What is it?

The Special Education Preschool Program is a federally mandated and funded service. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) makes a range of educational opportunities available to children with moderate to severe disabilities who are three and four years old. The program is managed by the Galway Central School District with financial oversight provided by the Saratoga County Youth Bureau. The district does not operate nor supervise any preschool services. Children are served at any one of several county-approved private agency sites in the area, or through home-based and community-based programs. Saratoga County arranges transportation through private providers.

Who is eligible?

Any child age between the ages of 36 months (3 years) and 60 months (5 years) residing in the school district who is experiencing significant difficulties or delays in development, whether physical, mental, or emotional, can be referred for service. Areas of concern can include difficulties in developing speech and language skills, thinking skills, motor skills or social skills. An assessment is conducted by a state approved evaluation agency to determine if your child qualifies for the Special Education Preschool Program.

What services are available?

CORE Assessment: A developmental evaluation of your child's language skills, fine and gross motor skills, cognitive ability, social/emotional skills and adaptive skills is conducted. Parents are interviewed to assess family needs. Screening and evaluation procedures include a review of relevant social, economic, cultural, medical and nutritional factors that affect the child's growth and development. The preschool assessment will identify your child's strengths and weaknesses.

Committee On Preschool Special Education: A multidisciplinary team consisting of evaluators, parents, teachers, and other professionals with knowledge of the child who review the evaluations, determine eligibility for services and programs. This committee reviews each student referred for special education services.

Home-Based and Agency Services:
An individualized education plan (IEP) for children and their families is written at the CPSE meeting. Services are then provided either in the child's home or at an approved agency. Planned curriculum is provided as a guide for parents and caregivers in educating the child. Certified practitioners in specialized areas may provide home-based services. Specialized services may also be provided at an agency approved to provide specialized services to a child. These services include Special Education Itinerant Services, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy.

Community-Based Services: The providers listed above may travel to home or childcare centers, Head Start centers, or other community settings to provide services to the child, consult with the staff, and modify curriculum or materials.

Classroom-Based Services: The child's total program is provided in a special education preschool class. Classes are located at approved agencies in the area.

Transition Services: Program staff work to ensure a smooth transition from the early intervention program sponsored by the Department of Health to the pre-school system and from the preschool program into the school-aged classroom.

What does it cost?

All services provided through the Special Education Preschool Program are offered at no charge. Funding is provided through federal, state, and local funding sources.

How do I access services for my child?

Parents, medical practitioners or community agencies may refer a child to this program. A referral form signed by the parent is required to begin the referral process. To obtain a referral, or for additional information, contact the Pupil Services Office at 518-882-1033 extension 3249.

To determine if your child is a candidate for assessment, ask yourself these questions:

• Is my child difficult to understand when he/she speaks?
• Does my child often not respond when you talk to him/her, or do I have to repeat things frequently?
• Does my child get upset easily, cry a lot, have temper tantrums, sleeping problems or other behaviors that concern me?

Continuum of Services

Students with disabilities shall be provided special education services in the least restrictive environment in order to enable disabled students to be educated with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate.

Related Services

Speech-Language Therapy: Speech-language therapy is available to children with communication difficulties impacting social, emotional, or educational growth. Eligibility for the program is determined by a comprehensive speech-language evaluation according to district guidelines.

Assistive Technology: Assistive technology services are provided to students with disabilities who need special supports to access their curriculum.

The district's assistive technologist:

• Assesses, recommends, monitors and modifies general and assistive technology devices
• Consults with and trains students, staff and families on the use of assistive technology
• Provides students with ongoing training in current equipment, devices, hardware and software to meet their instructional needs

Counseling: School psychologists with specialized training in both psychology and education provide assistance to educators, parents and students. School psychologists tailor their services to the particular needs of each child and each situation, and provide these services as needed:

• Consultation with school staff, families, and/or students
• Assessment to identify academic skills, learning aptitudes, personality and emotional development, social skills Counseling, conflict resolution, development of learning and behavioral plans
• Prevention strategies to resolve learning, social, or behavioral difficulties
• Professional development in such areas as teaching/learning strategies, classroom management techniques, crisis management

Physical Therapy: Physical therapy is provided in the public school system to students whose gross motor skills significantly affect their educational access. Parents must obtain a doctor's prescription to obtain physical therapy services in school. The district's physical therapists:

• Provide direct physical therapy services to students
• Consults with and acts as liaison between teachers and school staff, students, and their families regarding physical therapy issues
• Assesses, recommends, monitors, and modifies general and special equipment needed to meet student goals
• Consults with private physical therapists and other health care providers to ensure continuity in the management of physical therapy issues in the school setting

Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapy in the school setting is for students whose fine motor or sensory needs significantly impair their educational performance and qualify them for services under Section 504. Parents must obtain a doctor's prescription to obtain occupational therapy services in school.

Functional areas addressed through occupational therapy include self help; functional mobility; positioning; communication; sensory motor processing; fine and gross motor performance; life skills training; and environmental adaptation for access and mobility.

