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Early Intervention
The IDEA ’97 requires
the provision of a
free appropriate
public education to
children with
disabilities between
3 years of age and
the school district’s
age of beginners. In
Pennsylvania, a child
between 3 years of
age and the school
district’s age of
beginners who has a
developmental delay
or one or more of the
physical or mental
disabilities listed
above may be
identified as an
"eligible young
child".
Eligible young
children are afforded
the rights of school
age children with
disabilities,
including screening,
evaluations,
individualized
education program
planning, and
provision of
appropriate programs
and services. The
Pennsylvania
Department of
Education is
responsible for
providing programs
and services to
eligible young
children under Act
212 of 1990, the
Early Intervention
Services System Act.
The Tuscarora
Intermediate Unit (IU)
11 provides programs
and services to
eligible young
children on behalf of
the Pennsylvania
Department of
Education. For more
information, contact
IU 11 at 814-542-2501
or 717-899-7143.
Screening
The Tuscarora
Intermediate Unit 11
and the Mifflin
County School
District have
established and
implemented
procedures to locate,
identify, and
evaluate students and
young children
suspected of having a
disability. These
procedures include
screening activities
which include but are
not limited to:
review of group-based
data (cumulative
records, enrollment
records, health
records, and report
cards); hearing
screening (at a
minimum of
kindergarten, special
ungraded classes,
first, second, third,
seventh, and eleventh
grades); vision
screening (every
grade level); motor
screening; and speech
and language
screening. At the
elementary and middle
school level, the
above screening
activities may lead
to consideration by
the pre-referral team
to move to the next
level of screening
activity. The
screenings are
conducted at specific
times during the
school year in
designated school
buildings. Parents,
guardians or
surrogate parents may
contact their
school’s principal or
Tuscarora
Intermediate Unit 11
contact person to
obtain specific about
the times and
locations of
screening activities.
Except as
indicated above or
otherwise announced
publicly, screening
activities take place
in an ongoing fashion
throughout the school
year. Screening is
conducted in the
student’s home school
unless other
arrangements are
necessary.
Evaluation
When screening
indicates that a
student may be a
child with a
disability, the
school district will
seek parental consent
to conduct an
evaluation.
Evaluation means
procedures used in
the determination of
whether a child has a
disability and the
nature and extent of
the special education
and related services
that the child needs.
The term means
procedures used
selectively with an
individual child and
do not mean basic
tests administered to
or procedures used
with all children.
This evaluation is
conducted by a
multidisciplinary
team (MDT) that
includes the parent
and a group of
qualified
professionals. The
process must be
conducted in
accordance with
specific timelines
and must include
protection-in-evaluation
procedures. For
example, tests and
procedures used as
part of the
evaluation may not be
racially or
culturally biased.
The evaluation
process results in a
written evaluation
report. This report
specifies a student’s
eligibility for
special education
based on the presence
of a disability and
the need for
specially designed
instruction. The
evaluation report
also makes
recommendations for
educational
programming. Once
parental consent for
evaluation is
obtained, the school
district has
timelines and
procedures specified
by law which it must
follow.
Parents who their
think child is
exceptional may
request, at any time,
that the school
district conduct an
evaluation. This
request should be
made in writing to
the contact person in
the accompanying
listing. If a parent
makes an oral request
for an evaluation,
the school district
shall provide the
parent with a form
for that purpose.
Pre-referral team
activities do not
serve as a bar to the
right of a parent to
request, at any time,
including prior to or
during the conduct on
instructional support
activities, an
evaluation.
Parents also have
the right to obtain
an independent
educational
evaluation. The
school district must
provide to parents,
on request,
information about
where an independent
educational
evaluation may be
obtained. Under
certain
circumstances, such
an independent
educational
evaluation may be
obtained at public
request.
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Educational Placement
The IEP team must
include at least two
members in addition
to the parent(s).
Other required
members include at
least one regular
education teacher of
the child (if the
child is, or may be,
participating in the
regular education
environment), at
least one special
education teacher, or
where appropriate, at
least on special
education provider,
and a representative
of the school
district. The IEP
team develops a
written education
plan called an IEP.
The IEP shall be
based on the results
of the evaluation.
