Pupil Personnel Services Department Staff

CSE Chair
Megan Logsdan
mclogsdon@yorkcsd.org

Pupil Services Administrative Assistant
Samantha Wolcik
sawolcik@yorkcsd.org

School Social Worker and Psychologist

Grades K-2 School Social Worker
Nicole Guy
nguy@yorkcsd.org

Grades 3- 5 School Social Worker
Sheri Nevinger
snevinger@yorkcsd.org

Grades 6-12 School Social Worker
TBD

K-12 School Psychologist
Stephanie Herbeck
sherbeck@yorkcsd.org

York Central's Pupil Support Staff is dedicated to helping young people make the most of their educational opportunities at school. They are a group of specially trained and certified professionals, including a Director of Pupil Personnel Services, two speech therapists, a school psychologist, a school social worker, and related service providers for ESL, OT, and PT.

The district provides special education programs for students with identified needs. The district's Committee on Special Education works closely with parents and staff to help determine placement in appropriate programs. Whenever possible, students are mainstreamed into grade level programs with support from a team of professionals, including the school psychologist, counselor, nurse, and special education teachers. An Individualized Education Plan for each student is developed and a continuum of services is provided. Students who require specialized services are referred to schools where such services are available.

Annual CSE File Review Notice / Confidentiality Notice:
If you are a parent of a student with an active CSE file, this is notice of an annual reminder that you are entitled to review your child's CSE folder. Please call the PPS office (243-1730 ext. 2211) to schedule an appointment if you would like to review your child's CSE records.

Programs and Services

In accordance with Section 200.6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, the district provides a continuum of services which allows placement of preschool and school-age students in the least restrictive environment consistent with their needs and which provides for placement of students on the basis of similarity of individual needs.

Consultant Teacher Service

Consultant teacher services will be for the purpose of providing direct and/or indirect services to students with disabilities in the student's regular education classes and/or to such student's regular education teachers. Such services shall be recommended by the Committee on Special Education to meet the specific needs of such students and shall be included in the student's individualized educational program (IEP). Consultant teacher services shall be provided in accordance with the following provision:

• Each student with a disability requiring consultant teacher services shall receive direct and/or indirect services consistent with the student's IEP for a minimum of two hours each week.

• The total number of student with disabilities assigned to a case manager shall not exceed 20

Related Services

Related services means developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a student with a disability and includes speech and language pathology, audiology, interpreting services, psychological services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling, orientation and mobility services, medical services as defined by regulations, parent counseling and training, school health services, school social work, assistive technology services, other appropriate developmental or corrective support services, appropriate access to recreation and other appropriate support services.

• The frequency, duration, and location of each service shall be in the IEP, based on the individual student's need for the service.

• When the related service is provided to a number of students at the same time, the number of student in the groups shall not exceed five.

• A student with a disability may be provided with more than one such service in accordance with the need of the student

• Related services may be provided in conjunction with the general education program or with other special education programs and services.

Resource Room

The resource room program is for the purpose of supplementing the general or special classroom instruction of students with disabilities who are in need of such supplemental programs. Resource room services shall be provided in accordance with the following provisions.

• The instructional group in each resource room period does not exceed five students. Each resource room period is instructed by a certified special education or literacy teacher.

• Students shall spend a minimum of 3 hours per week and not more than 50 percent of the day in the resource room program.

• The composition of instructional groups shall be based on similarity of the individual needs of the students according to academic levels and learning characteristics, levels of social development, levels of physical developments and the management needs of the students in the classroom.

Integrated Co-Teaching

The Integrated Co-Taught program provides specially designed instruction and academic instruction to a group of students with disabilities and non-disabled students. This option is optional for districts to implement and is not required.

• The maximum number of students with disabilities receiving integrated co-taught service in a class shall not exceed 12 students.

• Each class shall minimally include a special education teacher and a general education teacher

• Additional personnel including supplementary school personnel assigned to such classes by the district may not serve as the special education teacher.

Special Class

A special class is defined as a class consisting of students with the same disabilities or with differing disabilities who have been grouped together because of similar individual needs for the purpose of being provided a special education program. The chronological age range of students who are less than 16 years of age will not exceed 36 months. A student with a disability shall be placed in a special class to the extent indicated in his/her IEP.

Out-of-District Placement

Students with disabilities whose needs are too intensive to be addressed appropriately in an in-district special education program may be placed in an out of district placement designed to meet their needs.

Home and Hospital Instruction

Students with disabilities who are recommended for home and/or hospital instruction by the CSE shall receive instruction as follows:

• Instruction for elementary school students will be provided a minimum of 5 hours per week;

• Secondary school students will receive a minimum of 10 hours of instruction per week, preferably 2 hours daily.

• Students who are awaiting placement may be assigned, on an interim basis and with their parent's consent, to alternate-site instruction. This instruction is identical to home teaching except that the actual instruction takes place outside the home.

Declassification Support Services

Students exiting special education may be considered for declassification services. Declassification support services are defined in the Part 100 Regulations. Testing accommodations may be continued as recommended by the CSE. If a student has been receiving special education services but the Committee on Special Education determines that the student no longer requires such services, the State IEP form does not reference declassification. Where should recommendations upon declassification (including, as appropriate: testing accommodations; the student’s eligibility for the diploma "safety net;" the student’s continued exemption from the language other than English (LOTE) requirement; and needed declassification support services to be provided to the student and/or the student’s teachers during the first year after the student is declassified) be documented? The State’s model IEP form only includes information that is required by law or regulation to be included in a student’s IEP. There is no requirement in law or regulation to include information related to declassification in an IEP. However, the Committee must document its recommendations made upon declassification of the student to the board of education and in prior written notice to the student's parents. Any recommendations relating to declassification must be provided to the board of education by the CSE. The recommendation must: • identify the declassification support services, if any, to be provided to the student and/or to the student’s teachers; and • indicate the projected date of initiation of such services, the frequency of provision of such services and the duration of such services, provided that such services shall not continue for more than one year after the student enters the full-time general education program. Other recommendations, including those that will continue upon the student's declassification such as the student's continued eligibility for the "safety net" or LOTE exemption, should be included in the notice to the Board of Education and in prior written notice to the parent.

Role of Special Education Teacher:

• To assist school staff in understanding different learning styles and adapting the general education curriculum as necessary to meet the needs of individual students.

• To strengthen students' organization and study skill application within the general education setting.

• To teach students techniques needed to compensate for areas of weakness.

• To introduce and strengthen student self-advocacy behaviors and independent functioning skills.

• To increase self-awareness and self-acceptance of students with disabilities and general education students through their understanding that all individuals benefit from additional assistance at times.

• To provide remedial instruction in math, reading, writing or other academic need areas specified on the IEP without removing the student from the general education setting.

• To provide testing accommodations as needed.

• To assist parents in understanding their child's learning needs.

Procedural Safeguards Notice

The Office of Special Education has revised the mandatory New York State Procedural Safeguards Notice: Rights for Parents of Children with Disabilities, Ages 3-21. References to the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) were replaced with the Office of Special Education, the mailing address for filing of a State complaint was updated and website links were updated. None of the changes are substantive, and therefore districts are not required to replace any previously duplicated copies to disseminate to parents but should use this version when making new duplications of the notice.