Pupil Services & Special Education

The Pottsgrove School District is committed to providing a continuum of services that offers students with disabilities the opportunity to access the general curriculum in the district in the least restrictive environment.  Services are designed in alignment with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and state law (Chapter 14) to meet the needs of Pottsgrove School District students with disabilities.  These services are provided at no cost to students who qualify.

The Special Education Department is committed to supporting the delivery of specially designed instructional strategies and related services as prescribed on an identified student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) with an emphasis on increasing opportunities for students with disabilities to learn and grow with non-disabled peers.

Special education is instruction that is individually prescribed to meet the unique learning strengths and needs of an individual school-aged student with disabilities from kindergarten through graduation from high school. The specially designed instruction and related services focus on academics as well as therapeutic needs to help a child overcome his or her difficulties in varied areas of development. These services may be offered in a variety of educational settings, but are required by the IDEA to be delivered in the least restrictive environment.

A student must be evaluated and identified as having a disability and in need of specially designed instructional strategies by a Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation (MDE) to be eligible for special education programs and related services. Related services may include speech and language services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, hearing support, vision support, orientation and mobility, augmentative communication, behavioral support, and social-emotional/counseling support.

The Pottsgrove School District provides students with disabilities with a variety of types and levels of supports. Types of Support Programs include; Speech and Language Supports, Vision Support, Hearing Support, Learning Support, Emotional Support, Autistic Support, Multiple Disabilities Support, and Life Skills Support. Levels of support include Itinerant, Supplemental, and Full-Time.  IEP teams are committed to partnering with families to provide programs to eligible students to meet their needs in the least restrictive environment.

2023-2026 Special Education Plan

During the 2024 school year in review of the Pottsgrove 2019, 2021, and 2023 Pennsylvania Youth Survey data, we are proud to share the comprehensive Prevention and Positive Youth Outcomes Action Plan. A team of Pottsgrove administrators, school counselors, school social workers, and nurses, came together to update the plan from the 2023 school year. This plan was also developed in partnership and with support from The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Drug and Alcohol and the Office of Mental Health. 

The plan is a preventative and proactive planning project focused on developing, implementing, and monitoring a five year comprehensive goal based prevention plan for the district to address youth identified behaviors they shared in the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) report and other identified district mental health data sources. It is important because it represents the voices of our students and will result in increasing early prevention and access to needed services. The plan is focused on strategic measurable goals and will help us better align services and supports to meet student identified needs.

Check out the action plans in the links below:

PAYS Community Sharing of the Action Plan 

Updated 2024 Action Plan

What is the PAYS Survey?

The Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS), administered to students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12, delves into attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge on alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and violence. Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, PAYS aids school administrators, state officials, and lawmakers by providing insights into evolving substance use trends. It identifies risk and protective factors, helping community leaders allocate prevention resources efficiently. During the 2025-2026 school year the PAYS will be administered again to all students in the cohorts above, including our 4th graders.

Facts about the PAYS

• Surveys are anonymous and confidential—no individual student information can be obtained from the data set.
• For more information, visit www.pays.pa.gov.

Important Policy Change Information Sharing from The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is writing to communicate an important policy change that will provide continued education services to special education students. This policy change will ensure students can access Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) as they are entitled under federal law. Effective no later than September 5, 2023, all students entitled to FAPE and all of the rights and procedural safeguards under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Chapter 14 of Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code may remain enrolled in public school until they turn 22 years of age. This includes students who turned 21 and exited during or after the 2022-2023 school term. More information on this policy change can be found by visiting the links below.

• IDEA-B Policies and Procedure (Revised August 31, 2023)
• PENN*LINK Message, August 30, 2023
• Letter to Families, English and Spanish

ACCESS is a program where the school district is reimbursed by Medical Assistance for services provided to their students receiving special education services as outlined in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Goal of the ACCESS Program
Reimbursement of funds received for services provided to students will be utilized to further develop and enhance special education services provided district-wide. Therefore, the program helps us to provide quality education services for not only your child but their classmates as well.
The ACCESS program is completely voluntary. You must renew your application every year. Students will receive all services as stated on their individualized education plans regardless of whether or not their guardians choose to participate in the ACCESS program.

