Update re: Students on IEPs
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope you and your family are doing well and staying healthy as we move through the summer months. I can’t believe August is just around the corner! As you may be aware, at the School Board Meeting last week, the Board of Education voted on the school district’s plan for reopening in August. The school district will be returning to school with a Hybrid Learning Model, which includes variations based generally on the county risk-level alerts (Levels 1 - 4). Information was also released last week about the school district's virtual option for the upcoming school year.
Many of you are probably wondering what the hybrid model and/or virtual learning will look like for students on IEPs. Please be assured that regardless of whether you choose to send your child to school or enroll in the virtual program, his/her IEP services will be provided.
For students in grades PreK-6 who are attending in-person following the hybrid model, services will look very similar to how they have looked in the past with providers working with children in their homeroom classrooms whenever possible. When it is necessary to pull small groups of students, employees will adhere to all school district/ school building precautions, including appropriate social distancing and PPE (personal protective equipment) requirements.
For students in grades 7-12 who are attending in-person following the hybrid model, services will be provided to the greatest extent possible during the days your child is attending in-person. If your student responded well to virtual learning during the 4th quarter, his/her service provider(s) may be able to continue to provide some services virtually on the days your child is learning from home. Please contact the school administrator or your student's case manager if this is a request you would like to have considered.
For students in grades K-12 who choose the full virtual option through the Perrysburg Schools Virtual Campus, IEP services will continue to be provided virtually by the school district. These services will be individualized based on your child's needs and may include, but are not limited to, things such as video conferences with your child's intervention specialist, teletherapy sessions, virtual check-ins and specially-designed instruction, modified online curriculum, etc. The school district is in the process of compiling a Frequently Asked Questions document that will be shared with families soon. It will include a section on Special Education. We understand that the decisions families need to make require as much information as possible and we are working diligently to provide accurate and thorough information.
Regardless of which program your child participates in, the team will be collecting data upon returning to school to make individualized determinations regarding whether or not there have been significant declines in any skills. In the event your child experienced significant regression as a result of the extended closure, a team meeting will be scheduled to determine any additional services or supports that may be required. These meetings will take place by the end of the first quarter.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through the various unknowns during these unique circumstances.
Sincerely,
Andrea Glesser, Ph.D.
Director of Special Education
Perrysburg Schools
419-874-9131, ext. 2123
[email protected]
Posted: Tuesday, July 28, 2020