An IEP describes a
student’s current
educational levels,
goals, objectives,
and the
individualized
programs and services
that the student will
receive. IEPs are
reviewed on an annual
basis. The IEP team
will make decisions
about the type of
services, the level
of intervention, and
the location of
intervention. Types
of services include:
-
Autistic support
-
Blind and
Visually Impaired
Support
-
Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Support
-
Emotional Support
-
Learning Support
-
Life Skills
Support
-
Multiple
Disabilities
Support
-
Physical Support
-
Speech and
Language Support
Level of support
options include:
-
Itinerant –
Regular classroom
instruction for
most of the
school day
-
Resource –
Special education
provided in a
resource room for
part of the day
-
Part-time –
Outside the
regular classroom
but in a regular
school for most
of the day
-
Full-time special
education class
located in or
outside of a
regular school
Placement must be
made in the least
restrictive
environment in which
the student’s needs
can be met with
special education and
related services. All
students with
disabilities must be
educated to the
maximum extent
appropriate with
children who are not
disabled.
Services for
Protected Handicapped
Students in
Accordance with
Section 504 – The
Rehabilitation Act of
1973
Students who are
not eligible to
receive special
education programs
and services may
qualify as protected
handicapped students
and therefore be
protected by other
deferral and state
laws intended to
prevent
discrimination. The
school district must
ensure that protected
handicapped students
have equal
opportunity to
participate in the
school program and
extracurricular
activities to the
maximum extent
appropriate for each
individual student.
In compliance with
state and federal
law, the 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 that
substantially limits
or prohibits
participation in or
access to an aspect
of the school
program.
These services and
protections for
"protected
handicapped students"
may be distinct from
those applicable to
exceptional or
thought-to-be
students. The school
district or the
parent may initiate
an evaluation if they
believe a student is
a protected
handicapped student.
For further
information on the
evaluation procedures
and provision of
services to protected
handicapped students,
parents should
contact Ms. Tracey M.
Jones, Director of
Special Education, at
717-248-0148
(extension 2).
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Confidentiality
Each school
district protects the
confidentiality of
personally
identifiable
information in
accordance with the
Family Educational
Rights and Privacy
Act of 1974 (FERPA)
and other applicable
federal and state
laws, policies, and
regulations.
Education records
means those records
that are directly
related to the
student, including
computer media and
videotape, which are
maintained by an
educational agency or
by a party acting for
the agency.
Educational agency,
for purposes of this
notice, means the
local school district
and/or the Tuscarora
Intermediate Unit 11.
For all students, the
educational agency
maintains education
records that include
but are not limited
to:
-
Personally
identifiable
information –
confidential
information that
includes, but is
not limited to,
the student’s
name, name of
parents and other
family members,
the address of
the student or
student’s family,
and personal
information or
personal
characteristics
which would make
the student’s
identity easily
traceable.
-
Directory
information –
information
contained in an
educational
record of a
student which
would not
generally be
considered
harmful or an
invasion of
privacy if
disclosed. It
includes, but is
not limited to,
the student’s
name, address,
telephone number,
date and place of
birth, major
field of study,
participation in
officially
recognized
activities and
sports, weight
and height of
members of
athletic teams,
dates of
attendance,
degrees and
awards received,
and the most
recent previous
educational
agency or
institution
attended.
The Family
Educational Rights
and Privacy Act (FERPA)
affords parents and
students over 18
years of age certain
rights with respect
to the student’s
education records.
They are:
-
Parents have
the right to
inspect and
review a child’s
educational
record. The
school district
will comply with
a request to
inspect and
review education
records without
unnecessary delay
and before any
meeting regarding
an IEP or any due
process hearing,
but in no case
more than 45 days
after the request
has been made.
Requests should
be submitted in
writing,
indicating the
records that
parents wish to
inspect, to the
school principal
or other
appropriate
school official.
Parents have the
right to a
response from the
school district
to reasonable
requests for
explanations and
interpretations
of the records.
Parents have the
right to request
copies of the
records. While
the district
cannot charge a
fee to search for
or to retrieve
information, it
may charge a
copying fee as
long as it does
not effectively
prevent the
parents from
exercising their
right to inspect
and review the
records. Parents
have the right to
appoint a
representative to
inspect and
review their
child’s records.
If any education
record contains
information on
more than one
child, parents
have the right
only to inspect
and review the
information
relating to their
child.
