Brentwoodnews - Brentwood Borough School District

news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Superintendent’s Message
It only seems like yesterday that the students were
leaving our schools to begin another much awaited
summer vacation. Now a new school year is here.
Classrooms have sprung back to life with the return of
students and teachers. As I walk through the schools, I
see students eager and willing to learn as teachers provide
the needed instruction and guidance necessary for
success. Another key component
in student success is family
support. As the district leader, it
is extremely satisfying to witness
the continued support our
families provide to their children,
as well as, to our schools. As is
customary in my first message
for a new school year, there are
several updates of actions taken
since the conclusion of last
school year that I would like to
note.
Since the 2002-2003 school year,
the Continuous Improvement
Plan (CIP) has provided direction for the school district.
The CIP will continue to do the same this school year.
Approved at the August General Purpose Meeting by the
Board of School Directors, the CIP for 2011-2012
contains five primary goals. These goals include:
improvement of student achievement in all academic
areas; improvement in curricular and extracurricular
programs offered in the school district; improvement of
communications with all stakeholder groups;
improvement in the appearance, upkeep, safety, and
security of all facilities; and improvement in school
district fiscal matters. Specific action plans for each of the
goals have been developed for implementation
throughout the year.
Generally, students return from summer vacation to see
new faces among the teaching staff greeting them in their
classrooms. This is not the case this year since no new
teachers joined the staff. However, students at the
middle/high school saw two familiar faces but in different
positions. Mr. David Radcliffe, previously the
middle/high school assistant principal, is now the middle
school principal. Mrs. Lindsay Klousnitzer, formerly a
middle school English teacher, is now the middle/high
school assistant principal. I look forward to working with
these professional educators in their new roles as part of
the district administrative team.
Due to reductions in state and federal education funding
from previous years, no major facilities improvement
projects were undertaken during the summer. The
maintenance and custodial staffs dedicated their energies
to making repairs to the existing facilities, finishing small
projects, and completing the summer cleaning process
that occurs between school years. Students and staff
returned to clean well-maintained buildings.
In my message that appeared in the previous issue of In
Brentwood Baldwin-Whitehall, I addressed the tentative
school district budget in light of reductions in state
funding. Approximately two weeks after the operating
budget for 2011-2012 was passed on June 20, 2011, the
district received notification that the initial anticipated
state subsidy would be increased by $234, 212. More
specifically, $158,877 additional in Basic Education
Funding and $75,335 in Accountability Block Grant
Funding would be received. These additional funds will
be used to offset that portion of the fund balance used to
balance the approved budget.
As I enter my sixth year as the Superintendent of Schools
for the Brentwood Borough School District, I continue to
consider it both an honor and a privilege to hold the
position. I look forward working with everyone to
continually improve our school district while addressing
our mission to educate and prepare our young people to
meet the challenges and demands that will be placed
upon them by a constantly changing world.
Ronald W. Dufalla, Ph. D.
Superintendent of Schools
Board
Approves
Operating
Budget for
2011-2012
news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Under Act 1, the school district is required to
adopt a final operating budget for the
upcoming school year by June 30th. The Board
of School Directors officially adopted its final
budget for 2011-2012 on June 20, 2011 at its
General Purpose Meeting. The $18,868,505
budget is $43,077 less than the 2010-2011
operating budget. Increasing costs and a
stagnant tax base continued, as in previous
years, to be challenges in budget
development. A new challenge, reductions in
state subsidies resulting from the loss of
Federal stimulus funds provided through the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA), added another hurdle to this year’s budget formulation process.
A breakdown of revenues and expenditures by category is shown in the
accompanying pie charts. As you can see, the majority of revenue comes from
local sources, followed by state and federal subsidies and grants. The “Other”
approximate $983,983 noted on the illustration
reflects monies from the fund balance that
will be used to offset the difference between
expenditures and revenues. On the
expenditure side, the majority of the
operating budget is designated for instruction
and support services, followed by debt
service and non-instruction.
The Board of School Directors worked
diligently to construct a budget that did not
require an increase in millage. This was due
in small part to the constraints of Act 1, but
primarily out of the concern for placing any
additional tax burden on our residents during
these challenging economic times.
