Parent Guide to Special Education

Is your child having difficulty in school?
Has your child been identified as needing
special education services?

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY

Your child may be eligible for special education if:

• your child has a physical, sensory, mental or emotional disability and
• needs special education (specially designed instruction) as determined by an evaluation team.

Your child must meet both qualifications in order to be eligible for special education. In Pennsylvania, all children eligible for special education have the right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

THE EVALUATION

The evaluation process gathers the information that will be used to determine if your child needs Special Education and, if so, the types of programs and services needed. Your child may be evaluated by a school psychologist. The evaluation must also include input from a therapist if certain related services, such as physical or occupational therapy, may be needed. You must give consent for an evaluation to occur. A “Permission to Evaluate” form will be provided for you to review, describing what testing procedures will occur, along with a ”Procedural Safeguards” Notice.

A child may be referred for an evaluation in several ways:

• You may ask your school to evaluate your child for special education at any time. This can be done by sending a letter to the principal of your child’s school.
• The school may also contact you and must ask permission to have your child evaluated.

WHAT THE EVALUATION WILL INCLUDE

All evaluations must include a review of the testing and assessments that were conducted, information from the parents, classroom observations and the observations and/or assessment data from teachers and/or related service personnel.

An evaluation team reviews all materials and writes a report called an Evaluation Report (ER) that tells if your child has a disability and if your child needs special education. It may recommend the type of programs and services your child needs. The ER may state that your child is not eligible and does not need special education services. The entire evaluation process must be completed within 60 calendar days from the date of consent on the “Permission to Evaluate” form.

Students with disabilities who need special education must receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that will review all the evaluation material.

YOUR CHILD’S INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP)

An IEP team writes the Individualized Education Program (IEP). This plan will be written at a meeting and will include a description of all of the programs and services necessary to help your child be successful. As a parent, you are an IEP team member. It is important that you attend these meetings. The IEP meeting is to be scheduled at a time and place that is mutually agreed upon by you and the school district.

The IEP must be completed within 30 calendar days after the evaluation team issues its Evaluation Report. The IEP plan must be put into action, if you agree, as soon as possible, but no later than 10 school days after the IEP is completed.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you are interested in finding out more about the special education process, please speak with your child’s principal. For additional information, feel free to contact the Office of Special Education at the Bethlehem Area School District.

By Telephone: (610) 868-8268

Bethlehem Area School District
Special Education Dept.
1516 Sycamore Street
Bethlehem PA 18017-6099

Map

Richard T. Agretto
Director of Special Education

Caroline Nelson
Secretary

Ravi Singh
SBAP Coordinator

Claire M. Hogan at
Clearview Elementary School
Supervisor of Elem Special Ed

David E. Brown
Educational Support Teacher

Linda M. Oplinger
Secretary

Cynthia S. Leshinsky at Northeast Middle School
Supervisor of MS Special Ed

A.J. Kise, Jr.
Educational Support Teacher

Tammy L. Snow
Secretary

Peter G. Carfagno
Supervisor of HS Special Ed

Brenda Solitario
Educational Support Teacher

Joyce M. Rose
Secretary