ACCESS Contact
Pottstown Office: (610) 327-4280

School Social Workers are trained mental health professionals with a degree in social work who provide services related to a person's social, emotional, and life adjustment to school and/or society. School Social Workers are the link between the home, school, and community in providing direct as well as indirect services to students, families, and school personnel to promote and support students' academic and social success.

Each school district is required to designate a liaison to ensure that students experiencing housing instability are properly identified, enrolled, and have full and equal opportunity to succeed in school. Students who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate residence or are not in the care of their guardian are eligible for McKinney Vento support. Examples of this may include: families facing eviction, runaway youth, victims of domestic violence, fire, loss of employment or hospitalization/incarceration. If you feel your student is experiencing any difficulties accessing their education because of concerns relating to housing stability, please reach out to our homeless liaisons.

For more information about children and youth experiencing homelessness, click here.

The Pottsgrove School District, in accordance with the McKinney Vento Act and School Board Policy 251, is committed to supporting students who lack fixed, regular or adequate housing.

McKinney Vento Act Information- English

McKinney Vento Act Information- Spanish

For additional assistance, please contact your District McKinney Vento/ESSA Liaison and School Social Workers:

Kristin Heaney (6-12): 610-327-2277 ext. 7379

Tiffany Wagner (K-5): 610-327-2277 ext. 6562

LINKS

Montgomery County Subsidized Child Care: Application for free/low cost childcare.   

Montgomery County Mobile Crisis: 24/7 free in-person, phone, or text crisis support.

Behavioral Health Services: Creative Health Services is Montgomery County's Base Service Unit providing family services, including county-funded service for the uninsured.

United Way: 24/7 call or text support by contacting "211" to help connect with community resource agencies, including shelter and emergency housing. 

COMPASS site: Application portal for medical and/or financial assistance, food and/or childcare subsidies, and heating/energy assistance.

Pottstown Cluster: A faith-based organization that provides food and household necessities.

Free Health Clinic: Free and/or low-cost health and dental clinics in Pennsylvania.

Crisis Text Line: MHA to 741741 free text-based support 24/7.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 for victims or survivors (can also text LOVEIS to 22522). 

PCAR crisis hotline for victims of sexual assault: 1-888-772-7227.

Get Help Now Hotline (for substance use disorders): 1-800-662-4357.

Pottsgrove School District is committed to meeting the unique needs of all students and supporting their growth and development. When appropriate, students may have opportunities for acceleration and enrichment in particular areas of strength. The Gifted Support Program has specific eligibility criteria outlined below and all district students are screened at regular intervals for eligibility.

Procedures for Identification of Gifted Support Eligibility

Universal Screening: The district has a child find obligation to identify students in need of gifted support. As a means of gaining data for all students, the following measures are considered:
 
OTIS-LENNON School Ability Test (OLSAT): A test of abstract thinking and reasoning ability of children. The OLSAT is a group-administered, pencil-and-paper assessment designed to measure verbal, quantitative, and spatial reasoning ability. The test yields verbal and nonverbal scores from which a total score, called a School Ability Index (SAI) is derived. The OLSAT will be administered in the spring of first, third, and fifth grades. A Total score on Otis Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) above the 90th percentile using National Age Norms will be considered.

Exact Path: Math and Reading Nationally normed test with a percentile score; align with local curriculum and state standards; computer-administered 2-3 times per year. In this domain, students with Exact Path scores in the 90th percentile or above on either overall reading or math will be considered.

Teachers in first, third, and fifth grades are asked to rank their students according to ability. Ranking in the top 20 percent of the class according to teacher ratings will be considered.

Students who meet the defined criterion in two or more of the above domains will be referred for a full evaluation. Factors Used to Determine Eligibility for Gifted Students: 

Full Scale Intelligence Quotient or General Ability Index (GAI), math reasoning skills based on individually administered testing, reading comprehension skills based on individually administered testing, parent and teacher ratings of gifted characteristics, and teacher rating of acquisition and retention.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The purpose of FERPA is to protect the privacy of student records. The law also assures that educational records which are vital to the appropriate education of a child are accessible to the school professionals working with that student. If you do not want your child's picture/image to be published in school district publications or social media accounts, please fill out the form found in your student's First Day Packet accessible on the PowerSchool portal.