-
If parents
think information
in an education
record is
inaccurate,
misleading, or
violates the
privacy or other
rights of their
child, they may
request amendment
of the record.
Requests should
be in writing and
clearly identify
the part of the
record they want
changed, and
specify why it is
inaccurate or
misleading. The
school district
will decide
whether or not to
amend the record
and will notify
the parents in
writing of its
decision. If the
school district
refuses to amend
a record, it will
notify the
parents of their
right to a
hearing to
challenge the
disputed
information.
Additional
information
regarding the
hearing
procedures will
be provided to
the parents or
student when
notified of the
right to a
hearing.
The school
district will
inform parents
when personally
identifiable
information is no
longer needed to
provide
educational
services to a
child. Such
information must
be destroyed at
the request of
the parents.
Parents have a
right to receive
a copy of the
material to be
destroyed.
However, a
permanent record
of a student’s
name, address,
and telephone
numbers, his or
her grades,
attendance
record, classes
attended, grade
level completed,
and year
completed may be
maintained
without time
limitation.
"Destruction" of
records means
physical
destruction or
removal of
personal
identifiers from
information so
that the
information is no
longer personally
identifiable.
The school
district will
provide, upon
request, a
listing of the
types and
locations of
education records
maintained, the
school officials
responsible for
these records,
and the school
personnel
authorized to see
personally
identifiable
information. Such
personnel receive
training and
instruction
regarding
confidentiality.
The school
district keeps a
record of parties
obtaining access
to education
records,
including the
name of the
party, the date
access was given,
and the purpose
for which the
party is
authorized to use
the records.
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Parents have
the right to
consent to
disclosures of
personally
identifiable
information
contained in the
student’s
education
records, except
to the extent
that FERPA
authorizes
disclosure
without consent.
"Consent" means:
the parent(s)
have been fully
informed
regarding the
activity
requiring
consent, in their
native language
or other mode of
communication;
they understand
and agree in
writing to the
activity; and
they understand
that consent is
voluntary and may
be revoked at any
time. Information
may be disclosed
without consent
to school
officials with
legitimate
educational
interests. A
school official
is a person
employed by the
District as an
administrator,
supervisor,
instructor, or
support staff
member (including
health or medical
staff and law
enforcement unit
personnel);
person or company
with whom the
District has
contracted to
perform a special
task (such as an
attorney,
auditor, medical
consultant, or
therapist) or a
parent or student
serving on an
official
committee, such
as a disciplinary
or grievance
committee, or
assisting another
school official
in performing his
or her tasks. 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.
Directory
information may
be released
without parent
consent. Parents
have the right to
refuse to let an
agency designate
any or all of the
above information
as directory
information.
Upon request,
the District
discloses
education records
without consent
to officials of
another school
district in which
a student seeks
or intends to
enroll.
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Parents have
a right to file a
complaint with
the U.S.
Department of
Education
concerning
alleged failures
by the District
to comply with
the requirements
of FERPA.
Complaints may be
filed with the
Family Policy
Compliance
Office, U.S.
Department of
Education, 400
Maryland Avenue,
S.W., Washington,
D.C. 20202-4605.
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Mode of Communication
The
content of this
notice has been
written in
straightforward,
simple language. If a
person does not
understand any of
this notice, he or
she should contact
the school district
or Intermediate Unit
11 and request an
explanation.
The
school district will
arrange for an
interpreter for
parents with limited
English proficiency.
If a parent is deaf
or blind or has no
written language, the
school district will
arrange for
communication of this
notice in the mode
normally used by the
parent (e.g., sign
language, Braille, or
oral communication).
The
Tuscarora
Intermediate Unit 11
and the participating
school districts will
not discriminate in
their educational
programs, activities,
or employment
practices, based on
race, color, national
origin, gender,
sexual orientation,
disability, age,
religion, ancestry,
union membership, or
any other legally
protected
classification.
Announcement of this
policy is in
accordance with state
and federal laws,
including Title IX of
the Education
Amendments of 1972,
Sections 503 and 504
of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, and the
Americans with
Disabilities Act of
1990. For information
regarding civil
rights, grievance
procedures, services,
activities, programs
and facilities that
are accessible to and
usable by handicapped
persons, contact the
Intermediate Unit 11
Office or Tracey M.
Jones, Director of
Special Education for
the Mifflin County
School District, at
717-248-0148
(extension 2).
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