Assessing Student Needs
Child Find
The District informs the public about special education through its website, brochures and posters provided by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU) and public notices placed by the MCIU in local newspapers. As part of our Child Find responsibilities, the District's School Age Transition Team (SATT) assesses the educational needs of students transitioning from early intervention programs and also consults with local pre-schools regarding the educational needs of incoming students. In addition, the educational needs of students attending District schools are monitored by each school's Achievement Team. These teams focus on meeting the educational needs of students within the general educational classroom with increasing intensity and frequency of general education supports as indicated by data. When data indicates the possible need for additional services and/or support, the parent is asked to provide signed informed consent so that the special education eligibility may be determined. Parents/guardians residing in the District also may request an evaluation to determine special education eligibility of their child attending one of our schools. This request must be in writing and submitted to a member of the professional staff of the school. Signed, informed parental consent subsequently will be requested by the school. Evaluations are completed within 60 days (excluding summer) by a multi-disciplinary team whose composition varies based on the identified area(s) of educational concern.
In addition to these Child Find activities, the District fulfills its Child Find responsibilities for students who reside within the boundaries of the District, but attend non-public schools. This process begins when a parent/guardian registers a child in the District and requests an evaluation of the child to determine special education eligibility. The Coordinator of Clinical Services subsequently contacts the parent/guardian to arrange a parent interview to determine the scope of the requested evaluation and obtain signed informed consent. The evaluation process is completed within the mandated 60 calendar days and will include observations by team members at the child's current educational setting, interviews with professionals who work with the student, a record review, and testing in the identified areas of educational concern. If the child is found to be eligible for special education services, an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) is developed by the IEP team including the parent/guardian and a Notice of Recommend Educational Placement (NOREP) is issued to provide the student a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).
School Age Transition Team (SATT)
The District informs the public about special education through its website, brochures and posters provided by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU) and public notices placed by the MCIU in local newspapers. As part of our Child Find responsibilities, the District's School Age Transition Team (SATT) assesses the educational needs of students transitioning from early intervention programs and also consults with local pre-schools regarding the educational needs of incoming students. In addition, the educational needs of students attending District schools are monitored by each school's Achievement Team. These teams focus on meeting the educational needs of students within the general educational classroom with increasing intensity and frequency of general education supports as indicated by data. When data indicates the possible need for additional services and/or support, the parent is asked to provide signed informed consent so that the special education eligibility may be determined. Parents/guardians residing in the District also may request an evaluation to determine special education eligibility of their child attending one of our schools. This request must be in writing and submitted to a member of the professional staff of the school. Signed, informed parental consent subsequently will be requested by the school. Evaluations are completed within 60 days (excluding summer) by a multi-disciplinary team whose composition varies based on the identified area(s) of educational concern.
In addition to these Child Find activities, the District fulfills its Child Find responsibilities for students who reside within the boundaries of the District, but attend non-public schools. This process begins when a parent/guardian registers a child in the District and requests an evaluation of the child to determine special education eligibility. The Coordinator of Clinical Services subsequently contacts the parent/guardian to arrange a parent interview to determine the scope of the requested evaluation and obtain signed informed consent. The evaluation process is completed within the mandated 60 calendar days and will include observations by team members at the child's current educational setting, interviews with professionals who work with the student, a record review, and testing in the identified areas of educational concern. If the child is found to be eligible for special education services, an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) is developed by the IEP team including the parent/guardian and a Notice of Recommend Educational Placement (NOREP) is issued to provide the student a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).
Diagnostics Kindergarten
The District has established a Diagnostic Kindergarten program at the Cynwyd School for school-aged students eligible for special education services at this level of support. This program provides a small learning environment in which staff continues to evaluate kindergarten age students with special needs to determine if special education services and supports are needed beyond this first year in a District setting. The nature and extent of the need for continued, specially-designed instruction is determined based on the student's progress. Eligible students attend the Diagnostic Kindergarten for half a school day and attend the general education kindergarten for the second half of the day. In the Diagnostic Kindergarten setting, the special education teacher and support staff pre-teach and review skills from the kindergarten curriculum.