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Special Education

Overview

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is federal legislation that provides free appropriate public education (FAPE) to eligible students with disabilities.  To be deemed eligible for special education services, a student must: 

Meet the criteria of one of 13 disability categories defined by IDEA

AND 

Require specially designed instruction to receive educational benefit

The 13 disability categories defined by IDEA include: 

  • Intellectual disability (updated in 2010 by Rosa’s Law to replace mental retardation)
  • Hearing impairment
  • Speech or language impairment,
  • Visual impairment (including blindness)
  • Emotional disturbance
  • Orthopedic impairment
  • Autism
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Other health impairment
  • Specific learning disability
  • Deafness
  • Deaf-blindness
  • Multiple disabilities

Learn more about IDEA here.

Evaluation and Special Education Services

Students in Pennsylvania are provided special education services in accordance with IDEA and Chapter 14 of Pennsylvania School Code.  Students can be referred for evaluation for special education services by parents or teachers. If you want your child to be evaluated for special education services, please make a request to your child’s school, which can be directed to your child’s teacher, guidance counselor or building administrator. The request can also be made verbally or in writing to a school professional. 

The evaluation process begins after prior written consent for the evaluation is received from parents.  The process can take 60 calendar days and results in an evaluation report (ER) outlining the specific evaluation results.  This flowchart shows the general steps of the evaluation process.   If deemed eligible for special education services, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be developed within 30 calendar days of the evaluation report. Prior to the provision of services and with any proposed change in identification, evaluation or placement, you will receive prior written notice in the form of a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP).  

After the initial identification of eligibility for special education services, IDEA and Chapter 14 of Pennsylvania School Code require re-evaluations and reevaluation reports (RR) every 3 years (or 2 years if a student has an intellectual disability). IEPs must be rewritten annually.  Additional procedural timelines for special education processes and procedures can be found here

IEP Team

The IEP team makes all educational decisions for a student eligible for special education services. The IEP team includes the parent, regular education teacher, special education teacher and local education agency (LEA) representative, and others as appropriate.  Other team members might include the student, related service providers or someone capable of interpreting evaluation results, such as a psychologist. 

Parent/Family Resources

Links to legislation, sample forms and resources are embedded in the information below.  Additional parent resources can be accessed below. Please contact your child’s teacher, school counselor, building administrator or the district director of special education for assistance.  

  • Procedural Safeguards offer parents an overview of their special education rights under IDEA.   
  • PATTAN (The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) website for special education information and resources) offers family support, resources, and sample special education forms.  
  • PDE’s  Basic Education Circulars offer helpful summaries and clarification of legal requirements with respect to various educational issues.  
  • Education Law Center:  www.elc-pa.org or 215-238-6970
  • Disability Rights Network and Helpline: 1-800-692-7443
  • Right to Education Taskforce This padlet includes resources and presentations for parents on various special education topics.

Educational Placements

Educational placement decisions are made by the IEP team. The CVSD provides a continuum of special education placement options designed to educate eligible students in the least restrictive environment. CVSD also partners with other educational service agencies to provide opportunities both within the school district and outside of the district to support more specialized needs. Some special education programs from which students access support, interventions, or instruction based on their IEP include: 

  • Learning Support (K-12)
  • Foundations (Intensive Learning Support, K-12)
  • Connections (Emotional Support, K-12)
  • Community (Life Skills Support, K-12)
  • Expressions (Autistic Support (K-8)
  • Itinerant Autistic Support (6-12) 
  • Out of district placements* 
    • Therapeutic Emotional Support
    • Multiple Disabilities Support 
    • Autistic Support
    • Transition Programming (Secondary students)
    • Center Based Autism
    • Center Based Emotional Support 

*These are a sampling of available placements and not an inclusive list.  All students placed outside of the CVSD continue to be CVSD students who are supported by the CVSD district to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE).  A local education agency (LEA) representative from the CVSD will attend all meetings as a member of the IEP team.  

Special Education & 504 Services

How are 504 services and special education similar and different? 

  • Both support students with disabilities. 504 supports a broader range of disabilities or conditions than special education. 
  • 504 services have less specific identification criteria while students have to meet specific criteria to be eligible for special education services. 
  • 504 plans are supported and implemented in general education. Special education services are managed by special education case managers but offered in general and/or special education. 
  • Both services must be provided at district expense and at no cost to parents or students.  
  • 504 plans are implemented via a written service agreement and special education services are described in individualized education programs (IEPs).  The format of 504 plans are developed at district discretion with typical components and IEPs are formatted at the state level with regulated components.