Special Education - Sayre Area School District

professionals can obtain higher education and certifications. All teachers acquire necessary Act
48 credits relating to their teaching assignments. Teachers are encouraged and rewarded for
obtaining Masters degrees and graduate credits in education. Paraprofessionals are provided
with yearly CPR and First Aid training at no cost to the staff. The District provides on-going
professional development through inservice days, onsite professional development, as well as
opportunities for growth offered through PDE, PaTTan and the local IU#17.
Child Find:
The district participates through our local intermediate unit, BLaST IU #17 to complete Child Find
activities on an annual basis. In addtion, Sayre Area School District has developed policies in
accordance with federal and state regulations and guidelines to ensure the provision of a free and
appropriate public education to all school-age children, including those with disabilities. The
District provides appropriate special education programs, related services, and early intervention
programs that are:
-provided at no cost to parents
-provided under the authority of a school entity, directly by referral of by contact
-individualized to meet the educational or early intervention needs of the child
-reasonably calculated to yield meaningful educational or early education benefits and progress
-designed to conform to an Individual Education Program (IEP)
SASD has procedures in place to screen and identify students of have special needs. All
students are screened at Kindergarten registration using assessment tools by trained
professionals in the areas of hearing, vision, speech, and potential for learning. If a disability or
area of concern is suspected, a referral for a complete evaluation or further assessment is
discussed and presented to the parents of the student. Furthermore, if parents suspect their
son/daughter has a disability, a request for a school evaluation can be made by the
parent. Screening of children using immediatlely available resources and data such as health
records, report cards, attendance reports, enrollment records, etc. are tools the District use to
help identify children with special needs. Screening of children helps the District to determine
which students need further assessment and which students may benefit from regular education
interventions without the special education identification.
Identification and Evaluation Process:
Sayre Area School District implemented a streamlined indentification and evaluation process in
2010. The procedure for referring students is outlined so teachers were more familiar and
comfortable with the procedure. If a teacher or staff has a concern about a learning, emotional,
or behavioral need which is impacting that student's learning or functioning at school, the teacher
should refer the student to the Supervisor of Special Education. The Supervisor of Special
Education then collects important data and reviews this with building principals and a school
psychologist to determine whether a complete evaluation is necessary. Supportive interventions
and teaching strategies may be tried in the interim or in lieu of a complete evaluation. The
district's school psychologists conduct a complete evaluation with varied assessment tools and
diagnostic instruments to determine special education eligibility.
Intervention Strategies and Programs: