and reviewing your child's records. The district will not charge a fee to search or retrieve information. 

You have the right to request the amendment of your child's education records that you believe are inaccurate or misleading, or violates the privacy or other rights of your child. The school district will decide whether to amend the records within a reasonable time of receipt of your request. If the school district refuses to amend the records you will be notified of the refusal and your right to a hearing. You will be given at that time, additional information regarding the hearing procedures and; upon request, the district will provide you a records hearing to challenge information in your child's education files.

Parent consent is required before personally identifiable information contained in your child's education records is disclosed to anyone other than officials of the school district collecting or using the information for purposes of identification of your child, locating your child and evaluating your child or for any other purpose of making available a free appropriate public education to your child. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Additionally, the school district, upon request, discloses records without consent to officials of another school district in which your child seeks or intends to enroll.

When a child reaches age 18, the rights of the parent with regard to confidentiality of personally identifiable information is transferred to the student.  A parent may file a written complaint alleging that the rights described in this notice were not provided:

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Bureau of Special Education

Division of Compliance

333 Market Street

Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333

The Department of Education will investigate the matter, issue a report of findings and necessary corrective action within 60 days. The Department will take necessary action to ensure compliance is achieved.

Complaints alleging failures of the school district with regard to confidentiality of personally identifiable information may also be filed with:

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20202-4605

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