Student Records Policy

Confidentiality of Special Education Student Information Policy

The Every Student Succeeds Act (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 % 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. The Pottsgrove School District anticipates exceeding the 1.0 percent threshold for PASA participation for the 2022-23 testing cycle. The necessary justification information has been submitted to the Bureau of Special Education. Questions on the Pottsgrove School District participation rates should be directed to Mrs. Erika Hinkle, Supervisor of Special Education (K-5), 610-327-2277 ext. 1008.

Alternative Education

When the needs of a student cannot be met in a Pottsgrove School District, or a student has had certain serious infractions of the behavior code, the District will assist students and their parents/guardians in finding an alternative placement, with the goal of the student’s return to the District classroom as soon as is feasible.  

Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth (AEDY) placements, guided by state law, generally last for 45 days if the student successfully attends and completes all assignments with passing grades.

Information on AEDY programming, regulations, and guidelines can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. The local AEDY Complaint Procedures and Forms are available below.

The Pottsgrove School District partners with River Rock Academy to provide alternative education to our students. The major emphasis is to prepare students academically and socially for a return to public school. Each student will have individualized goal plans developed in conjunction with group and individual counseling to develop a comprehensive treatment plan. Transition planning will be used to reintegrate youth back into the public school and community setting. Co-op programming that utilizes community work experiences will be available to eligible students.

AEDY Complaint Process

The following is a process designed to address complaints and concerns regarding any aspect of Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth (AEDY) programs, including placement and exiting decisions, the quality of academic instruction, the provision or omission of language assistance services, and services to students with disabilities to include reasonable modifications. This process is referred to as the “AEDY Complaint Process.”

Individuals having complaints and concerns regarding AEDY are required to seek resolution via the relevant School District rather than elevating concerns to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) in the first instance. The filing of a complaint via the AEDY Complaint Process does not limit any other rights or remedies under federal and state law. This means, for example, that a parent may still file a separate due process complaint concerning his or her child’s Individualized Education Program (“IEP”) as provided pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”).

School districts will ensure that parents and students who are limited in (or have no) English proficiency (known as Limited English Proficiency or “LEP”) are provided translation and interpretation services to participate in the AEDY Complaint Process. If you need translation and interpretation services to access this document or the AEDY Complaint Process, please contact the Pupil Services Department at pupilservices@pgsd.org or call 610-327-2277.

Filing an AEDY Complaint with the School District

Any individual or organization may submit a written complaint using the attached AEDY Complaint Form. The form must be completed and sent to the Pottsgrove School District.

The complaint must include:

1. the facts on which the statement is based;
2. all relevant documents and supporting information;
3. a proposed resolution to the problem to the extent known and available to the complainant at the time the complaint is filed; and
4. the contact information for the complainant.

All relevant documents must be forwarded to the Pottsgrove School District, at the Pottsgrove School District, 1301 Kauffman Rd, Pottstown, PA 19464 or emailed to pupilservices@pgsd.org.

AEDY Complaint Letter & Form (English)

AEDY Complaint Letter & Form (Spanish)

Publicly Placed Complaints Public Notice

The Pennsylvania Department of Education is dedicated to equality, so all students in the Commonwealth have access to a high-quality, safe, and appropriate education, regardless of location. To ensure parity for one of the most vulnerable populations, the Department has created a Publicly Placed Complaint process to be utilized by anyone to raise concerns regarding the education and treatment of school-aged students placed by a court or child welfare agency in a facility with an on-grounds school or educational program. 

Under this system, the Department will review and, to the extent permitted by law, investigate complaints regarding the education of publicly placed students. With notice from concerned persons in the Commonwealth, the Department will increase the oversight of all publicly placed students attending on-grounds schools or on-grounds educational programs. For additional information or information on how to submit a Publicly Placed Education Complaint, please visit the Publicly Placed Complaint webpage.