Special Education
Special Education
SURVEY OF PARENTS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Pennsylvania’s State Performance Plan requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 include collecting and reporting data on the involvement of families in special education programs. Specifically, states must report annually to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the public on State Performance Plan Indicator 8 which is the: “percent of parents with a child receiving special education services who report that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities.” Some Camp Hill parents will receive surveys mailed directly to them from Leader Servies in the next few weeks. Additional information about the survey can be found on the PaTTAN website at at PA Indicator 8 Information. All responses will be confidential. Parents may direct questions about the survey to the Special Education Consult Line at 800-879-2301. We encourage parents to participate in the survey process.
Welcome to the Special Education Department. Please be sure to visit the Schedule of Events page (located to your left) to see the latest information on workshops, training sessions, presentations, and meetings that affect the overall program.
Information on specific class activities is located on each teacher's home page. Our Special Education teachers are:
- Amy Rhykerd, Life Skills
- Andrea Bryant, Learning Support
- Brad Zangle, Learning Support
- Cassi Casale, Learning Support
- Lori Seaman, Learning Support
- Cristy Rice, School Psychologist
- Elizabeth Holtzman-Smith, Emotional Support
- Meghan High, Autistic Support
- Jocelyn Cale, Autistic Support
- Margaret Mayberry, Career Counselor/Transition Coordinator
- Noah Whelan, Emotional Support
- Regina George, Speech and Language Clinician
- Scott Bonner, Learning Support
- Stacey Zangle, Speech and Language Clinician
- Tawnya Railing, Learning Support
- Wade Jacoby, Learning Support
- Whitney Nester, Learning Support
Please visit each homepage for additional information.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Autumn Reely, Director of Special Education/Student Services, at 717-901-2400.
Camp Hill School District is committed to providing the supportive services that our students need in the least restrictive environment appropriate. The Camp Hill School District’s mission, “The Camp Hill learning community is committed to providing all students with foundational skills, knowledge and opportunities for lifelong success,” is consistent with the underlying philosophy that all students should be included in the regular education program in the general education curriculum to the greatest extent possible while also providing them with an appropriate individual education program. In further support of the mission statement are a number of value statements that articulate additional District beliefs about inclusionary educational practices. They are:
Our learning community will foster understanding, empathy, and respect for every individual.
Learning experience will equip all students to become effective communicators, independent learners, critical thinkers and innovators who are capable of solving complex problems.
Our learning community will maintain high standards and expectations for all members.
The District’s Special Education Plan further articulates how it ensures that students with disabilities are educated with non-disabled peers to the greatest extent possible by offering supports and services within the general education program. The complete plan can be found by clicking on the file below . A relevant excerpt is provided below:
“The Camp Hill School District offers services within the District to ensure that students with disabilities are educated with non-disabled peers to the greatest extent possible by offering supports within the general education program and through supplementary aids and services in regular education for identified special education students.”
Prior to utilizing special education services, the District utilizes general education supports to help students who are not succeeding within the regular education setting and curriculum. At the elementary level, the Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtII) process is utilized in the language arts and math areas to monitor student achievement and to provide interventions based on student need. Classroom teachers instruct students at their level in reading through flexible grouping and Title I remedial reading services (grades K-5). Reading specialists at the middle school and high school levels provides additional reading instruction for students who are not meeting proficiency levels. Remedial math instruction is provided by teachers through extra math instructional periods for those whose math scores are below expected achievement levels. Before and after school tutoring is available to non-proficient students and structured study halls can be used to provide previewing and reviewing of grade level material for at risk students. Peer tutors may also provide tutoring. Instructional support teams and processes are in place, as are Student Assistance Teams and guidance services. Elementary teachers have been trained in the RtII model in academics and the middle school is implementing the Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support program. Currently, the middle school has a mentoring program in place where teachers are assigned to a group of students to provide support to them throughout their middle school careers. It is after these services have been applied consistently over a period of time that educational teams, which include parents, decide that referrals for multidisciplinary evaluations should be made.
When a student is identified as having a disability and in need of specially designed instruction, the team decides on the services that will provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for that student. The team will first consider the use of District supportive services before considering services outside the District because they are more restrictive. If necessary, the team looks for services that are housed in neighboring school districts so that to the greatest extent possible the student can participate in courses and activities with non-disabled peers. The District belongs to a consortium with Cumberland Valley School District, West Shore School District, and East Pennsboro Area School District and hopes to continue to provide more inclusive services for District students with low incident disabilities. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) team reviews all of the assessment and progress monitoring data to determine the needs of the student. During the discussion the team considers supports and services within the regular education environment first. When the student has been unsuccessful in the one environment, the IEP team considers other supports and services that are needed in order to provide FAPE. It is after this team discussion and analysis of data that the decision is made that the student needs a more restrictive environment in order to provide FAPE. In each of the last five years, the District has met the state target for “in regular education 80% or more of the time.”
The District has resource rooms that provide full time, supplemental, and itinerant services for students with disabilities in the neighborhood school which the students would otherwise attend. The learning support teachers with the aid of paraprofessionals use the inclusion model when appropriate to provide the specially designed instruction necessary to ensure a Free Appropriate Public Education. All District special education students are enrolled in elective courses such as physical education, art, music, consumer education, health/wellness, and technical education. Furthermore, students participate in lunch, recess, and extra-curricular activities with non-disabled peers. Paraprofessional support is provided as needed for student participation. In the last two years, the District has increased its capacity to educate students with autism in school district programs through the use of professional development and consultative support from VISTA Outreach, the Capital Area Intermediate Unit, and PATTAN. The District has added a communication facilitator to help a student who is deaf participate more fully in the general education program. Assistive technology devices such as computers, iPads, and hearing aids are provided to students as tools that help them to fully access the educational environment.