1. KCSD Special Education Parent Night: Continuum of Services and Extended School Year
Yvette Line-Koller, Director of Special Education
Trista Todd, Supervisor of Special Education

2. Continuum of Services
A continuum of services is available to students with special needs from preschool to graduation.  The school district provides a range of special programs based on the least restrictive environment (LRE) concept.  This means we work to keep all students as close to the general education classroom, their home building and community as possible, while meeting their unique educational needs.  Below is a list of "special" services/programs utilized to accomplish this goal:
General education class with "support" strategies
Reading support (Title 1 reading specialists and reading tutors)
Speech & Language Therapy
Hearing & Vision therapy/consultation
Gifted support programs
Learning support programs
Emotional support programs
Life Skills programs
Autistic support programs
Residential placement

3. Continuum of Services
Please note:  More restrictive "low incident“ (ie. Multi-Disability Support, Emotional Support Therapeutic Programs) programs are accessed through Chester County Intermediate Unit 24 and/or other agencies.
Building principals, school counselors, school psychologists, Special education liaison, Supervisor of Special Education and the Director of Special Education are able to provide details on the special program services available to all Kennett Consolidated School District school-aged students.

4. Continuum of Services Offered in All Buildings
Learning Support (Itinerant and Supplemental): Services for students with a disability who require services primarily in the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, or speaking or listening skills related to academic performance.
Speech/Language Support: Services for students with speech and language impairments who require services primarily in the areas of communication or use of assistive technologies designed to provide or facilitate the development of communication capacity or skills.

5. Special Program Descriptions
Autistic Support: Students may be demonstrating specific needs with respect to social behavior, communication and behavior, and those challenges impact their ability to fully access their education. These individuals, as determined via an educational assessment by a school psychologist, meet criteria for an educational exceptionality (i.e., they require specially designed instruction to access their education) and may participate in Autistic Support, with varying degrees of support.  These supports can be generally divided into four different levels of intensity, although variation does exists within these levels as special education is highly individualized. The levels are described below.
Level 1 -  Itinerant Autistic Support
      Students at the Itinerant Support level receive special education supports and services less than 20% of the school day. 
Some students may present with mild symptoms of Autism (or other condition) that result in a need for support with respect to social behavior, communication and behavior.   These students are fully included in general education and receive support in general education settings with minor adaptations or modification of curricula.  Support may include the support of related services such as speech for pragmatic/social language, behavior consultation, and counseling.
Students may have more intense symptoms of Autism and require additional support.  These students are mostly included in general educational classrooms, and may receive pull-out services to smaller classroom settings for specific academic areas.  These students are provided with support in all settings for social and behavior needs.

6. Special Program Descriptions
Autistic Support
Level 2 -  Supplemental Autistic Support
Supplemental Autistic Support students receive special education supports and services more than 20% but less than 80% of the school day. The students may be included in general educational classrooms for specials, and possibly 1 or 2 other academic areas.  Given their specific needs, they are able to access their education by participating in classrooms with smaller student to teacher ratios and receive more significant modifications to the general education curricula that cannot be effectively conducted in the general education settings. Typically, these students demonstrate greater communicative, social and behavior challenges that impact their ability to make meaningful progress without significant support and individualization of academic instruction. These students require more intensive support for behavior, communication and social functioning as well as academic participation.  These students may be instructed with a combination of general education and alternative curricula. 
Level 3 – Full-Time Autistic Support
Full-time Autistic Support students  receive special education supports and services more than 80% of the school day. These students demonstrate significant symptoms of Autism that impact their ability to participate in their education and require the most intensive level of specially designed instruction.  These individuals are challenged by their ability to communicate and understand language, understand social rules, and may experience great distress during change and interruption of routines.  They may demonstrate significant behavior challenges such as self-injury, frequent and intense self-stimulatory behavior and acting out behavior. These individuals benefit from instruction in self-contained classrooms and require intensive support for behavior, language/communication and social interaction.  These students have limited participation in inclusive classroom situations, and are supported with alternative curricula.  However, these individuals are supported within alternative inclusive opportunities within the school.