The 2011-2012 operating budget required no
increase in real estate taxes. Real estate
taxes remain at 28.27 mills on every dollar or
$2.827 per $100 of the assessed valuation. This
rate has been in effect since the 2006-2007 fiscal
year. The earned income tax and real estate services tax will remain at ½%. The
local services tax will remain at $5. The proposed final operating budget was on
public display at all district schools and the Brentwood Library from May 10,
2011 until its final adoption on June 20th.
news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Kozarian Elected to
National Board
Student Information
Release Opt-Out
Federal public law 107-110, section 9528 of the
ESEA, “No Child Left Behind Act,” requires
school districts to release student names,
addresses, and telephone numbers to military
recruiters upon their request. The law also
requires school districts to notify students and
parents of their right to opt-out of having this
information released. If you would like to
exercise your right to opt-out, please submit this
in writing to your child’s building principal.
Joseph Kozarian, Director of Facilities and Security for the
Brentwood Borough School District, was elected Region 3
Director at the National Association of School Resource
Officers (NASRO) conference held in Orlando, Florida
on July 1, 2011. He was nominated by fellow NASRO
members to represent the states of Pennsylvania, New
Once a
York, New Jersey, and Delaware. Regional directors
gain a
s in pr
availab
evious
must be regular NASRO members, reside in the region
le to B
years,
r
e
n
the “G
twood
card p
elected, be a sworn law/commissioned enforcement
olden
rovide
r
e
s
i
d
Ager”
e
s free
nts 65
play, s
card w
officer, and be employed or appointed as a school
a
y
d
e
missio
ars of
ponso
ill be
n to al
age or
r
e
d
b
resource officer (SRO) or supervisor. This position
l
“Golde
y the B
older.
events
The
n Ager
rentwo
, exclu
” card
ding th
od Bor
serves a two-year elected term.
Offices
i
e
s
o
ugh Sc
schoo
availab
in the
l
hool D
le at th
lower
office
i
s
e
l
t
e
r
D
i
v
ct. The
istrict
el of th
hours
In 2006, Officer Kozarian started the necessary
Admin
8 a.m.
e midd
istrativ
to 4 p.m
le/high
training to become an SRO and went on within the
e
schoo
. Mond
l
a
d
y
u
ring re
throug
NASRO program to earn his practitioner and instructor
gular
h Frida
y.
titles. He continued with additional NASRO approved
trainings that included 40 hours of basic SRO training and
24 hours of advanced SRO or supervisor training.
After completing 160 hours of specialized
police in-service training, Officer Kozarian
attended the national SRO conference in
Louisville, Kentucky where he was honored
last year with the Exceptional Service Award
in Region 3.
“ G old
C a rd e n A g e r ”
Availa
ble
As a Regional Director, Officer Kozarian is
responsible for presenting information on
the roles and responsibilities of school safety
personnel in relationship to emergency
planning and procedures
within his region.
Good luck and
congratulations to
Officer Kozarian!
B H S Pa r t i c i p a t e s
in Central
Blood Bank
Scholarship
Program
For more than 10 years,
Brentwood High School has
participated in the Central
Blood Bank Scholarship
Program by holding blood
drives throughout the school
year. Area high schools
compete for the scholarship
money based on percentage of
participation. Although BHS is
small, our students are very supportive of
this program and have received scholarship money consistently
over the past 5 years. For the 2009-2010 school year, a $1500
award was received. This money was given in the form of three
$500 scholarships to seniors (Class of 2011) pursuing careers in
the health fields. For this past school year, 2010-2011, we have
received another $1500 award that will be given as scholarships
next spring to seniors from the Class of 2012.
In September, a representative from Central Blood Bank will
present an assembly program to 10th, 11th and 12th graders,
explaining the process and stressing the importance of blood
donations in the community. One donation has the potential to
help three patients in area hospitals. Donors must be at least 16
years of age, and must have signed parental permission until
they are 17. Those 17 and older do not need signed parental
permission. A donor may give blood every 56 days.
The blood drives for the 2011-2012 school year have been
scheduled for the following dates: Thursday, September 29,
2011, Wednesday, December 21, 2011, Thursday, February 23,
2012 and Wednesday, May 23, 2012. The drives are held in the
Middle School gymnasium from 8:30 am until 2:30 pm and are
open to the community as well as our students and staff.
