Screening, Evaluation and Placement Procedures

 
The Slippery Rock Area School District uses the following procedures as required by law for locating, identifying, and evaluating the specialized needs of school-age students who may require special programs or services and identifying and evaluating specialized needs of school-age students who may require special programs or services. 

Routine Screenings and Assessments 

Classroom teachers continually assess: 

      1.  Gross motor and fine motor skills 
      2.   Academic skills 
      3.  Social emotional skills 

The district routinely conducts screening of: 

Children's hearing acuity (grades K, 1,2,3, 7 and 11) 
Visual acuity (all grade levels) 
Speech and language skills (kindergarten and teacher referral) 

Identified needs from all of these screening sources are noted within the child's official file.
 
  1. These school records are available to parents and to school staff who work with the child on a direct and indirect basis. 

  2. Information from the records is released to other persons or agencies only with an appropriate authorization which requires written signed permission by parents. 

    If Additional Support is Indicated 

    If a child needs additional intervention, the Child Study Team will convene to identify, implement and document interventions to address the child's area(s) of concern. 

    1.   Parents/guardians will be notified if their child is referred to Child Study and is encouraged to be an active participant in this process. 

    2.   If a child does not make progress with intervention, parents will be asked to give written permission for a multidisciplinary evaluation. (MDE) 

    3. The evaluation will be coordinated by the district school psychologist who will also participate in the evaluation process. 

    Evaluation Record 

    An Evaluation Report (ER) will be completed with parent involvement after all assessments are completed. 

    1. This Report will include specific recommendations on how to help the child as well as whether the child is eligible for any special education supports and services.
     
    2. Parents/guardians are then invited to participate in a meeting where the results of this multidisciplinary evaluation will be reviewed and an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) will be developed for those students who are eligible for special education services. 

    IEP 

    An Individual Education Plan (IEP), is a written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in accordance with this section and includes: 

    1. The child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. 

    2. How the disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education curriculum.
     
    3. Statement of transition services--required for students 14 years of age and older or as deemed appropriate by the IEP team. 

    4. A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to meet the child’s needs that result from the child’s disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum. 

    5. A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and 
    services, based on peer-reviewed research to be provided to the child or on behalf of the child.
     
    6. An explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with children who are non-disabled in the regular class. 

The IEP team is a group of individuals composed of:
Parents/guardians of the child with a disability, one or more regular education teachers, one or more special education teachers, an LEA representative, any related service providers, and when appropriate the child with the disability.
 
The IEP team can review a child's IEP periodically, but not less than annually. At the conclusion of an IEP meeting, the child's educational placement is determined, and a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP) is issued.