7. Special Program Descriptions
Emotional Support:Students have an identification of Emotional Disturbance or other related disability category as defined in Chapter 14.  The student's IEP must include information from a Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) and a Positive Behavior Support Plan (PBSP).  The student has been receiving behavioral intervention for a minimum of 6 months with instruction, program, time and other factors revised throughout the duration of intervention.  The student has not made adequate progress.  The IEP should include goals that cover social/behavioral goals, psychological services, case management and other behavioral interventions/ specially designed instruction.
Services Provided in the Emotional Support classroom:
Social skills instruction 2 hours per week
Individualized instruction based on IEP with an emphasis in social/behavioral instruction utilizing research-based strategies, programs, and resources
Personnel trained in de-escalation strategies
General education inclusion to the maximum extent possible (specials, recess, lunch, content areas)
Classroom structure is built on positive behavior modification techniques and can be individualized for students as needed

8. Special Program Descriptions
Life Skills:
Elementary:  Services for students with a disability in the areas of cognitive functioning, academic performance, and adaptive behavior. This program provides students with growth experiences in language development, self-help skills, social development, functional academics, and vocational skills. It is for students who have intellectual abilities which prevent them from obtaining meaningful progress in a general education curriculum and who require instruction in daily living skills.
Students in the Life Skills program may have impaired cognitive abilities, adaptive skills, and/or life functioning skills. Related services of speech and language support, hearing support, vision support, orientation and mobility, occupational therapy, physical therapy, feeding consults, behavior support are integrated within individualized student programs as appropriate to meet student needs. Individual, small group, and whole group instruction is provided through various means including community-based instruction which is designed to teach students to use the classroom skills and appropriate behaviors in real-life situations. Students in Supplemental Life Skills Support are included with their General Education peers for a more than 20% but less than 80% of the school day.
The elementary Life Skills program serves students with disabilities who have educational needs that require curriculum with additional instructional strategies beyond that which general education can realistically provide, or an alternate curriculum with more intensive staffing.

9. Special Programs Descriptions
Life Skills
Secondary:  The focus of the life skills program is the acquisition of functional academic skills and pre-vocational skills. The goal is for students is to increase independent functioning by developing their problem-solving/critical thinking, motor, behavioral and vocational skills through direct instruction, modeling, guided and independent practice. 
Program Features:
Individual assessment and educational planning
Functional school/community experiences – YMCA and grocery store outings are coordinated with the CCIU Discover team
Behavior management systems
Special Olympics/Annual Bowling Trip
Preparation for independent living – cooking groups conducted twice weekly in    collaboration with OT and Speech Therapist
Instruction is provided in the following areas:
Functional academics
Daily living skills
Social and behavioral skills
Pre-vocational/community-based experiences
Inclusionary programming

10. How are the Programs Accessed?
Process for Transitioning Student in to Special Program (Autistic Support, Life Skills, Emotional Support, Intensive Learning Support)
The IEP team should be meeting to discuss current services and ensure all eligibility criteria has been met. IEP team should also have documentation on ongoing meetings to adjust instruction.
School Psychologist supporting the building in which the student is currently being served should communicate with the Psychologist supporting the potential placement. This discussion should include: academic interventions, behavioral interventions, all related services and the status of their efficacy.
School Psychologist should schedule a meeting with the Director of Special Education to review the student case.
If change in program is determined to be appropriate, Director of Special Education will contact building principals involved.
School Psychologist supporting the program presents student information to the program teacher(s).
Building principals discuss and develop a plan for inclusion to the new team members to include the ability to access appropriate documents in IEP Writer as well as dates for meeting to discuss current IEP and potential transition plan. Building principal will communicate with transportation and enrollment.
Once the IEP meeting is held and recommendation is made, parents & student should be offered a tour of the program.

11. How are Programs Accessed?
Process for Transitioning Student out of a Special Program
The IEP team should be meeting to create a plan to transition student into general education (with learning support, if appropriate). IEP team should also have documentation on ongoing meetings to adjust instruction.
School Psychologist supporting the special program should communicate with the student’s home building School Psychologist.
Program School Psychologist should schedule a meeting with the Director of Special Education to review the student case.
If change in program is determine to be appropriate, Director of Special Education will contact building principals involved.
Building principals will discuss and develop a plan for inclusion of new team members to view paperwork in IEP Writer and attend a meeting to discuss current IEP and potential transition plan.
When placement is determined, building principal contacts transportation and registration.

