Mrs. Amy Repard
Mrs. Terry Weber
The Secretary to the Special Education Supervisor is Mrs. Terry Weber. Some of her duties include:
- Maintain department records
- Schedule parent meetings
- PDE Special Education Reporting
You can contact Mrs. Weber by telephone at: 570-673-3983 or by email at: tweber@canton.k12.pa.us
It is important to note that special education is an integral part of the total education system, and not a separate entity. It is a process for enhancing the effectiveness of the system to meet the needs of all students. Students with disabilities will be educated in an age-appropriate environment with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent possible. Students, regardless of their educational needs, will be a part of the school community, to actively promote and foster positive attitudes toward and full acceptance of all students.
A major part of federal special education legislation is the requirement that parents be active participants in determining the services that will appropriately address the special education needs of their children. An effective partnership between parents and educators requires that all people involved be fully informed about special education services and understand the steps required in planning them.
CHILD FIND
Annual Public Notice of Special Education Services and Programs, Services for Gifted
Students, and Services for Protected Handicapped Students
(Revised January, 2018)
Notice to Parents
According to state and federal special education regulations, annual public notice to parents of children who reside within a school district is required regarding child find responsibilities. School districts are required to conduct child find activities for children who may be eligible for services via Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For additional information related to Section 504/Chapter 15 services, the parent may refer to Section 504, Chapter 15, and the Basic Education Circular entitled Implementation of Chapter 15. Also, school districts are required to conduct child find activities, including screening and evaluations, for children who may be eligible for gifted services via 22 PA Code Chapter 16. For additional information regarding gifted services, the parent may refer to 22 PA Code Chapter 16. If a student is both gifted and eligible for Special Education, the procedures in IDEA and Chapter 14 shall take precedence.
This notice shall inform parents throughout the school district of the child identification activities and of the procedures followed to ensure confidentiality of information pertaining to students with disabilities or eligible young children. In addition to this public notice, each school district shall publish written information in the handbook and on the web site. Children ages three through 21 can be eligible for Special Education programs and services. If parents believe that the child may be eligible for Special Education, the parent should contact the Support Services Office at: 570-673-3983.
Children age three through the admission to first grade are also eligible if they have developmental delays and, as a result, need Special Education and related services. Developmental delay is defined as a child who is less than the age of beginners and at least three years of age and is considered to have a developmental delay when one of the following exists: (i) The child’s score, on a developmental assessment device, on an assessment instrument which yields a score in months, indicates that the child is delayed by 25% of the child’s chronological age in one or more developmental areas. (ii) The child is delayed in one or more of the developmental areas, as documented by test performance of 1.5 standard deviations below the mean on standardized tests. Developmental areas include cognitive, communicative, physical, social/emotional and self-help. For additional information you may contact, Ms. Angie Sees, Supervisor of Early Intervention Services, BLaST IU 17 (570-323-8561).
Evaluation Process
The Canton Area School District has a procedure in place by which parents can request an evaluation. For information about procedures applicable to your child contact the school. Parents of preschool age children, age three through five, may request an evaluation in writing by addressing a letter to Ms. Angie Sees, Supervisor of Early Intervention Services, BlaST IU 17. 2400 Reach Road, Williamsport, Pa 17701.
Consent
School entities cannot proceed with an evaluation, or with the initial provision of Special Education and related services, without the written consent of the parents. For additional information related to consent, please refer to the Procedural Safeguards Notice which can be found at the PaTTAN website, www.Pattan.net. Once written parental consent is obtained, the district will proceed with the evaluation process. If the parent disagrees with the evaluation, the parent can request an independent education evaluation at public expense.
Program Development
Once the evaluation process is completed, a team of qualified professionals and parents determine whether the child is eligible. If the child is eligible, the individualized education program team meets, develops the program and determines the educational placement. Once the IEP team develops the program and determines the educational placement, the school district will issue a notice of recommended educational placement/prior written notice. Your written consent is required before initial services can be provided. The parent has the right to revoke consent after initial placement.