Community support will help us reach our goals to earn
scholarship money! If you would like to schedule an
appointment prior to the blood drive, please call Mrs. Nancy
Kaminski at 412-881-4940 (Ext. 2345), but walk-ins are also
welcomed. If you are unable to donate during those times,
donors may go to any Central Blood Bank facility (there is one
on Baptist Road in Whitehall) and designate your donation to
be credited to Brentwood High School.
news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Emergency Delays
or Cancellations
In the event of a change in the school
calendar due to inclement weather or
emergency situations, necessary information
for parents and students will be provided on
the following television and radio stations:
TV STATIONS
KDKA (Channel 2)
WTAE (Channel 4)
WPXI (Channel 11)
RADIO STATIONS
KDKA
(1020 AM)
FROGGY (98.3 FM)
KQV
(1410 AM)
In addition, the AlertNow notification system
will continue to be used to contact homes in
the event of school delays or school closures.
AlertNow is a Web-based rapid notification
and communication service that allows
the school district to contact hundreds of
parents within minutes having the capability
to deliver both voice and e-mail messages.
In order for AlertNow to work efficiently,
updated contact information is a must
and should be submitted to your child’s
school office.
Every effort will be made for all schools to
remain open as originally scheduled on the
school calendar. In order to reduce the
number of days the schools may be closed
due to inclement weather or emergency
situations, delayed starting times will be
used when conditions allow. On days when
delayed starting times are used, all schools
will begin at 10 a.m. unless otherwise noted
in television, radio, or AlertNow
announcements.
news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
NCLB Notification Addressing
Professional Qualifications
Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), parents have a right to
request professional qualifications of their children’s teachers or
paraprofessionals. Parents have the right to ask for the following
information: whether Pennsylvania has licensed the teacher for the
grades and subjects he or she teaches; whether the teacher is teaching
under emergency or other provisional status through which
Pennsylvania licensing criteria have been waived; the teacher’s
baccalaureate degree major and whether the teacher has any advance
degrees, and if so, the subject of the degrees; and, whether the child is
provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.
Please contact your building principal if this information is desired.
Cafeteria Meal Prices Set
Breakfast and lunch prices for the 2011-2012 school year
have been set as follows:
• Elementary Student Lunch
• Middle/High School Student Lunch
• Middle/High School Student Tiered Lunch
(Larger portions and different menu items)
• Elementary Student Breakfast
• Middle/High School Student Breakfast
• Milk (A la Carte)
$1.85
$2.10
$2.60
$1.25
$1.25
$0.50
High School
Sports.Net
All schedules for middle school and high
school athletics and activities can be found
at www.highschoolsports.net. This website
is used by high schools throughout the area
to keep the community up to date on school
events. Those visiting the website will have
“live” information about Brentwood athletics
and activities including team and season
schedules; daily, weekly, and monthly events;
student transportation; event locations;
scores; opponent information; and schedule
changes.
Admission Fees
Set For
Athletic Events
The admission fees charged for various
athletic events sponsored by the Brentwood
Borough School District are as follows:
• Football-Adult $4, Senior Citizen $3,
Student $2
• Basketball-Adult $4, Senior Citizen $3,
Student $2
• Volleyball-Adult $2, Senior Citizen and
Student $1
• Swimming-Adult $2, Senior Citizen and
Student $1
In addition, active military personnel will be
admitted free of charge with military ID.
These fees remain unchanged from last
school year. Admission to all other athletic
events not noted above is free.
A
R
P
P
N
o
i
t
A
c
i
f
i
N ot
news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) requires school districts to notify parents requesting consent
for their children’s participation in certain school activities. Considered “protected information surveys,” these
activities include student surveys, analyses, or evaluations that concern any of the following areas:
• Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent
• Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family
• Sexual behavior or attitudes
• Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior
• Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships
• Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers
• Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents
• Income, other than as required to determine program eligibility
This requirement also applies to the collection, disclosure or use of student information for marketing purposes
and certain physical exams and screenings. If there is ever a need for a “protected information survey,”
parents will be notified in advance by the building principal. Parental consent will be requested prior to the
administration of these surveys.
Summer Programs Provided
Through Stimulus Funds
A
s part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA), stimulus funds were available that
enabled the district to operate two summer programs. For a third
year, a portion of the funds was used to operate a Title I Summer
School for elementary students. Hosted at Moore Elementary
School for five weeks, the Title I summer program began on June
13th and concluded on July 21st. Another portion of the funds
was used for a four week Extended School Program that was an
extension of the autistic support classroom currently operated by
the school district. This program also hosted at Moore
Elementary School began June 27th and concluded on July 21st.
