About the Program » Pupil Services

Pupil Services

The Bethel Park School District seeks to meet the needs of pupils by employing specialists in many areas. Some of the services provided for those who qualify include the following:

            ESL Hearing Support 

Speech Therapy Adaptive Physical Education 

Remedial Reading Emotional Support 

Autistic Support Learning Support 

Gifted Support 

Life Skills Support

Academic/Instructional Support Psychological Evaluation 

Occupational Therapy Home-School Visitation 

Vision Support 

Social Work Services 

Physical Therapy Tutoring K-4

Student Assistance Program

Gifted Education Screening & Evaluation Procedures

The Bethel Park School District aims to identify any student who performs or shows potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared to others of his/her age.

The first step to identifying students who are suspected of mental giftedness is through the BPSD referral process. 


At any time during the year, a parent/guardian or school designee (teacher, guidance counselor, principal) may refer a student who they determine exhibits traits/characteristics of a gifted learner. 

The district ensures equal access to screening and further assessment to all district children. 

Building level administrators review student screening data throughout the school year on an ongoing basis. 

If a school employee should decide to refer a student, a Gifted Screening Form (GSF) is completed which outlines the following. 

The district utilizes a matrix rating system which assigns a set number of points to each of 6 areas. 

The teacher or school designee rates the student using the most recent group assessments (achievement and cognitive ability), current grade point average, and estimates of acquisition and retention. Information is collected using the student’s educational records as well as teacher input. 

Based on the score profile, the student may be referred for further assessment, referred for further discussion or consideration by the school based team, or not referred. For referrals whose scores are lower than a predetermined threshold, the school principal must sign off to assure that the appropriate information was reviewed. 

While a referral can be made at any time of year, teachers typically complete the GFS, following receipt of the results of the InView group ability assessment, PSSA, Keystone, or other achievement measure. This is to allow for a more detailed analysis of the student’s individual strengths and to make a reasonable determination whether to refer the student for further evaluation. 

Parents/guardians are also able to initiate screening or referral for consideration of a gifted evaluation. 

Parents/guardians can recommend to their child’s respective school that a screening be completed to determine if their son/daughter is an appropriate candidate for a gifted evaluation.

In addition, parents/guardians who wish to refer their child for a multi-disciplinary gifted evaluation, must put this request in writing and forward the letter to their child’s teacher or principal. Upon review, the principal will forward the letter to the special services department and within 10 calendar days, a permission to evaluate must be supplied to the student’s parent/guardian(s). 

 

Requesting a Special Education Student Evaluation

 

Parent/guardians, who are interested in having their child evaluated by the Bethel Park School District through a school based multidisciplinary evaluation (initial evaluation) or re-evaluation (already identified as needing special education supports), should provide a written request to the Building Principal located in their child’s neighborhood school or to the Supervisor of Special Education at the district administration building.

 

The written request should include the reason(s) for the request and specifically, the educational concern(s) that you have for your child (i.e. academic, behavioral, social). The District will either agree to the evaluation by issuing a Permission to Evaluate/Re-Evaluate Consent form or reject the evaluation by issuing a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP), which would indicate the reason(s) why the evaluation is being rejected.

 

If an evaluation/re-evaluation is agreed to by the District and written parent/guardian consent is granted, the student evaluation will be completed and disseminated to the parent/guardian within 60 calendar days. At that time, the parent/guardian will be invited to attend a multi-disciplinary or IEP team meeting to review the results of the report, ask questions to school personnel and to develop or revise an Individualized Education Program (IEP), if the child is found to be or continues to be eligible for special education services.

 

For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact Sarah Shue, Supervisor of Special Education for the Bethel Park School District in our Student Special Services Department at: 301 Church Road, phone: 412-854-8410 or email: [email protected] 

 

Homeless Education Information for Parents and Unaccompanied Youth

 

Children and youth experiencing homelessness have the right to a free appropriate public education. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires educational access, attendance, and success for children and youth experiencing homelessness.

 

Who is homeless?

 

Homeless children and youth means individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, and includes children and youth who are: 

  • Sharing housing
  • Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds
  • Living in emergency or transitional housing
  • Awaiting foster care
  • Having a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation
  • Living in cars, parks, public spaces, or abandoned buildings
  • Migratory meaning children who are or whose parent(s) or spouse(s) are migratory workers · Unaccompanied homeless youth meaning any child who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. This includes youth who have run away from home, been abandoned by parents or guardians, or separated from their parents for any other reason

The Bethel Park School District provides: 

  • Immediate enrollment of students experiencing homelessness
  • School placement in school of origin or in area of current residency
  • Assurance of educational rights for children and youth and parents/guardians ·    Access for unaccompanied youth
  • A dispute resolution process
  • Assurance for comparable services
  • Liaison collaboration with community agencies and supports
  • Support for parental involvement
  • Support for student achievement
  • Transportation

Other provisions provided by the Bethel Park School District: 

  • Enrollment of students in free breakfast and lunch program
  • Access to appropriate instructional supports and resources such as Title I including set asides, gifted education, and special education programs
  • Academic and social emotional learning supports
  • Bridge to community supports and services