Every three years, The School District of Jenkintown is required to develop a Special Education Plan designed to outline the programming, supports, and services provided to students requiring specialized services through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. A copy of the draft plan can be downloaded below for public review and comment. Please submit any comments regarding the plan to Michele Glennon the Director of Special Education and Student Services at glennonm@jenkintown.org. Thank you.
Michele Glennon, M.Ed.,
Director of Special Education & Pupil Services
The School District of Jenkintown provides quality educational services for all students. Experienced teachers and staff are dedicated to providing every child with educational opportunity. At times a student may struggle to progress academically or experience difficulties, whether physical, medical, social, emotional, or otherwise, which limit his/her progress. The District has a variety of services, which supplement our general education program to assist these students. Special Education, General Education with Accommodations, Gifted Education and English as a Second Language programs are offered from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. The staff are highly trained in a variety methods, techniques, and strategies to assist a student with making educational progress.
The staff stresses the importance of growth relative to the total child and provides a variety of opportunities for students to form meaningful and responsible relationships with peers and staff.
Click on the links below for further information about Special Education and other district services.
Please feel free to contact me at any time for more specific information on any of these topics.
Michele Glennon, M.Ed.
Director of Special Education/Student Services
Annual Public Notice 2024-2025
ANNUAL PUBLIC NOTICE TO PARENTS AND GUARDIANS OF CHILDREN WHO RESIDE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF JENKINTOWN
In compliance with State and Federal Law, the School District of Jenkintown has given notice that it conducts ongoing identification activities as part of its school program to identify students who may need special education and related services. If your child is identified by the District as needing such services, you will be notified of the appropriate procedures. Services and programs are available for children who are determined to need specially designed instruction due to the following conditions:
1. Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disability
2. Deafness/Blindness
3. Blindness/Visual Impairment
4. Deafness/Hearing Impairment
5. Emotional Disturbance
6. Intellectual Disability
7. Multiple Disabilities
8. Neurological Impairment
9. Orthopedic Disability
10. Speech or Language Impairment
11. Specific Learning Disability
12. Other Health Impairment
13. Traumatic Brain Injury
14. Mentally Gifted
If you believe that your school-age child may need special education and related services, screening and evaluation procedures designed to assess the needs of the child and his/her eligibility are available to you at no cost, upon written request. You may request screening and evaluation at any time. Requests are to be made in writing to the building principal or Director of Special Education and Student Services.
Communications with parents or with thought-to- be or exceptional students are in English and, if necessary, in the native language or other mode of communication used by the parents or student. In compliance with State and Federal Law, the School District of Jenkintown will provide to each protected handicapped student, without discrimination or cost to the student or family, those related aids, services or accommodations which are needed to provide access for a student to participate in and obtain the benefits of the school program. In order to qualify as a protected handicapped student, the child must be of school age with a physical or mental disability which substantially limits or prohibits participation in or access to an aspect of the school program. These services for protected handicapped students are distinct from those applicable to all exceptional students enrolled (or seeking enrollment) in special education programs.
If a pre-school child is suspected of being eligible for early intervention, evaluation and services are provided through the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. Information can be obtained by calling 1-610- 539-8550 and asking for the Early Intervention Department. For further information on the rights of parents and their children, provision of services, evaluation and screening (including purpose, time and location), you may contact Michele Glennon, Director of Special Education and Student Services at 215-884- 1801 ext. 116.Confidentiality: All information generated about your child is subject to the confidentiality provisions contained in Federal and State Law. The District has policies and procedures governing the collection, maintenance, destruction, and disclosure to third parties of this information. For information about these policies and procedures, as well as rights of confidentiality and access to educational records, you may contact, in writing, Michele Glennon, Director of Special Education and Student Services, West and Highland Avenue, Jenkintown, PA 19046.
Annual Public Notice of Special Education Services and Programs, Services for Gifted Students, and Services for Protected Handicapped Students
Click the link below to open this annual notice.