Both programs operated Monday through Thursday mornings
between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Substitute
Personnel
Needed
Are you an individual that has
the desire to substitute on an
occasional basis as a teacher,
nurse, custodian, secretary,
teacher aide, security, or
cafeteria worker? Substitutes
in these areas are always
needed to replace personnel
that are absent for illness or
attendance at meetings. If you
are interested in placement on
the school district substitute
list in any of the categories
noted, please contact Nancy
Brown in the District
Administrative Office at
412-881-2227.
news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
By Frank Krawiec, MSW, LCSW,
Wesley Spectrum School Based Services
Mental Health Intervention Specialist
(This article originally appeared in the Fall 2010 issue of
News and Views. Due to the very positive response at that
time, the article is being repeated as its information is both
timely and relevant as a new school year begins.)
Back to School Behavior Tips…Setting Up
A Structure That Works
Many students often fall out of their school
routine during the summer months. It is often
difficult to re-establish a routine when school
starts back up. Here are some suggestions for
establishing a structured routine and improving
school behaviors and attitudes.
Call a Family Meeting and Talk About
What is Going To Change
This is most helpful when it is done before the
school year begins to start with a clean slate,
but it can also be effectively done at certain
times during the school year such as at the
beginning of a new quarter. It is most helpful to
sit down as a family to talk about the school
year structure. Talk about what rules you’re
going to change and what will stay the same. It
is best to go into this meeting with a set
agenda, which may include bedtime, homework
routine, or getting to school on time. Make this
an open conversation with input from all family
members. When an agreement is made about
new rules or routine, try to stick to it as best as
possible. Write down the agreed upon
schedule and post in central locations where all
family members can see.
academically last year, it is important to have a
conversation about what needs to change. You
want to address this as a problem you are going
to solve together. Ask what he/she needs from
you to make this a better year. Your child will
have a better understanding of what change
looks like and how to do it since you model it.
For younger children, developing a chart or
poster that lists out the new structure and
expectations may be helpful.
Set the Expectation for a Better Year
Set an expectation with your child from the
start that it’s going to be a better school year.
Be both hopeful and realistic. Think about last
school year and ask yourself, what went
smoothly? What needed to change? Remind
your child of the things that worked last year
and try to build on them. Catch good behavior
early in the year and give them some
momentum to last for the rest of the semester.
You need to plan how the school week looks,
how you will get everyone to their activities,
how you will fit in homework time, and how you
will manage to keep things going smoothly.
This is challenging but not too late. If structure
is needed now, it will always be needed. Add
in times for breaks, snacks and to celebrate
accomplishments. Celebrating small changes
will lead to more confidence in tackling big
goals.
A Special Note About Kids with Learning
Disabilities or Anxiety
It is particularly challenging for kids with
learning disabilities to go back to school
because they know that it is going to be a
struggle for them. As their parent, and biggest
advocate, it is beneficial to set clear limits and
have a positive discussion with your child about
school. Talk with the school about coming up
with realistic goals and rewards and partner
with the school to support the needs of your
Find Someone at the School Who Will
child. Let your child know that whatever the
Support You
school year may hold, that together you can get
If your child’s school year has started and you’re through it, no matter what. Let them know that
noticing issues cropping up, you are probably
you are in their corner, cheering for them and
feeling frustrated already. Try to find somebody proud of them. Make sure you celebrate every
Be Realistic…Don’t Tackle
in the school who you can ‘partner’ with,
success, even small ones.
Everything…Focus on the Problems That
someone’s who’s going to help you help your
Are Most Crucial
child do better academically, socially or
Looking Ahead...
If the last school year was difficult for your
behaviorally. This might be a teacher who
Even though we don’t want to think about the
child, you may be tempted to lay out a long list understands and likes your child, or a guidance winter months while we are enjoying the fall,
of new rules. Instead, pick out the things that
counselor or school social worker that can
now is a great time to plan for the potential of
are most important such as morning/evening
connect you with resources. The important
school delays and snow. Hide a few board
routine, homework time, or balancing academic thing is to make some positive relationships
games, crayons, markers, toys, and puzzles now
time with sports and/or outside activities. Once with school personnel.
that you may find at the Dollar Store or a
you see your child make a positive change with
garage sale. Tuck away for winter when you
a new rule, notice and give praise immediately Remember That It’s NEVER Too Late
may need that surprise “bag of tricks”. Happy
to begin to shape this positive behavior.
It is never too late to establish a structure.
Fall!
Often the difficult part is trying to stick with it.
