Student Services
At CTASD we know that every student and every family situation is unique. This unique blend of abilities and needs creates a dynamic learning environment where we can learn from one another, find success, and thrive.
Conemaugh Township SD strives to meet some of the needs of our diverse population by providing these services:
Family Support Services and Guidance Counseling
Our schools offer free health, dental, vision, and hearing screenings for all students. School personnel and families may use these screenings to catch correctable physical conditions that might hamper student achievement or compromise a student’s safety (e.g., the need for glasses).
We keep the results of all health exams and screenings confidential and maintain them as part of a student’s personal health record. For more information about our district health policies, immunizations, or student accident insurance provisions, please follow the appropriate links.
Special Education
Conemaugh provides a free and appropriate education for all of its students, including those students with disabilities and special giftedness, in accordance with state and federal laws. Our special education program works with families to create Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) to meet the special needs of their children. This plan includes related services in and out of school, at no cost to the family, to complement the student’s personal instruction and ensure that he/she receives the most benefit from his/her education.
Child Find
In order to identify children in need of services, CTASD collaborates with Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 to perform annual screening clinics for preschool children throughout Somerset County and in homes across the district by appointment. These screenings look for developmental delays in personal and social skills, fine motor skills, and vision. If a child is identified as in need of services, we will conduct an evaluation, create an IEP, and begin related services.
Identification
The Instruction Support Team identifies school age children in need of specially designed instruction through screenings of group-based data, school health records, cumulative achievement records, and hearing/vision/speech screenings. If screening results suggest a student is in need of special services, the district seeks parental consent to conduct a professional evaluation to begin services.
Evaluation
PDE Bureau of Special Education update August 31, 2023:
Change in Age of Eligibility for Free and Appropriate Public Education
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ensures that all children with disabilities ages three years through 21 years residing in Pennsylvania have the right to a FAPE, including children with disabilities who have been suspended or expelled from school. The commonwealth shall make FAPE available to a child with a disability eligible under IDEA until the student turns 22. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a child eligible under IDEA who attains the age of twenty-one (21) years may remain enrolled in their resident district free of charge until their 22nd birthday.
2022–2023 Information Pertaining to Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment – 1.0 Percent Participation Threshold Justification
The Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) 1.0 Percent Participation Threshold Justification process was developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education (BSE) in accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The ESSA requires Pennsylvania to ensure that the total number of students assessed in each subject using the PASA does not exceed one percent of the total number of all students in the state assessed on the statewide assessments. Each local educational agency (LEA) must complete and submit the PASA 1.0 Percent Participation Threshold Justification to BSE if it anticipates that more than 1.0 Percent of its students enrolled in grades 3–8 and 11 will be assessed using the PASA. A list of LEAs who anticipate exceeding the threshold will be made publicly available on the PDE website, in accordance with 34 CFR 200.6 (c)(3) regulations. LEAs must also make the document publicly available upon request, removing any personally identifiable information. Any LEA that exceeds the 1.0 percent threshold may be subject to further review by BSE.
In accordance with this procedure, CTASD is notifying the public that for the 2022–2023 school year, the district will surpass the 1% threshold. The LEA has completed the appropriate justification documents and submitted them to the state as required.
For additional information related to the PASA and the 1.0 percent participation threshold, please contact Jane Jugan, Special Education Coordinator, via email or phone at (814) 479-4080.
2020–2021 COVID-19 Compensatory Services
Gifted Education
Gifted Procedures
Chapter 16 of the Pennsylvania Code presents the requirements for gifted education programming and services in public schools. The following includes the descriptions of the screening, evaluation, and identification process for students who we consider mentally gifted within Conemaugh Township Area School District.
Public Notice and Screening
Prior to screening, parents can find information about gifted education through the district website, student handbook, and school newsletters throughout the year. The screening process at Conemaugh Township Area School District includes multiple criteria. Sources of data include parent reports, teacher input, group ability and achievement scores, and results of rating scales. All students in grades two will be administered a group aptitude test, currently the OLSAT.
After the school district receives the scores, the staff involved in screening will review the students’ test scores to identify those who scored 130 (standard score overall, verbal or nonverbal) or better regarding their cognitive abilities. Once we identified those students, we contact the teachers to provide additional information about a possible gifted referral. Soon after, any student who may potentially receive a referral for a gifted evaluation will receive a screening using the SAGES (Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary and Middle School Students). The student completes the screening either individually or in a small group. If all of these measures and data collection support the referral, we will contact the student’s parents to determine if they support a referral for possible identification as gifted. If the parent is in support as well, we will recommend the student for a multidisciplinary gifted evaluation.
