Director of Special Education
Special Education
Welcome to the Special Education Department. We know how challenging it can be for parents to find resources to help their child with special needs succeed in school. We also know that there are so many rights, rules, regulations, forms, and jargon, it can be intimidating for parents and difficult to understand everything that is going on.
Our goal is to provide you answers and resources to help make your experience with your child a positive one. If you ever have any questions about the services your child receives, or if you feel your child should be receiving services, please give us a call. We are always happy to help you.
Screening and Evaluation
Glendale School District uses the following procedures for allocating, identifying, and evaluating specific needs of school-age students requiring special programs or services. The district routinely conducts screening of a child’s hearing acuity in the following grades: kindergarten, 1st, 2nd ,3rd, 7th and 11th. Visual acuity is screened in every grade. Speech and language skills are screened for all students entering kindergarten and on a referral basis. Gross motor and fine-motor skills, academic skills, and social-emotional skills are assessed by classroom teachers on an ongoing basis. Specified needs from all of these screening sources are noted within the child’s official file. School records are always open and available to parents and only to school officials who have legitimate “need to know” information about the child. Information from the records is released to other persons or agencies only with appropriate authorization that involves written signed permission by parents.
Parents with concerns regarding their child may contact building principals at any time to request a screening or evaluation of their child. Communication with parents and exceptional students shall be in English or the native language of the parents. When a parent orally requests an evaluation, the local educational agency (LEA) will issue the Permission to Evaluate-Evaluation Request form to the parent within 10 calendar days. When a parent presents a written request for an evaluation, if the LEA agrees to evaluate as requested, the LEA will provide the Permission to Evaluate Consent form and Notice of Recommended Educational Placement/Prior Written Notice (NOREP/PWN) form to the parent within a reasonable amount of time, generally 10 calendar days upon the request.
Screening information will be used by the child study team 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 psychological evaluation, the school district will send a Permission to Evaluate Consent Form, which is to obtain informed parental permission to evaluate a child in order to determine eligibility and need for special education services. In addition, a Procedural Safeguards Notice will be sent, which is a full explanation of all of the rights available to parents of a child with a disability ages 3-21 when their child has been referred for or is receiving special education services.
After the evaluation is completed, an evaluation report will be compiled with parent involvement and include specific recommendations for the types of interventions necessary to provide the best educational programming to meet the child’s specific needs. A copy of the evaluation report will be presented to the parent. If the child is determined to be eligible for special education services, the parents will be invited to an IEP meeting. An individualized evaluation plan (IEP) will be developed based on the evaluation report for specialized service for the student.
The required members of the IEP team are: The parent(s) or legal guardian of the student, a general education teacher, a special education teacher, a representative of the local education agency (LEA), School Psychologist (or someone who can explain the evaluation results (who may already be a member of the team)), the student at age 14 when planning will be done for life after graduation (or any time before that age when it is appropriate), a representative from a career and technical school if a career/technical program is being considered for the student. In addition, at the parents' request or that of the LEA, other people who know the student well or who have worked with the student. Also, Parents may bring an advocate to advise them or anyone else who will add information about the students' educational experience. If a mandated member of the IEP team is unable to attend, the IEP team may excuse them from the meeting if both the LEA and parent/guardian agree in writing. This is done via the Parental Consent to Excuse Members from Attending the IEP Team Meeting form. The IEP team will then review the written input from that member at the meeting. Although, not required, there are many other members who may provide valuable input at the meeting. These individuals may include, but are not limited to: An administrator, a social worker, a psychologist, a nurse, related service providers, other agency representatives, and any other individuals that parents would like to invite to the IEP meeting.
Parents are an integral part of the IEP team and we value their input and contributions to the education of their student. The district will make every effort to insure parent participation. The district will notify the parents in writing, make documental phone calls, and any other necessary accommodations, to make parents aware of the IEP meeting and the need for parent participation. Parents are then presented with a notice of recommended educational placement (NOREP) with which they may agree or disagree. If parents disagree with the program being recommended the issue may be taken to mediation or a due process hearing
Local and State Task Force Information
State and local task forces exist to serve as family resources and support groups. The Right to Education Consent Agreement of 1972 provided for the establishment of a Local Task Force (LTF) in each of the 29 Intermediate Unit regions to ensure that the intent and spirit of the agreement is carried out throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Although the initial intent of the LTF was to represent the needs and interests of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, today’s LTF has expanded its efforts to include all students with disabilities.
For more information or how to be involved with the State Task Force or the Local Task Force that is in the Central Intermediate Unit 10 region, please review these brochures:
Privacy Rights of Parents and Students
The school district and its employees are required by federal law and state and federal rules and regulations to protect the rights of students. Information about students cannot be disclosed without written parental consent.