Talk To Your Child—Specifically—About
Parents need to realize that a new routine
What Needs To Change
actually requires a whole new
If your child had a difficult year behaviorally or
set of organization for them.
SPECIAL
SERVICES – PARENT
INFORMATION NOTICE
news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN
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 as determined by
an evaluation team.
Indications of Physical, Sensory, Mental,
or Emotional Disability: Some
indications that your child may be a child with
a disability in order to meet the first part of
the two-part definition are:
➢ Difficulty performing tasks that require
reading, writing, or mathematics,
➢ An emotional disturbance over a long
period of time which affects your child’s
ability to learn,
➢ Consistent problems in getting along with
others,
➢ Difficulty communicating,
➢ Lack of interest or ability in ageappropriate activities,
➢ Resistance to change,
➢ Difficulty seeing or hearing that interferes
with the ability to communicate,
➢ Health problems that affect educational
performance, including attention
problems.
Your child may need specially designed
instruction that isn’t normally needed by
other children in the general education
classroom to make progress in school. This
need for special education is the second part
of the two-part decision to qualify a child for
special education services.
Screening: The Brentwood Borough School
District has a screening process within each
student’s home school that identifies students
who may need special education. This
process includes: screening preschool and
early intervention students in the spring and
summer prior to their entering kindergarten;
screening students for speech and language
services in Kindergarten and by referrals
throughout the school year; routine health
screenings, including height, weight and
vision, for all students Kindergarten through
12th grade, hearing (K-3, 7, 11), physical
exams (K, 6, 11), scoliosis screening (6, 7),
and dental screenings (1, 3, 7); monitoring
student progress on reading and math
performance assessments (K-11) at selected
intervals throughout the year;
multidisciplinary team referrals; screening
student records (discipline reports, progress
reports, standardized test scores); screening
referrals to the Student Assistance Program
and; and screening student enrollment
records throughout the school year.
For students with academic or behavior
concerns, an intervention is developed based
on the results of the screening. The student’s
response to the intervention is looked at
closely and if screening activities have
produced little or no improvement within 60
school days, the student will be formally
referred for an evaluation for special
education. Parents may request that the
evaluation take place without going through
these screening activities.
The Evaluation: The evaluation process
collects the information that will be used to
determine if the student needs special
education and, if so, the types of programs
and services needed. The evaluation shall
include information provided by the parents;
review of school records (attendance, report
cards, standardized test scores); information
provided by the classroom teacher and school
nurse; screening by speech and language
therapist; observation of the student’s
behavior in the classroom; curriculum based
assessments; evaluation by a school
psychologist; and input from an occupational
or physical therapist, if therapy may be
needed.
The student may be referred for the
evaluation in several ways:
➢ The parent may ask the school to evaluate
the student for special education at any
time. This can be done by sending a letter
to the student’s school principal. The
Permission to Evaluate will then be issued.
➢ The school may contact the parent and
request permission to have the student
evaluated. The parent must consent in
writing to the student’s evaluation.
School officials cannot proceed without
the parent’s written permission on the
Permission to Evaluate form. If
permission is not received and the school
continues to find that an evaluation is
necessary, they may ask for a due process
hearing and get approval from an
impartial hearing officer to evaluate the
student.
All evaluations needed to determine the
student’s eligibility for special education will
be provided by the student’s school district at
no charge. Results of the evaluations will be
made available to the parents for their review.
The parents may also get evaluation reports
from professionals outside the school district
and send them to the student’s school. The
results of these outside evaluations will be
considered in determining if the student has a
disability and needs special education. If the
parents wish for the school district to pay for
these outside evaluations they must make the
request in writing. If the school district
refuses, they must initiate a special education
due process hearing.
Evaluations must take into account the
student’s language skills and ethnic
background so that the testing and evaluation
will not be unfair for the student of a different
race or culture. Tests are given in the
language or form that is most likely to give
accurate information, unless it is clearly not
feasible to do so. Evaluations also take into
account the student’s disability to be sure the
results are reliable.
If the student is eligible, a reevaluation is
conducted at least every three years unless the
student is intellectually disabled, in which
case reevaluations are conducted at least
news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
SP E CIAL E D UCATIO N FO R SCH O O L AGE CH ILD R E N (c ont i nue d )
every two years.
The Evaluation Report (ER): The
Evaluation Report will include information
about the student’s skills, social behavior,
learning problems, learning strengths, and
educational needs.