Annual Public Notice of Special Education Services and Programs 2024-2025
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
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 (school district/ charter school) anticipates exceeding the 1.0 percent threshold for PASA participation for the 2019-20 testing cycle. The necessary justification information has been submitted to the Bureau of Special Education. Questions on the (district/charter school) participation rates should be directed to (Special Education Administrator contact information)
Gifted Support (PA Code Chapter 16)
The District operates gifted support classes to eligible students in grades K-12. A full-time Gifted Support teacher instructs small groups of students and mentors individual students as appropriate. Students are determined to be eligible if they meet the multiple criteria, which are compiled in a Gifted Written Report (GWR). A Gifted Individual Education Program (GIEP) is developed for eligible students. For more information, contact the Building Principal, Guidance Counselor or the Director of Special Education and Pupil Services.
Homebound Instruction
If a child becomes ill or temporarily disabled and must remain out of school for more than four consecutive weeks, a request may be made for Homebound Instruction. The District will provide up to five hours a week of instruction. Requests should be made in writing to the building principal and should include the nature of the illness or disability and the probable duration. All requests are submitted to the Superintendent and Board of Education for approval
Procedural Safeguards Notice
BUREAU OF SPECIAL EDUCATION’S CONSULTLINE, A PARENT HELPLINE
800-879-2301
ConsultLine personnel are available to parents and advocates of children with disabilities or child thought to be disabled to explain federal and state laws relating to special education; describe the options that are available to parents; inform the parents of procedural safeguards; identify other agencies and support services; and describe available remedies and how the parents can proceed.
Additional Resources appear at the end of this notice.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Federal law concerning the education of students with disabilities, requires the Local Education Agency (LEA) to provide parents of a child with a disability with this notice containing a full explanation of the procedural safeguards available under the IDEA and the U.S. Department of Education regulations. A copy of this notice must be given to parents only once a school year, or:
(1) upon initial referral or parent request for evaluation; (2) upon filing by parents of their first State complaint under 34 CFR §§300.151 through 300.153 and upon filing by parents of their first due process complaint under §300.507 in a school year; (3) when a decision is made to take a disciplinary action that constitutes a change of placement; and (4) upon parent request. [34 CFR §300.504(a)]
This procedural safeguards notice must include a full explanation of all of the procedural safeguards available under §300.148 (unilateral placement at private school at public expense), §§300.151 through 300.153 (State complaint procedures), §300.300 (consent), §§300.502 through 300.503, §§300.505 through 300.518, and §§300.530 through 300.536 (procedural safeguards in Subpart E of the Part B regulations), and §§300.610 through 300.625 (confidentiality of information provisions in Subpart F). This model form provides a format that LEAs may choose to use to provide information about procedural safeguards to parents.
Protected Handicapped Services (PA Code Chapter 15)
The District also provides services, related aids or reasonable accommodations for those individuals identified as protected handicapped students. Students are eligible for a Service Agreement if they have a physical or mental disability which substantially limits a major life activity such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, learning, breathing, or working. Plans are developed to provide reasonable accommodations for the student to be successful in the general education program. For more information, contact the Building Principal, Guidance Counselor or the Coordinator of Special Education.
Psychological Services
The School Psychologist provides direct and indirect services to students, parents, and teachers. The Psychologist works closely with SAP/CARES (Student Assistance Program) Team members in a collaborative effort to address student needs in the general education program. If the team or parent believes that a student may be in need of special education services, the Psychologist coordinates the Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation (MDE) process. This includes gathering information from parents and teachers, completing classroom observations, administering psychological and educational assessments and assisting in the development of an Individual Education Program (IEP). Facilitating counseling groups, assessing student eligibility for Gifted Services and coordinating the re-evaluation of special education programs are other Psychological activities.
Special Education (PA Code Chapter 14)
The District provides Special Education instructional programs and support services to school-aged children who have been identified as eligible and in need of specially designed instruction by a Multi- Disciplinary Evaluation (MDE) and an Individual Education Program (IEP) Team. The instructional adaptations and individualized strategies are focused on maximizing the student’s academic achievement and social-emotional growth. The District operates Learning Support and Emotional Support programs K-12. Personnel include a special education coordinator, special education teachers, instructional aides, a Psychologist, a speech & language teacher and itinerant teachers for occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision and hearing. Identified students needing more intensive special education programs may attend classes operated by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit or neighboring school districts. The District pays for the services and transportation. For more information, contact the Building Principal, Guidance Counselor or the Coordinator of Special Education.
All records in the School District and Intermediate Unit are maintained to ensure student confidentiality.