In addition to a formal screening that will take place during second and fifth grades, a student’s parent, or teacher may request a gifted evaluation at any time. The request shall be in writing. If the parent makes an oral request to a teacher or other school staff in the district, the teacher will report this request to the guidance counselor, and we will send a permission to evaluate to the parent within ten calendar days of the oral request. There can only be one request made per school year.
Gifted Evaluation and Identification
Once the district has received the permission to evaluate for gifted, the evaluation process will begin. We will present the evaluation report to the parents no later than 60 calendar days, (except for the summer months), after the district receives the permission to evaluate. The school district will conduct the multidisciplinary gifted evaluation within 60 calendar days. The school psychologist will conduct the assessments. We will then compile all the information the for the gifted written report.
When considering results of assessments, the district will not make its determination of gifted ability based on IQ scores alone. Additionally, deficits in memory or processing speed, as indicated by testing, would not be the sole basis upon which we would determine a student not mentally gifted. In these cases, we will use the GAI (General Ability Index) to replace the full-scale ability standard score. The school psychologist who interprets the scoring data will make these decisions. We may also consider students gifted if students have IQ scores of lower than 130 and multiple criteria strongly indicate gifted ability.
Following the completion of the GWR, we must complete the GIEP within 30 calendar days. We will send the invitation to the GIEP meeting to the parents at least ten calendar days prior to the scheduled GIEP meeting. We can present the NORA (Notice of Recommended Assignment) to parents at the GIEP meeting or by certified mail within five calendar days after the completion of the IEP meeting. The GIEP will be implemented within ten school days after it is signed or the start of the following school year if the GIEP is signed fewer than 30 days prior to the last day of school.
Gifted Programming
The Conemaugh Township Area School District provides gifted education opportunities that meet the needs of each individual student. We base the programming options upon the strengths and needs of each student identified as gifted. The GIEP team agrees on these options prior to implementation. Types of gifted programming offered to students at Conemaugh Township may include:
- Early entrance to kindergarten or grade/subject skipping
- Grouping based on instructional level
- Acceleration by level, grade, or subject or a compacted curriculum
- AP or honors courses available at expected or earlier than typical times
- Independent study
- Grouping with other gifted students for meaningful instruction with peers
- Enrichment in specific content areas as outlined in GIEP
- Learning contracts
- Other options as identified by the GIEP team
Gifted programming may be significantly different when comparing the elementary level to the middle/high school level of support. At the elementary level, we may or may not pull students out for individual or group gifted time. At the middle school/high school level, we typically place students typically in advanced courses based on their higher level of skills and abilities. Therefore, the gifted teacher may serve as a mentor or monitor for the students. Pullout gifted education does not occur as much at the MS/HS level due to those differences.
Again, the GIEP decides all gifted support and the parents are able to approve using the NORA (Notice of Recommended Assignment). For more information or questions, please contact Jane Jugan, school psychologist, or Stacy Dabbs, curriculum director at (814) 479-4080.
English as a Second Language
Our district offers educational modifications and instruction for those students identified as not English proficient. We give a Home Language Survey to each family enrolling in our district for the purpose of identifying bilingual students who may benefit from language instruction.
Our program includes bilingual/bicultural instruction, English as a second language instruction, and as necessary, modifications to curriculum and translators for parental communication. We’ve developed our instruction on effective, research-based theory delivered by trained staff and implemented with age-appropriate resources. If you would like more information about this program, please contact the appropriate staff member.
Family Support Services and Guidance Counseling
We know that true education is a partnership between school and community. We desire to support the families in our district by addressing concerns of student safety, peer pressure, and belonging. We encourage all students to act respectfully, take responsibility, and participate in extra-curricular clubs, sports, and organizations to maximize their school experience. We also employ district-wide programs to discourage bullying and risky teen behaviors. For more information about these programs, see the references at the side of this page.
Student Assistance Program
Our Student Assistance Program (SAP) mobilizes school resources to remove learning barriers and, when the problem is beyond the scope of the school, assists families in accessing services within the community. We:
- Identify issues that may pose a barrier to a student’s learning
- Determine if that problem is the responsibility of the district
- Recommend resources to the student’s family
- Establish links with resources
- Provide a plan for in-school support during and after student treatment