Confidentiality of Information
The school districts maintain records concerning all children enrolled in the school, including students with disabilities. All records are maintained in the strictest confidentiality. Your consent, or consent of an eligible child who has reached the age of majority under State law, must be obtained before personally identifiable information is released, except as permitted under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The age of majority in Pennsylvania is 21. Each participating agency must protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information at collection, storage, disclosure and destruction stages. One official at each participating agency must assume responsibility for ensuring the confidentiality of any personally identifiable information. Each participating agency must maintain, for public inspection, a current listing of the names and positions of those employees within the agency who have access to personally identifiable information.
For additional information related to student records, the parent can refer to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
This notice is only a summary of the Special Education services, evaluation and screening activities, and rights and protections pertaining to children with disabilities, children thought to have a disability and their parents. For more information or to request evaluation please contact the Support Services Department: 570-673-3983.
The Canton Area School District will not discriminate in employment, educational programs, or activities based on race, color, national origin, age, sex, handicap, creed, marital status or because a person is a disabled veteran or a veteran of the Vietnam era. No preschool, elementary or secondary school pupil enrolled in the school district shall be denied equal opportunity to participate in age and program appropriate instruction or activities due to race, color, handicap, creed, national origin, marital status or financial hardship.
PARENT RESOURCE
Parent Task Force Information
Local Parent Task Force Meeting Dates
The Arc of Pennsylvania www.thearcpa.org
Parent Education Network www.parentednet.org
Parent Education and Advocacy Center www.pealcenter.orgThe Mentor Parent Program www.mentorparent.org
Disabilities Rights Network www.drnpa.org
The Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) www.pattan.net
OVR - Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Website
www.dli.pa.gov/ovr
OVR Contact
Kristen Leary - She will be covering all your Learning Support, and High Functioning Autism/ ID cases. Kristen can be reached by email - kleary@pa.gov
SAM - Service Access & Management, Inc
SAM serves more than 70 counties throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Since 1997, SAM has been expanding its service area outside the boundaries of Berks County in south central Pennsylvania to neighboring Schuylkill County and beyond.
www.sam-inc.org
SPECIAL EDUCATION PLAN
2020-2023 Special Education Plan
2023-2026 Special Education Plan
Public Notice Regarding Destruction of Special Education Records
In accordance with state and federal regulations implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this notice is hereby given that in accordance with CFR 300.624, Canton Area School District intends to destroy the records of students who exited from any special education program prior to and during the 2016-2017 school year.
Special Education records which have been collected by the Canton Area School District related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of the Special Education in the district, are maintained under state and federal law for a period of seven years after Special education services have ended for the student. Special education services end when the student no longer is eligible for services, graduates, completes his or her educational program at age 21, or moves from the district.
After seven (7) years, the records are no longer useful to the district, but they may be useful to the parent/guardian or former student in applying for Social Security benefits, rehabilitation services, college entrance, etc. The parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student who reached 18 years of age, may request a copy of the records in writing or in person at the following address by July 1, 2024.
Canton Area School District
Special Education Department
Attn: Mrs. Amy Repard, Special Education Supervisor
545 East Main Street
Canton, PA 17724
Destruction of these records will begin August 7, 2024.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS NOTICE PROVIDES RESIDENT STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS WITH NOTICE THAT THE DISTRICT MAY DESTROY RECORDS UNDER THE FOLLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES AND TIMELINES
All student protocols and raw data will be considered no longer educationally relevant at the conclusion of the evaluation.
Records that include a student’s name, address, grades, attendance records, dates attended, grade level completed, and year completed may be destroyed once 7 years have passed since the student’s 21st birthday. This would include records for those individuals whose year of birth is 1994 or earlier.
Special Education records, Section 504 records, Child Study Team records, and health records may be destroyed once seven years have passed from the date a student has graduated or reached graduation age (if exiting the district before graduation) as long as there is no outstanding request to inspect and review the records and the records are no longer deemed useful to the school district.
Destruction will proceed where parents or eligible students have not requested copies by the first of July each school year. Parents or students who are eighteen years of age have the right to request a copy of their record before destruction.