All evaluations and reevaluations include a
review of the testing and assessments that
were conducted, information from the
parents, classroom observations, and the
observations of teachers and related service
personnel. The evaluation or reevaluation
will also tell you what additions or changes
are needed to help the student take part in
and progress in the general curriculum.
The Evaluation Report will indicate if the
student has one or more disabilities and if the
student needs special education. It may
recommend the type of programs and services
the student needs. The ER may state that the
student is not eligible and does not need
special education services. The parents will
receive a written notice of this determination
and have the right to dispute it at a hearing.
The entire evaluation process will be
completed within 60 calendar days,
excluding summer vacation, from the date
the district receives the parent’s written
permission on the Permission to Evaluate
form. A copy of the ER will be given to the
parents. If the parent does not agree with the
ER, they may submit a dissenting opinion,
which will become part of the final ER.
The Individualized Education Program
(IEP): If the student is eligible for special
education, a team meeting with parent
involvement is scheduled for the student.
The IEP will be written at the meeting and
will include a description of all the programs
and services necessary to help the student be
successful. The IEP team uses information
that is contained in the ER to write the IEP.
Required members of the IEP team are: The
child’s parent(s); at least one of the child’s
general education teachers (if the child is, or
might become, part of general education
classes); at least one special education
teacher; the school district
administrator/local education agency
representative; someone who can interpret
the evaluation results, who may already be a
member of the team; a representative from a
vocational-technical school if a vocationaltechnical program is being considered for the
child and; at parent request or that of the
school district, other people who know the
child well or who have worked with the child.
The parent may bring an advocate to advise
them or anyone else who will be able to add
information about the child’s educational
experience.
One person may fill more than one of the
above roles. Mandated members of the IEP
team may be excused from the meeting if the
parent and the school district agree in writing.
If a member is excused and his/her area of
expertise is being discussed, he/she must
provide written input before the meeting. If
the parents choose to not attend the IEP
meeting, it may be held without them.
IEP Timelines: The IEP will be completed
within 30 calendar days after the evaluation
team issues the Evaluation Report. The IEP
plan will be implemented as soon as possible,
but no later than 10 school days after the IEP
is completed. The student’s program is
reviewed every year at an IEP meeting or
more often if requested by the parent or any
other IEP team member.
Educational Setting: The IEP team will
consider different classes or schools to
determine where the program can be
delivered. The first consideration will be the
general education classroom in the student’s
neighborhood school. The law requires that
students with disabilities be placed in
situations that will provide as many
opportunities as appropriate to be with
students who are not disabled. This is called
placing the student in the Least Restrictive
Environment (LRE). The LRE is the general
education classroom in the neighborhood
school unless the IEP team determines that
the special needs of the student cannot be
met there even with supplemental aids and
services.
The Appropriate Class: The classroom
chosen for the student will depend upon the
amount and kind of special instruction or
services the student needs. A special
education teacher may be able to provide
instruction in the general classroom
(Inclusion). For some students, placement in
a special education Itinerant, Supplemental or
Full-time classroom for some of the day is
necessary. Students who receive most of their
instruction in basic academic subjects in
special education classes will still have
opportunities to participate in other activities
in school with general education students.
These opportunities might include
participation in elective subjects such as art or
music, belonging to a general homeroom,
socializing in the lunchroom, and attending
assemblies and other enrichment programs
with general education students.
The IEP team decides what type of support
class is appropriate for the student with
special needs. These classes are formed
around the learning needs of students who are
assigned to them: Learning support class –
for children whose greatest need is for help in
academic areas such as reading and math;
Emotional support class – for children whose
greatest need is for social, emotional, and
behavioral help; Life Skills support class – for
children whose greatest need is to learn skills
that will allow them to live and work
independent of their families; Sensory
support skills class – for children who require
help in dealing with disabilities resulting from
limited vision or hearing; Speech and
language support class – for children who
have difficulty speaking and communicating;
Physical support class – for children who
need programs that consider their physical
news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
SP E CIAL E D UCATIO N FO R SCH O O L AGE CH ILD R E N (c onti nue d )
disabilities; Autistic support class – for
children with autism; Multiple disabilities
support class – for children with more than
one disability, the combination of which
results in needs requiring many services and
much support.
Notice of Recommended Educational
Placement (NOREP): Upon completion
of the IEP, the parent will receive a NOREP.
