Notices

As per federal and state law, it is the duty of public schools to provide students with a “Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE);” therefore, the Turkeyfoot Valley Area School District (TVASD) actively strives to identify the learning needs of its students in order to ensure that students are provided with the education and related services with which they are entitled. In addition, undr §300.111 Part B of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Federal Law) and PA Code § 14.121 (State Law), all school districts are required to offer notice of Child Find policies and procedures that are put into place in order to properly identify students with exceptionalities related to physical, social, emotional/behavioral, and/or cognitive factors.

TVASD Child Find procedures begin with coordination within and among Early Intervention programs for children ages birth through three. For children ages three to five, Early Intervention programs and services work in conjunction with local pre-school programs including Head Start and the TVASD Pre-Kindergarten Program to ensure that a child's identified needs continue to be met.

TVASD also coordinates identification measures and support services under 22 PA Code Chapter 14, IDEA, 22 PA Code Chapter 15, and/or §504 of the Rehabilitation Act for students with exceptionalities ages five to twenty-one. TVASD also implements formal and informal comprehensive and ongoing screening procedures for school-aged children to include, but not be limited to: Tests and/or procedures sampling some combination of skills, or gaining information, in some or all of the following areas: intellectual abilities, academic skills, perceptual-motor skills, memory skills, social-emotional skills, self-help/adaptive skills, communication skills, motor and sensory functioning, mental status functioning, interest and aptitude assessments, specialty rating scales, observations, record reviews, parent and teacher interviews, and other information that may be available from other sources including agencies, facilities and other professionals. TVASD utilizes these measures in order to create a meaningful learning experience for all students based on areas of both strength and need.

With the consent of a parent and/or legal guardian, TVASD utilizes the aforementioned formal and informal methods of observation, assessment, and evaluation in order to identify exceptionalities which may include: autism spectrum disorder(s), visual and/or hearing impairment, mental retardation, emotional disability/emotional disturbance, physical disability, learning disability, other health impairment, multiple disabilities and/or gifted/talented.