Educational Records, Personally Identifiable Information, and Directory Information
Educational records consist of information directly related to a student which is maintained by an educational agency. Personally identifiable information includes the students name, the name of the parent or other family members, a personal identifier, or a list of personal characteristics that would make the student’s identity easily traceable. Educational records and personally identifiable information cannot be disclosed or released without written parent consent, or if a student is over eighteen, without student consent.
There is certain information that can be released without consent which is called directory information. Directory information means information contained in an education record of a student which would not generally be considered a harmful or an invasion of privacy, if disclosed. The school district designates what information is labeled as directory information. It shall include the following: The student’s name, address, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletics teams, dates of attendance, degrees of awards receive, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student. Disclosure of the information means to permit access to or the release, transfer, or other communication of educational records, or the personally identifiable information contained in these records, to any party, by any means, including oral, written, or electronic. This means that information about a student cannot even be shared in conversation without permission. This also applies to other personal who do not have an educationally relevant reason to possess knowledge of a student.
Written parental consent is necessary for disclosure of personally identifiable information and educational records. The consent must: (1) specify the record that may be disclosed; (2) state the purpose of a disclosure; (3) identify the part of class of parties to whom the disclosure may be made. Furthermore, the school district must maintain a written record of disclosure for the parents to inspect in case information has been released.
Fees: The Glendale School District may charge a fee for copies of records that are made for parents if the fee does not effectively prevent the parents from exercising their right to inspect and review those records. There will be a charge of .25 per copy for single documents and .30 per copy for multi-page documents.
Chapter 15 Protected Handicapped Students
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.
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 aides, 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. These services and protections for “protected handicapped student” are distinct from those applicable to all eligible or exceptional students enrolled (or seeking enrollment in special education programs).
The goal of Child Study of to provide a process whereby a committee of school personnel and non-school personnel, as appropriate, meet to address the needs of individual students who are having difficulty in the educational setting. The Child Study team will intervene in order to maintain the child in the regular classroom setting.
The goal of the student success team (SST) is to provide a process whereby a committee of school personnel and non-school personnel, as appropriate, meet to address the needs of individual students who are having difficulty in the educational setting. The SST will intervene in order to maintain the child in the regular education setting.
Disability Services: Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, or OVR, provides vocational rehabilitation services to help persons with disabilities prepare for, obtain, or maintain employment. OVR provides services to eligible individuals with disabilities, both directly and through a network of approved vendors. Services are provided on an individualized basis. The OVR counselor, during face-to-face interviews, assists customers in selecting their choice of vocational goals, services and service providers. An individualized plan for employment (IPE) is developed, outlining a vocational objective, services, providers, and responsibilities. Certain services are subject to a financial needs test (FNT) and may require financial participation by the customer. Counseling and guidance, diagnostic services, assessments, information and referral, job development and placement, and personal services such as readers or sign language interpreters are provided at no cost to the individual. Also, by law OVR customers receiving social security benefits for their disability (SSI, SSDI) are exempt from OVR’s financial needs test.
Contacts
Ashley Nixon, MRC, Rehabilitation
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
727 Goucher Street, Section 10
Johnstown, PA 15905
Phone: 1-800-762-4223
Lana Arnold, MSW, BSL - Early Reach Coordinator
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
727 Goucher Street, Section 10
Johnstown, PA 15905
Phone: 1-800-762-4223
Email Missy Franklin, LSW - Early Reach Coordinator
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
199 Beaver Drive
DuBois, PA 15801
Phone: (814) 371.7340
High School Informational Sheet
Email Amy Roberts, M.A., CRC - Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
199 Beaver Drive
DuBois, PA 15801
814-603-0743 (cell)
Gifted Education
Glendale School District offers gifted education for students of school age beyond second grade with an IQ of 130 or higher who meet established multiple criteria indicating gifted ability or a school-aged student with IQ lower than 130 when educational criteria strongly indicate gifted ability.
Gifted Education Eligibility
We understand that many people are responsible for your child’s education, so we give the following people the ability to refer a student for gifted education testing:
Parent/Legal Guardian
Teacher
Administrator
We will accept written or verbal requests for referral for evaluation.
Haley Strong
Special Education Programs
To meet the needs of eligible students, services are available in the following buildings which meet the needs of the entire district.
Glendale School District
1466 Beaver Valley Road
Flinton, PA 16640
Mr. Sean Gildea, Superintendent
814-687-3402
Mrs. Haley Strong, Special Education Supervisor
814-687-4263
Mrs. Kelley Goss,
Psychologist
814-687-5044
Mr. Rick Kozak,
High School Principal
814-687-4261
Mr. Gregg Mazenko, High School Assistant Principal
814-687-4261
Mrs. Jenny Williams, Elementary Principal
814-687-4263