Pupil & Staff Support Services
Judith Richard
Director
1700 Main Street
Coventry, CT. 06238
Phone: 860-742-7317 Ext. 4
Fax: 860-742-4567
Email: jrichard@coventryct.org
Gina Olearczyk
Special Education Coordinator
Phone: 860-742-7346 Ext. 278
Email: golearczyk@coventryct.org
**New Information Regarding Seclusion and Restraint**
Parental Notification of the Laws Relating to the Use of Seclusion and Restraint in the Public Schools (English)
Parental Notification of the Laws Relating to the Use of Seclusion and Restraint in the Public Schools (Spanish)
**New Information Regarding RtI and LD Guidelines**
LD Guidelines Letter from PSSS Director - October 2009
The Coventry Public School District is dedicated to providing successful, exciting, and beneficial learning experiences for all children. Our administrators, teachers, and support staff have developed a wide variety of programs and services to meet each child’s unique learning needs.
The goal of our Pupil and Staff Support Services program is to provide equal access and equal opportunities for all Coventry school children in the least restrictive environment. We are proud to accept the ongoing challenge to maintain a continuum of educational services that facilitate appropriate programs for the children who are entrusted to us each day.
Included in this website is a brief description of the variety of special educational services offered. As you read the information, please realize that you play a key role in helping to design an effective educational plan for your child. Join us as we strive to create excellent school experiences. Your involvement will certainly enhance our ability to help all students succeed in school!
For additional information on the following topics, click on the desired topic.
MISSION STATEMENT
PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS
PLANNING AND PLACEMENT TEAM
2009-2010 BUDGET PRIORITIES
THE CONTINUUM OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES
STATE WEBSITE LINKS:
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/Parents_Guide_SE.pdf
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Coventry Public Schools Pupil & Staff Support Services Department is to provide a free, appropriate public education for students with disabilities ages three to twenty-one. The PSSS department, in coordination with building administrators is responsible for the referral, identification and programming for students with disabilities who require special education instruction and related services. Special education and related services are provided in full compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004), Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), and Connecticut General Statutes 10-76 a-j.
PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS
The parent/guardian of a child who requires or who may require special education is guaranteed procedural safeguards in accordance with the federal law entitled “Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act” (IDEIA, as reauthorized in December 2004) and with Connecticut state laws and regulations concerning children regarding special education. The procedural safeguards are found in the federal regulations, and are divided into the following categories:
Due Process Procedures
Protection in Evaluation Procedures
Least Restrictive Environment
Confidentiality of Information
A Procedural Safeguards in Special Education brochure is given to parents/guardians for new referrals and annually, with explanations offered as needed. If you would like a copy, please call the office of Pupil and Staff Support Services (742-7317 ext. 111) or go to the State website: http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/Prosaf.pdf
PLANNING AND PLACEMENT TEAM
The assessment and identification of a student for special education services, the review and modification of a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and the dismissal of a student from special education services must take place at a Planning and Placement Team (PPT) meeting. Each team includes representatives of regular education and special education within the student’s school. Parents/guardians are invited to all PPT meetings, and are strongly encouraged to attend.
THE CONTINUUM OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES
Coventry Early Intervention
Students, ages three to five, are serviced by Coventry Early Intervention Services (CEIS) that identify educationally “at risk” or special needs children and provide assistance and support to these children and to their families.
CEIS offers developmental screening, evaluations, parent support, play groups, information to assist parents and a lending library of parental resources. The annual town-wide CEIS screen is held in October; parents/guardians may refer children for CEIS at any time during the school year.
CEIS provides a continuum of services for the town’s preschool population with special needs. For some children with mild needs, services may be provided through a homevisiting program. Preschool children who display moderate to significant delays attend the CEIS preschool. Class schedules are developed based on individual needs.
The CEIS works in collaboration with all of the services offered through the Coventry Early Childhood Center (CECC). CECC allows all children to participate in a truly inclusive educational environment with age appropriate non-disabled peers.
Grades K to 12
As students enter grades K to 12, their individual identified needs are addressed within the continuum of educational services provided in special education as well as in mainstream education settings. The instruction for students is a cooperative effort involving all staff, families, and the Coventry community. Depending on the extent of services needed, a student will be instructed within one of the following program designs:
Regular Education Classroom with Collaborative Support: The student is placed in the regular education classroom, and is taught by both regular education and the special education teachers. Instruction is a collaborative effort providing increased support for the students within the mainstream.
Regular Education Classroom with Resource Room Support: The student is in the regular education setting for the majority of the school day. Specialized instruction addressing the student’s specific needs that cannot be provided within the regular education setting is offered in the Resource Room by the special education teacher.
Learning Center/Self-Contained: The student spends much of the school day in a Learning Center classroom. The program is educationally and/or behaviorally based to provide students with opportunities to experience school success. The student may or may not spend time in the regular classroom setting. In the latter case, opportunities to react with regular education students are provided.
Out-Placement: The severity of the student’s special education needs requires a very restrictive or very specialized environment not offered within the Coventry School District.
Related Services
Speech and Language: Speech and language pathologists provide assessment, analysis, and remediation that lead to improvement and correction of speech and/or language problems. Services also include collaboration with parents/guardians, teachers and other school personnel, and, in individual cases, coordination with community agencies as well as participation in the building Planning and Placement Teams (PPTs).
Occupational and Physical Therapy: Occupational and physical therapists provide services to children with physical, cognitive, sensory-integrative, and/or learning disabilities which preclude optimal functioning within the school setting. The occupational and physical therapist develops a service delivery plan in collaboration with others, based on evaluation results and expected outcomes within the student’s individualized education program (IEP). The service delivery plan becomes a tool to ensure synchronization with special education, regular education and other related services. Indirect services include collaborative consultation with classroom teachers, school administrators, and outside agencies as well as participation in PPTs. Consultations of a formal and informal nature to school personnel and parents/guardians increases awareness and provides rational for the therapeutic intervention.
Psychology: School psychologists are diagnosticians and mental health consultants in the school system. Through individual psychological testing and other diagnostic techniques, information about possible causes of difficulties can be examined and various forms of educational interventions can be initiated. Group and individual counseling are provided to students who require such services. The school psychologists also participate in PPTs and in recommending special services, programs, and modifications to existing programs.
Social Work: Social workers offer a wide variety of services to students at all grade levels as well as to parents/guardians. Assessment and consultation aid in the identification of social, emotional, personal, educational, or financial conditions that may interfere with a student’s availability to learn. Individual, group, and family counseling assist in remediating disabling factors. Family support, home visits, and education are offered in the hope of strengthening parenting skills and the family unit. Information and referral assistance are also offered to enable families to access appropriate community resources.
Guidance: Guidance counselors help students become self-advocating and able to make appropriate decisions about course and school choices, careers, and life goals. Guidance counselors assist all students in the identification and development of their interests and aptitudes.