12. Extended School Year Timeline
For purposes of ESY eligibility determination, the IEP review meeting is to occur no later than February 28 of each school year for these students. Notice of the team’s determination (NOREP) is to be issued to the parent no later than March 31 of the school year. These time lines offer a way to comply with guidance in the federal regulations that states that public agencies should make determination of need in a timely manner so that a student with a disability who requires ESV services in order to receive FAPE can obtain the necessary services. An eligibility determination would be considered timely if there were sufficient time for the parent to appeal a denial of ESY services before the break in services occurs.

13. Extended School Year Timeline
ESY determinations for students who are not from a “target group” are not subject to the above time lines, but must still be made as soon as possible in accordance with the time lines in Chapter 14.1fthe parents of those non-target group students disagree with the LEA’s recommendation, the parents will be afforded due process.
In considering the need for ESY services, the IEP team may decide to postpone a decision until a later date. In such circumstances, the LEA must ensure that the team reconvenes within a timely manner, as above.

14. Extended School Year What is the ESY decision based on?
The IEP team makes its decision about providing ESY services by looking at information about the student’s performance that has been gathered all year. Some of this information measures student achievement before and after breaks from school. The team can also gather information from teachers’ and parents’ observations of the student’s behavior and skills before and after breaks. Medical or other agency reports can also be accessed. 

15. Extended School Year What is the ESY decision based on?
Questions to Consider
Will the student move to a lower level of functioning in skills or behavior because of an interruption in educational programming?
Will the student take a long time to recoup (recover) the skills or behavior patterns that were lost during a break in educational programming?
Will a pattern of difficulties with regression and recoupment make it unlikely that a student will maintain the skills and behaviors relevant to IEP goals and objectives?

16. Extended School Year Questions to be considered
Will a lapse in services substantially reduce a student’s chances of ever learning a critical life skill or behavior related to the IEP?
Is the student at a crucial stage in mastering a life skill that is related to the IEP goals of self- sufficiency and independence from caregivers?
Does the student have a severe disability such as autism/pervasive developmental disorder, a serious emotional disturbance, severe intellectual disability, degenerative impairments with mental involvement, or severe multiple disabilities?
No one factor, however, can be used to determine eligibility for ESY services.

17. Extended School Year Which Services will be provided during ESY?
The IEP team will determine which services and how much of these services will be provided during the extended school year. The team may decide that the student will continue all the services received during the regular school year, or it may decide that the student will only receive a portion of services or one specific service. This decision is based on the needs of each student.

18. Extended School Year Where will the services be provided?
The IEP team determines where ESY will be provided. It can be provided at many different places, like in school or at a job site. It is always provided in the least restrictive environment (LRE) that is appropriate for the student. This means that the student with disabilities is placed in a situation that allows opportunities to be with students who are not disabled. However, the school district, IU, or charter school is not required to assemble nondisabled students just to make the ESY environment less restrictive. ESY services can be provided in a non-educational setting if the IEP team determines that the student can receive appropriate ESY services in that setting.
It is the goal of KCSD to provided services that most resemble those received during the school year in order to minimize transitions and ensure maintenance of skills

19. Extended School Year
If parents and the school entity do not agree about ESY services and cannot resolve their differences in the IEP meeting, a notice (NOREP/PWN) will be sent to the parents explaining the IEP team’s decision.
If parents still disagree, they can ask for another IEP meeting, request free mediation services, or request a due process hearing. Another IEP meeting will likely involve the attendance of the Supervisor or Director of Special Education.
If the parent requests mediation or a due process hearing, the pendency provisions of state and federal law apply, and there should be no change in ESY eligibility or program, unless agreed to by the parties, pending completion of due process proceedings.

20. Questions? Contact Case Manager Contact Principal
Contact Supervisor or Director of Special Education