The NOREP will indicate the educational
placement for the student and requires parent
approval in writing before the school district
will begin implementation.
a child with a disability or thought to be a
child with a disability. These are called
procedural safeguards. The school has the
duty to inform parents of these procedural
safeguards:
➢ Upon initial referral or parental request
for an evaluation;
➢ With notice of a disciplinary change in
placement;
➢ Upon the first occurrence of filing for a
due process hearing.
In addition, the law requires parents to be
informed:
Basic Rights for Parents: Parents have a
right to be notified of the safeguards that
serve to protect the rights of their child who is
➢ When the school proposes to change the
identification, evaluation, educational
placement, and the provision of a free
appropriate public education or refuses a
parent request to change the
identification, evaluation, educational
placement, or the provision of a free
appropriate public education;
➢ Of the student’s progress toward annual I
EP goals on a periodic basis, such as
quarterly;
➢ Of the procedures to maintain the privacy
of the student’s education records. Only
those who need to work with the student
will see the student’s record.
For additional information contact Dian
Saltzberg, Coordinator of Special Education,
telephone 412-881-4940, extension 2116, or
e-mail dsaltzberg@brentwoodpgh.k12.pa.us.
THE GIFTED STUDENT
Determining Gifted Eligibility: Mentally
gifted is defined as “outstanding intellectual
and creative ability, the development of which
requires specially designed programs or
support services, or both, not ordinarily
provided in the regular education program.”
A child may be eligible for gifted education if
he/she:
➢ Is a year or more above grade
achievement level for the normal age
group in one or more subjects.
➢ Demonstrates an observed or measured
rate of mastering new academic content
or skills that reflect gifted ability.
➢ Demonstrates achievement, performance,
or expertise in one or more academic
areas.
➢ Shows early and measured use of highlevel thinking skills, academic creativity,
leadership skills, intense academic interest
areas, communication skills, foreign
language aptitude, or technology
expertise.
➢ Has documented, observed, validated, or
assessed evidence that intervening factors are
masking gifted ability.
Screening and Evaluation: The term
mentally gifted includes a person who has an
IQ of 130 or higher and other factors that
indicate gifted ability. Gifted ability cannot
be based on IQ score alone. If the IQ score is
lower than 130, a child may be admitted to
gifted programs when other conditions
strongly indicate gifted ability. The other
factors to be considered include:
achievement test scores that are a year or
more above level; observed or measured
acquisition/retention rates that reflect gifted
ability; achievement, performance, or
expertise in one or more academic areas that
demonstrates a high level of accomplishment;
higher level thinking skills and; documented
evidence that intervening factors are masking
gifted ability.
The Gifted Multidisciplinary Evaluation
(GMDE): A Gifted Multidisciplinary
Evaluation is a process to gather the
information that will be used to find out if a
child qualifies for gifted education and, if so,
the types of programs and services needed.
Part of this process includes an evaluation by
a certified school psychologist.
A child may be referred for the first GMDE in
several ways:
➢ Parents may request the school to give
their child a GMDE at any time, but there
is a limit of one request per term. The
parent may ask for this evaluation by
sending a letter to the school principal.
➢ A child’s teacher may also ask to have a
child evaluated.
The Gifted Written Report (GWR): A
multidisciplinary team reviews all materials
and prepares a GWR that recommends
whether a child is gifted and needs specially
designed instruction. As a member of the
GMDT, a parent may present written
information for consideration. The GWR
must include the reasons for the
news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
THE GIFTED STUDENT (continued)
recommendations and list the names and
positions of everyone who was part of the
team. The entire GMDT process must be
completed within 60 calendar days,
excluding summer vacation, from the date
the school district receives the parent’s
written permission on the Permission to
Evaluate form.
The Gifted Individualized Education
Program (GIEP): If the GIEP team
decides the student is gifted and in need of
gifted education, the team writes the GIEP at
the meeting. The GIEP is based on the
unique needs of the gifted student and
enables the gifted student to participate in
acceleration or enrichment programs, or
both, as appropriate, and to receive services
according to the student’s intellectual and
academic abilities and needs.
Notice of Recommended Assignment
(NORA): Upon completion of the GIEP,
the parent will receive a NORA and a Notice
of Parental Rights for Gifted Children. The
NORA will indicate the educational
placement for the student and requires parent
approval before the school district will begin
implementation. The Notice of Parental
Rights for Gifted Children describes your
rights and the procedures that safeguard your
rights.
