Baldwin-Whitehall School District District Administration 4900 Curry Road. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15236-1817 Telephone: 412-884-6300 FAX: 412-885-7802 www.bwschools.net Notice of Special Education Services & Programs Each school district, along with ofther public agencles in the commonwealth, must establish and implement procedures to identity, locate and evaluate al children who need special education programs and services because of the child's disability. This notice is to help find these children, offer assistance to parents, and describes the parents rights with regard to confidentiality of information that will be obtained during this process. The content of this notice has been written in English but can be translated into other languages. If a person does not understand any of this notice, he or she should contact the Pupil Services Department (412-885 7583) and request an explanation Identification Activities Baldwin-Whitehall School District provides tree, appropriate public educaton to eligible students To quality as an eligible student the child must be of school age, in need of specialy designed instruction and meet the eligibility criteria for one or more of the following physical or mental disabilities, as set forth in the Pennsyhrania State Regulations: Specfic Leaming Disabity, Emotionaly Disturbed Autism Penvasive Developmental Disorder, Blindness/Misual Impairment, Deal-bindness, Deaness. Hearing Impaiment, Intellectual Disability Multiple Disabilites Orthopedic Impairment. Neurological Impaiment Other Health Impaiment and Speech and Language Impairment. Information regarding the appropriate developmental milestone descriptors for infants and todders may be found at the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov or The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabites (NCHCY) website at www.parentcenterhub.org. ldentfication activites are perfonrmed to find a child who is suspected as having a disability that would interfere with his or her leaming 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 dificulty in behavior and determining the student's response to aempted remediation Input from parents is also an information source for identification Ater a child is idemtfied as a child with a possible disability, he or she is evaluated, but not before parents give permission for their child to be evaluated Confidentiality The school district maintains records conceming children enroled in the school district, including students with disabilities. All records are maintained in the strictest confidentiality Your consent or consent of an eligible child who has reached the age of majority under State law, must be obtained before personaly identifiable information is released, except as permited under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The age of majority in Pennsylvania is 21. Each participating agency must protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information at collection, storage. disclosure and destruction states. One official at each participating agency must assume responsibility for ensuring the contidentiality of any personaly identifiable information. For additional information related to student records, the parent can refer to the Eamily Education Rights and Priveg Act (FERPA This notice is only a summary of the Special Education services, evalustion and screening activities, and rights and protections pertaining to children with disabilitles, children thought to be disabled, and their parents. For more information or to request evaluation or screening of a public or private school child, contact: Marissa Galagher, Supervisor of Pupil Services, 412-885-7583, mgalagher@ bwschools.net Aparent may fle a witen complaint alleging that the rights described in this notice were not provided to: Pennsyvania Depatment of Education, Bureau of Special Education, Division of Compoliance, 333 Market Street Haisburg. PA 17126-0333. The Department of Education will investigate the matter and issue a report of findings and necessary corective action within 60 days. The Department will take necessary action to ensure compliance is achieved. Complaints alleging fakures of the school district with regard to confidentiality of personally identifiable information may also be filed with: Family Policy Complance Office, US. Department of Education, 400 Maryland A venue SW,Washington, D.C. 20202-4605 Services for Protected Handicapped Students (504) Students who are not eligible to receive special education programs and services may quality as protected handicapped students and. therefore, be protected by other federal and state laws intended to prevent discerimination. The school district must insure that protected handicapped students have an equal opportunity to participate in the school program and extracumicular activities to the maximum extent appropriate for the 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 extracuricular activities, to the maximum extent appropriate to the student's abilities. In order to quality as a protected handicapped student, the child must be of school-age with a physical or mental disability which substantially imits or prohibits participation in, or access to, an aspect of the school program Early Intervention Identification In Pennsyvania, a child between 3 years of age and the school district's age to begin school who has a developmental delay or one or more of the physical or mental conditions listed above is identified as an "eligible young child." The parents of these chidren