Shade Central City School District
The Shade-Central City School District strives to provide appropriate educational services to all students by offering a wide variety of programs. The district engages in identification procedures to ensure that eligible students receive Special Education services. Special Education services are provided to students, at no cost to parents. Special Education and related services are provided in compliance with state and federal regulations. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are developed to allow eligible students to make meaningful educational progress. The district's Child Find Program strives to identify all children at risk and to make appropriate referrals.
Parents, who suspect their child might be in need of Special Education services, may request that the district conduct a Multidisciplinary Evaluation (MDE), at any time. This evaluation will include information from parents and staff. It may also include the measurement of academic and behavior skills. Parents should submit their written request, for this evaluation, to the school's Director of Special Education or principal.
The Shade-Central City School District is committed to working in partnership with school staff, family, and the community to serve the needs of our high-achieving learners. We advocate for students with outstanding gifts or talents and align our services with the established Pennsylvania State Guidelines provided in Chapter 16.
Mentally gifted is defined as the outstanding intellectual and creative ability the development of which requires specially designed programs or support services, or both, not ordinarily provided in the regular education program. (22 Pa. Code §16.1)
Parents/Guardians may request a district evaluation to determine if their child is gifted and in need of specially designed instruction to meet his/her unique learning needs. The performance data will be reviewed at a multidisciplinary team meeting.
When parents suspect their child is gifted, they may request a GMDE at any time, with the limit of one request per school year. The request must be in writing. If a request is made orally to any professional employee or administrator of the district, that individual shall provide a copy of the permission to evaluate form to the parents within ten (10) calendar days of the oral request. The district MUST receive a parent’s signature on the form to move forth with the evaluation process.
Gifted Individualized Education Plans (GIEPs) written by other districts in Pennsylvania will be honored and either implemented or modified as needed to best meet the needs of the student in the Shade-Central City SD. Students with identification as gifted in another state will need to undergo screening with the internal data review team and/or evaluation with the school psychologist and will need to meet the criteria for identification as set by the Shade-Central City SD in accordance with Pennsylvania’s Chapter16 Regulations.
Once a student has been identified as gifted according to the above criteria, the multi-disciplinary team must decide whether the student requires specially designed instruction to meet his/her unique educational needs. If the team decides that specially designed instruction is needed, the team will develop a Gifted Individual Education Program (GIEP) for the child within 30 calendar days. If the team determines the child does not need specially designed instruction, the child would continue to receive general education instruction. The invitation to the GIEP meeting will be sent to the parents at least ten (10) calendar days before the scheduled GIEP meeting. The Notice of Recommended Assignment (NORA) can be presented to parents at the GIEP meeting or by mail within five (5) calendar days after the completion of the GIEP meeting. The parents shall have ten (10) calendar days to respond to the NORA sent by mail or five (5) calendar days to respond to a NORA presented in person at the conclusion of the GIEP meeting. The GIEP will be implemented no more than ten (10) school days after the NORA is signed (or the start of the following school year if completed fewer than 30 days before the last day of school). If the parents receive the Notice in person and approve the recommended assignment within five (5) calendar days, the school district may not implement the GIEP for at least five (5) calendar days.