Blacklick Valley School District
Special Education Department
The Blacklick Valley Area School District special education plan below will be posted for 28 days for public comments or questions. The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires school districts to submit a special education plan every three years. You can submit comments to Mrs. Nichole Kolarik, Special Education Director, by calling (814)749-9211 ext. 223, via email at nichole.kolarik@bvsd.k12.pa.us, or by mail at 555 Birch Street Nanty Glo, PA 15943
Parents are very important participants in the special education process. They know their child better than anyone else and have valuable information to contribute about the kinds of programs and services that are needed for their child to be successful in school. To ensure the rights of children with a disability, additional laws have been made. In this guide, we use the term rules. Sometimes these rules are confusing for parents. They may be written in a language that is hard to understand. This website has been prepared to explain these rules so parents will feel comfortable and can better participate in the educational decision-making process for their child.
This website will answer these questions:
Does my child need special education?
How is my child's special education program determined?
What are the school's responsibilities to my child and me?
What if I disagree with school officials about my child's education program?
Conclusion:
The concept of special education is simple. If a child has unique needs that require special education as a result of a disability, those needs are to be determined and a program to meet those needs designed and carried out. However, the procedures and processes involved in designing this special program and carrying it out are complex and may seem cumbersome.
Everyone involved must remain focused on meeting each child's individual needs. When parents and school officials successfully keep this objective in mind, the likelihood of providing quality educational programming dramatically increases.
Additional information may be obtained in the booklet "Pennsylvania Parent Guide to Special Education For School Age Children". This booklet is available at the Blacklick Valley School District Special Education Office. You may request a copy by using the email link below. Additional information is available through PA Training and Technical Assistance Network at http://pattan.net/parent-information
Renee Williamson, Administrative Assistant