have the same rights described above. The Pennsyvania Department of Education is responsible for providing programs and services to eligble young children under Act 212 of 1990, the Early Intervention Services System Act Screening for preschool children is available through the Allegheny Intermediate Unit #3. For more intormation, contact the Alegheny Intermedate Unit's Preschool Early Intereention DART Program at 412-394-5904. Susan Sams. Ph.D, Program Director, Phone: 412-394-5816, Email: susan sams@aiu3.net Educating Students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and English Learners (EL) The education of students whose dominant language is not English is the responsibility of every school district/charter school in Pennsyvania. English language learners must be enrolled upon presentaion of a local address and proof of immunization. The school districticharter school must administer a home language survey (HLS) to all students as required by the Office for Cvil Rghts (0CR The results of that survey must be retained in the students permanent foiider For those students whose primary language is other than English PHLOTE), the district must also determine the students English blanguage proficiency Then, i appropriate, ESL instruction will be provided for the limited English proficient student with localstate funds. The Baldwin-Whitehall School District will provide ongoing screening services.If you wish to leam more, have questions, or believe your child may need to be identified, please contact Marissa Gallagher, Supervisor of Pupl Services, 412-885-7583, mgallagher@bwschookls.net Services to Students Who Are Mentally Gifted n complance with state law the Baldwin-Whitehall School District provides services designed to meet the unique needs of gifted students. The Baldwin-Whitehall School District identifies "gifted students on a case-by-case basis based on state law and District. procedures Such students may possess superior 10 scores and met multiple criteria indicating gifted ability, Gifted ability is not determined by 10 score alone. Additional criteria include but are not imited to indicators of dassroom performance and grades standardized test scores, and teacher ratings. If your child is suspected to be in need of such services, you will be notfed of evaluation procedures. If you beleve your school-age child may qualty for gifted education services, you may contact in writing your child's principal or Brian D. Weles, Supervisor of Pupil Services, at any time to request determination of eligibility. An evaluation is conducted with parent permission. Please note that entitlement to gifted services indudes only those rights provided by Pennsyhrania law.Marissa Gallagher, Supervisor of Pupil Services, 412-885-7583, mgallagher@bwschools.net Baldwin-Whitehall School District District Administration 4900 Curry Road. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15236-1817 Telephone: 412-884-6300 FAX: 412-885-7802 www.bwschools.net Notice of Special Education Services & Programs Each school district, along with ofther public agencles in the commonwealth, must establish and implement procedures to identity, locate and evaluate al children who need special education programs and services because of the child's disability. This notice is to help find these children, offer assistance to parents, and describes the parents rights with regard to confidentiality of information that will be obtained during this process. The content of this notice has been written in English but can be translated into other languages. If a person does not understand any of this notice, he or she should contact the Pupil Services Department (412-885 7583) and request an explanation Identification Activities Baldwin-Whitehall School District provides tree, appropriate public educaton to eligible students To quality as an eligible student the child must be of school age, in need of specialy designed instruction and meet the eligibility criteria for one or more of the following physical or mental disabilities, as set forth in the Pennsyhrania State Regulations: Specfic Leaming Disabity, Emotionaly Disturbed Autism Penvasive Developmental Disorder, Blindness/Misual Impairment, Deal-bindness, Deaness. Hearing Impaiment, Intellectual Disability Multiple Disabilites Orthopedic Impairment. Neurological Impaiment Other Health Impaiment and Speech and Language Impairment. Information regarding the appropriate developmental milestone descriptors for infants and todders may be found at the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov or The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabites (NCHCY) website at www.parentcenterhub.org. ldentfication activites are perfonrmed to find a child who is suspected as having a disability that would interfere with his or her leaming 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 dificulty in behavior and determining the student's response to aempted remediation Input from parents is also an information source for identification Ater a child is idemtfied as a child with a possible disability, he or she is evaluated, but not before parents give permission for their child to be evaluated Confidentiality The school district maintains records conceming children enroled in the school district, including students with disabilities. All records are maintained in the strictest confidentiality Your consent or consent of an eligible child who has reached the age of majority under State law, must be obtained before personaly identifiable information is released, except as