Special Services
Special Education | Health Services | Title I
 
Special Education
McKeesport Area School District is one of the few school districts in Pennsylvania which has run its own special education classes for more than 30 years.  McKeesport has one of the largest district operated special education programs in Western Pennsylvania.  The District has always operated on the belief that exceptional children should be educated within the District when possible.  The District provides programming for all students with varying needs and exceptionalities.
Support Services included but are not limited to the following:
•   Learning Support
•   Life Skills Support
•   Autistic Support
•   Emotional Support
•   Gifted Support
•   Language Support
The McKeesport Area School District provides Special Education Services to approximately 1000 students.  The District maintains working relationships with a variety of community agencies to ensure collaborative efforts of developing individualized and appropriate programming for students.  The District frequently contract with The Allegheny Intermediate Unit and various private schools to assist with providing educational services to students who may present with more extensive needs.
Contracted Services include:
•   Hearing Impaired Services
•   Visually Impaired Services
Range of Services
The McKeesport Area School District provides a wide range of services to students with special needs.  It is the District's desire to ensure that all identified students are educated in the least restrictive environment.  The placements of all students are assessed by team process when determining the level of services a student may need.  All buildings are staffed with an Inclusion Support Specialist to assist students who remain fully included within the regular education setting.  The District is committed to providing educational services that are appropriate for each student and in compliance with all regulations set forth in both Chapter 14 and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Identifying Students
To identify students who may be eligible for special education, various screening activities are conducted on an on-going basis.  These screening activities include:
•   Review of group based data
•   Cumulative Records
•   Enrollment Records
•   Health Records
•   Report Cards
•   Ability and Achievement Test Scores
•   Hearing, Vision, Physical and Speech/Language Screening
•   Review by the Instructional support teams.
Screening activities are conducted upon requests made, in writing, by parents and teachers.  Before screening begins, the District seeks parental consent to conduct a multi-disciplinary evaluation.  Parents who believe their child is exceptional may request a multi-disciplinary evaluation at any time through a written request to the building principal. For information relating to definitions and warning signs for developmental delays, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, autism, etc., please click here.
Due Process
Parents have the right to participate in all testing and placements procedures.  A detailed list of all procedures will be made available upon request.
Confidentiality of Student Records
McKeesport Area School District protects the confidentiality of personally identifiable information regarding exceptional and protected handicapped students in accordance with state and federal law and district policy.  Parents have the right to review all information.  Records are disposed of in a timely manner after notification of parents.
Information
To learn more about the Special Education Program at McKeesport Area School District contact:
  Mrs. Patty Tkacik
  Coordinator of Special Education/Psychological Services
  3590 O'Neil Boulevard
  McKeesport , PA  15132
  (412) 664-3622
  Fax (412) 664-3626
Special Needs Children and Kindergarten Transition Tools
•   The Vermont DOE’s parent friendly guide to transitioning special needs children; this e-booket has excellent tools to help parents share “nuts and bolts” information about their children. You’ll see some of their pages in our transition packets!
•   A document which provides guidance for developing a binder of important records.
•   IEP meeting planner for parents.
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A worksheet to help parents and school teams address concerns about a child’s development.
 

For Providers Helping Prepare Children for Kindergarten Transition

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A guide for schools, preschools and families that includes a great checklist of Kindergarten skills.
 
Transition and Special Education Determination
•   A summarization of the transition process.
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A short but sweet description of the special education process.
 
Kindergarten Transition Links
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The NEA site with recommendations for story books to share with your children about going to Kindergarten.
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More books!
 
Recommendations to Facilitate Transition
•   Autism Society’s recommendations to ease transitions for children.
 

Encouraging Your Child's Developmental Skills to Facilitate Kindergarten Transition

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What Kindergarten teachers think are important readiness skills - you might be surprised!
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From Terrific Transitions, a checklist to help parents prepare for transition.
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Family friendly activities to help you prepare your child for Kindergarten.
•   Eighty skills that will help your child shine in Kindergarten.
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For the parent who wants a month to month focus in readiness skills- this site provides a different focus each month.
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At the bottom of the page is a connection to download "Kindergarten Here I Come." This PA Department of Public Education calendar is a year full of readiness activities to prepare your child for Kindergarten.
 

Encouraging Your Child's Development of Literacy Skills

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Get Ready to Read offers an on-line screening of literacy readiness for parents to administer to their children, as well as on-line activities for children to improve readiness and advice for parents.

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A home literacy checklist to help parents identify tools and actions that parents can use to help their children learn to read.
 
Encouraging Your Child's Development of Numeracy Skills
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This site has many ideas for developing your child’s math readiness skills.
 
Thinking About Delaying Entry
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Research offers recommendations for families. As you will see, research does not generally support giving the “gift of time.”
 
Health Services
Physical and dental examinations are a State requirement in Pennsylvania.  If the family so desires, the physical examination may be done by their family physician at the family's expense.  The school district provides physical and dental examinations in the following grades:

Physical Examinations
First - Sixth - Eleventh Grades
Dental Examinations
First - Third - Seventh Grades
Immunizations
 All school age children (Grades K-12) must have the following immunizations to be admitted to school:
  4 - D.P.T. (Diphtheria-Whooping Cough-Tetanus)
  3 - O.P.V. (Oral Polio Vaccine)
  2 - Nine Day Measles Vaccine
  2 - Three Day Measles Vaccine
  3 - Hepatitis
A second dose of the measles vaccine is now required for all students.
A Tuberculin Tine Test must be administered to every child in the first and ninth grade to determine if they have been exposed to tuberculosis.  Parents will be notified of any positive findings.
Communicable Diseases
 Children who have a communicable disease may not remain in school.  The following communicable diseases are subject to exclusion according to state health law:
  Mumps   Chicken Pox   Rubella - 3 day German
  Infectious Hepatitis   Scabies   Ringworm
  Measles - 9 day   Pink Eye   Impetigo
  Pediculi   Pin Worms   Strep infections 
  including Scarlet Fever
Height, Weight, Vision Hearing, Scoliosis Screening
The School Health Program provides individual health checks as follows:
  Height and Weight Every Year
  Vision Every Year
  Hearing Kdg., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, and 11th grades
  Scoliosis 6th and 7th grades
Parents will be notified of any health concerns.
Medication will be given in school ONLY with a written request from a physician.
Title I
Title I is a federally funded supplemental education program that provides financial assistance to local education agencies to improve educational opportunities for children.
The Title I program was established to develop competence and interest in reading and math. Students who show a need in either or both subject areas receive assistance.
 
The goal of Title I ...
... to provide the opportunity for students to meet state content and performance standards in reading, writing, and mathematics through:
•   Extended learning time
•   A high quality curriculum
•   Instruction by a highly qualified staff
•   Increased family involvement
Our Program is developed and operated by a highly qualified staff of Reading Specialists, Math Teachers, Certified Teachers/Tutors, Instructional Assistants, and a Parent Involvement Coordinator.
Parents of all children in all Title I schools may request and receive timely information regarding the professional qualifications of the children's classroom teachers.
 
White Oak Elementary School's Parent Inovement Policy