Parent Rights: At all times, a parent has
certain rights with all gifted education services
received by their child:
➢ The right to be notified about a child’s
program and progress and any changes
that take place;
➢ The right to approve or reject programs
and testing; and
➢ The right to privacy.
For additional information, contact Dian
Saltzberg, Coordinator of Special Education,
telephone 412-881-4940, ext. 2116, or e-mail
at dsaltzberg@brentwoodpgh.k12.pa.us.
PROTECTED HANDICAPPED STUDENTS
Students who have disabilities, which
substantially limit their participation in, or
access to school programs, but who do not
need special education, may qualify for
reasonable accommodations in the general
education classroom under Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These services
will be provided by the Brentwood Borough
School District without cost to the student or
family. The required accommodations are
those, which are needed to afford the student
equal opportunity to participate in and attain
the benefits of the school program and
extracurricular activities without
discrimination. The rules (Chapter 15) are
different from those for students needing
special education who qualify by meeting the
two-part criteria listed above.
In compliance with state and federal law, the
Brentwood School District provides to each
protected handicapped student without
discrimination or cost to the student or
family, those related aids, services or
accommodations which are needed to
provide equal opportunity to participate in
and obtain the benefits of the school program
and extracurricular activities to the maximum
extent appropriate to the student’s abilities.
In order to qualify as a protected handicapped
student the child must be of school age with a
physical or mental disability, which
substantially limits or prohibits participation
in or access to an aspect of the school
program.
These services and protections for “protected
handicapped students” are distinct from those
applicable to all eligible or exceptional
students enrolled in special education
programs. For further information on the
evaluation procedures and provisions of
services to protected handicapped students,
contact your child’s school principal.
news
Brentwood B O R O U G H
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
SERVICES FOR PRESCHOOL AGE CHILDREN
The Early Intervention System Act (Act 212)
entitles all preschool age children with
disabilities to appropriate early intervention
services. Children experiencing
developmental delay in the areas of cognitive,
communicative, physical, social/emotional
and self-help development may be eligible for
intervention services. If you have questions
regarding difficulties your child may be
experiencing please contact one of the
following agencies.
The Pennsylvania Department of Public
Welfare is responsible for providing services
to infants and toddlers, defined as children
from birth through two years of age. For
additional information contact Alliance for
Infants and Toddlers, 2801 Custer Avenue,
Second Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
15227 (telephone 412-885-6000).
preschool age children from age three
through school age. For additional
information contact the Allegheny
Intermediate Unit Dart Program, 475 East
Waterfront Drive, Homestead, Pennsylvania
15120 (telephone 412-394-5736).
The Pennsylvania Department of Education
is responsible for providing services to
CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORDS
The law guarantees that the student's school
records are kept confidential. Only those who
have an educational interest in the student
will be permitted to see the student records.
Someone has an educational interest if that
person teaches the student or otherwise is
responsible for some aspect of the student’s
education. The district maintains a record of
individuals who access a student’s educational
records. Records cannot be given to anyone
outside the school system without parent
permission unless there is a legal reason for
doing so.
The privacy rights of parents and students are
mandated by federal legislation known as the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA – 20 U.S.C. 1232g, 34 C.F.R. Part
99), state regulations (Chapter 14-Special
Education Services and Programs, Chapter
12-Student Rights and Responsibilities), and
district policy.
The different categories of information
maintained by the school district are as
follows: educational and health records,
personally identifiable information, and
directory information. With the exception of
school officials, receiving school districts,
Federal, state or local officials or authorities
to whom information is specifically required
to be reported or disclosed pursuant to
Federal or state statute of regulations,
educational and health records and personally
identifiable information cannot be disclosed
or released without parental consent or adult
student (a student who is 18 or older,
married, or attending an institution of post
secondary education) consent. Directory
information means information, which would
be considered not harmful or an invasion of
privacy if disclosed. This information
includes the following: student’s name,
address, e-mail address, photograph, date and
place of birth, courses taken, participation in
officially recognized activities and sports,
weight and height of members of athletic
teams, dates of attendance, degrees and
awards received, and the most recent previous
educational agency or institution attended by
the student.
Complaints asserting FERPA violations are
filed with and reviewed and investigated by
the U.S. Department of Education, Family
Policy Compliance Office, Washington, DC
20202-4605.
For additional information contact Dian
Saltzberg, Coordinator of Special Education,
telephone 412-881-4940, extension 2216 or
e-mail dsaltzberg@brentwoodpgh.k12.pa.us.