Gifted Education

Child Find

Clarion Area School District uses the following procedures for locating, identifying and evaluating specified needs of school-aged students requiring special programs or services. These procedures, as required by law, are as follows:

As identified in § 14.121 Child find of Chapter 14 Special Education Services and Programs State Regulations, each school district is required to adopt and use a public outreach awareness system to locate and identify children thought to be eligible for special education within the school district's jurisdiction. It also requires awareness activities to inform the public of its early intervention and special education services and programs and the manner in which to request services and programs. Written information is published in the school handbook and is also available on our website.

Clarion Area School District routinely conducts screenings of our students' hearing in Grades K-3rd, 7th & 11th grades; visual screenings in Grades K-12 grades, and speech and language screenings in Grades K-12. Our classroom teachers routinely assess gross motor and fine motor skills. Results of these screenings are noted within the students' school records. School records are always open and available to parents and only to school officials who have legitimate need-to-know information about the individual student.

Information from these records is only released to other persons or agencies with appropriate authorization including signed permission by parents/guardians. Parents with concerns regarding their child may contact the building principals to request a screening or evaluation. Requests must be submitted through a written request and forms are available through the school building offices.

After the necessary evaluations are completed, an Evaluation Report or Gifted Written Report will be completed. This will be done with parent involvement and includes specific recommendations for the types of interventions needed to meet a child's specific needs. Parents are invited to participate in a meeting where the results of the evaluation will be reviewed. An Individualized Education Program or Gifted Individualized Education Program will be created to address the specialized services that are needed for those students that are deemed eligible and in need for special education services through the evaluation process.

Clarion Area School District provides annual public notification through various forms such as newspapers and the school district website to notify parents throughout the school district of child identification activities and the procedures followed to ensure confidentiality of information pertaining to students with disabilities or eligible young children.

Child with a Disability

A child with a disability means a child evaluated in accordance with IDEA § 3000.304 through § 300.311 as having mental retardation, a hearing impairment (including deafness), a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment (including blindness), a serious emotional disturbance (referred to in this part as "emotional disturbance"), an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, an other health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities, and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services.

For children from 3 years to Kindergarten entrance, the Pennsylvania Department of Education Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) operates the preschool early intervention program. OCDEL provides early intervention services through MAWAs (Mutually Agreed Upon Written Arrangements) typically with Intermediate Units or school districts. Legislative and regulatory guidance is provided through IDEA Part B, Pennsylvania's Act 212, the Early Intervention Services System Act of 1990, Chapter 14, and the Basic Education Circulars related to early intervention.

Regional services and programs are available through Riverview Intermediate Unit #6 including support services such as speech therapy, physical therapy, parent education/supports and other family-centered services assist in child development and may be included in a family's early intervention program.