permited under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The age of majority in Pennsylvania is 21. Each participating agency must protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information at collection, storage. disclosure and destruction states. One official at each participating agency must assume responsibility for ensuring the contidentiality of any personaly identifiable information. For additional information related to student records, the parent can refer to the Eamily Education Rights and Priveg Act (FERPA This notice is only a summary of the Special Education services, evalustion and screening activities, and rights and protections pertaining to children with disabilitles, children thought to be disabled, and their parents. For more information or to request evaluation or screening of a public or private school child, contact: Marissa Galagher, Supervisor of Pupil Services, 412-885-7583, mgalagher@ bwschools.net Aparent may fle a witen complaint alleging that the rights described in this notice were not provided to: Pennsyvania Depatment of Education, Bureau of Special Education, Division of Compoliance, 333 Market Street Haisburg. PA 17126-0333. The Department of Education will investigate the matter and issue a report of findings and necessary corective action within 60 days. The Department will take necessary action to ensure compliance is achieved. Complaints alleging fakures of the school district with regard to confidentiality of personally identifiable information may also be filed with: Family Policy Complance Office, US. Department of Education, 400 Maryland A venue SW,Washington, D.C. 20202-4605 Services for Protected Handicapped Students (504) Students who are not eligible to receive special education programs and services may quality as protected handicapped students and. therefore, be protected by other federal and state laws intended to prevent discerimination. The school district must insure that protected handicapped students have an equal opportunity to participate in the school program and extracumicular activities to the maximum extent appropriate for the 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 extracuricular activities, to the maximum extent appropriate to the student's abilities. In order to quality as a protected handicapped student, the child must be of school-age with a physical or mental disability which substantially imits or prohibits participation in, or access to, an aspect of the school program Early Intervention Identification In Pennsyvania, a child between 3 years of age and the school district's age to begin school who has a developmental delay or one or more of the physical or mental conditions listed above is identified as an "eligible young child." The parents of these chidren have the same rights described above. The Pennsyvania Department of Education is responsible for providing programs and services to eligble young children under Act 212 of 1990, the Early Intervention Services System Act Screening for preschool children is available through the Allegheny Intermediate Unit #3. For more intormation, contact the Alegheny Intermedate Unit's Preschool Early Intereention DART Program at 412-394-5904. Susan Sams. Ph.D, Program Director, Phone: 412-394-5816, Email: susan sams@aiu3.net Educating Students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and English Learners (EL) The education of students whose dominant language is not English is the responsibility of every school district/charter school in Pennsyvania. English language learners must be enrolled upon presentaion of a local address and proof of immunization. The school districticharter school must administer a home language survey (HLS) to all students as required by the Office for Cvil Rghts (0CR The results of that survey must be retained in the students permanent foiider For those students whose primary language is other than English PHLOTE), the district must also determine the students English blanguage proficiency Then, i appropriate, ESL instruction will be provided for the limited English proficient student with localstate funds. The Baldwin-Whitehall School District will provide ongoing screening services.If you wish to leam more, have questions, or believe your child may need to be identified, please contact Marissa Gallagher, Supervisor of Pupl Services, 412-885-7583, mgallagher@bwschookls.net Services to Students Who Are Mentally Gifted n complance with state law the Baldwin-Whitehall School District provides services designed to meet the unique needs of gifted students. The Baldwin-Whitehall School District identifies "gifted students on a case-by-case basis based on state law and District. procedures Such students may possess superior 10 scores and met multiple criteria indicating gifted ability, Gifted ability is not determined by 10 score alone. Additional criteria include but are not imited to indicators of dassroom performance and grades standardized test scores, and teacher ratings. If your child is suspected to be in need of such services, you will be notfed of evaluation procedures. If you beleve your school-age child may qualty for gifted education services, you may contact in writing your child's principal or Brian D. Weles, Supervisor of Pupil Services, at any time to request determination of eligibility. An evaluation is conducted with parent permission. Please note that entitlement to gifted services indudes only those rights provided by Pennsyhrania law.Marissa Gallagher, Supervisor of Pupil Services, 412-885-7583, mgallagher@bwschools.net