Services may include the following:

• Screening/assessing to identify deficits
• Development of IEP goals/objectives
• Consultation with staff and parents for implementing the student's program
• Planning and implementing the IEP component related to occupational therapy goals/objectives

Teacher of the Visually Impaired: The program for students with visual impairment provides specialized instruction and services required to meet the unique educational needs of visually impaired students. The District offers consultative and itinerant services as indicated by a student's IEP. Some of these services include Braille instruction, academic support, assistive technology, orientation and mobility training.

Teacher of the Deaf and Hearing Impaired Services: A certified teacher of the deaf and hearing impaired will provide direct services to hard of hearing pupils and consultation to teachers. This service enables the pupil to be educated in the least restrictive environment.

Instructional services might include:

• Training in manual communication and lip reading
• Reinforcement of reading and math skills
• Reteaching of regular classroom content areas
• Management of hearing aids and auditory trainers
• Modification of curriculum and instructional strategies

Supported by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Families in Transition is a program for students and families in temporary housing situations. The program goal is to ensure that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free, appropriate, public education provided to other children, with the opportunity to meet the same challenging New York State content and student performance standards.

Families in Transition supports children who are in temporary housing, or children who do not have a fixed, adequate and regular nighttime residence. Examples of temporary housing include:

• Sleeping at a campground or motel due to loss of housing
• Staying with friends or relatives because of a loss of housing or economic hardship (also known as doubled up)
• Staying in an emergency or transitional shelter
• Sleeping in a car, bus, train station or other public place
• Sleeping in an abandoned building or some other inadequate accommodation

This program also assists students residing in a shelter situation, and helps remove barriers to enrollment, attendance and supports the success of homeless children in school. If you feel that you might be eligible for this program, please contact:

Director of Pupil Services/Special Education Jennifer Hall
Secretary Barb Hartz
518-882-1033 Ext. 3249

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that all state and local agencies receiving Title I funding provide the public with an annual report card evaluating school performance and progress. In addition to the New York State School Report Card currently available on our public data site, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) has developed a Parent Dashboard to meet these requirements in a way that is informative and user-friendly for parents and the public. The Parent Dashboard offers information on all public schools including charter schools.

Please click the logo below for Galway Central School District's Parent Dashboard.

What is ESSA?

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in December 2015, replacing its predecessor, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. ESSA is focused on preparing all students to succeed in college, careers, and civic life. It provides a framework for every student to receive a well-rounded education no matter who they are, where they live, where they come from, or where they go to school.

While passed in 2015, there is a timeline for full implementation of ESSA. Part of the process included soliciting input and feedback from NYS students, parents, teachers, school and district leaders, school board members, and other stakeholders, which began in May 2016. The federal government approved NYS's ESSA plan in January 2018.

New York State’s plan for ESSA can be found in its entirety at New York State’s plan for ESSA website.

Click here to download an information sheet for parents.

Public Online Surveys

To solicit input on characteristics of Highly Effective Schools, possible indicators of school quality and student success, and guiding principles, NYSED and the Board of Regents created and distributed online surveys.

The largest number of survey responses came from the Survey on Possible Indicators of School Quality and Student Success, with 2,416 respondents. The Board of Regents ultimately used the survey feedback to determine that NYS would use chronic absenteeism as an indicator for School Quality and Student Success at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. More than two-thirds of survey respondents strongly supported/supported the use of chronic absenteeism as a measure of school quality and student success.

The high school level will also use a College, Career, and Civic Readiness Index as a measure of school quality and student success. Such an indicator drew substantial support from respondents to the survey mentioned above, with two-thirds strongly supporting or supporting the use of a College, Career, and Civic Readiness Index.

The online survey results are also being used to determine what measures will be incorporated into New York State’s data dashboard and considered for inclusion in the accountability system once valid and reliable baseline data becomes available.

Resolving Complaints

Please click here for the process for resolving complaints submitted to the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) Office of ESSA-Funded Programs alleging that a local educational agency (LEA), grantee or NYSED has violated a law, rule, or regulation in the administration of any “covered Federal program” under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) identified below.

These procedures offer parents and other stakeholders a process to file complaints and allow for the timely resolution of such complaints.

In Summary

The NYS goals and indicators for ESSA are aligned with My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, which seeks to ensure all students:

1. Enter school ready to learn
2. Read at grade level by third grade
3. Graduate from high school ready for college and careers
4. Complete postsecondary education or training
5. Successfully enter the workforce
6. Grow up in safe communities and get a second chance if a mistake is made

The Board of Regents is committed to using its ESSA plan and the My Brother’s Keeper initiative to increase equity of outcomes in New York State’s schools and support the development and adoption of policies and programs that promote the values of socioeconomic, racial, cultural, and other kinds of diversity.

Helpful Links

• ESSA Financial Transparency Report 2018-19

• NYSED ESSA Website

• Informational Video for Parents

Goals Under NYS's Plan for ESSA

• Provide all students comparable access to a world-class curriculum aligned to Next Generation State standards
• Reduce persistent achievement gaps by promoting the equitable allocation of resources in all public schools and the provision of supports for all students
• Support educator excellence and equity through the entire continuum of recruitment, preparation, induction, professional learning, evaluation, and career development of teachers and school leaders
• Build an accountability and support system that is based upon multiple measures of college, career, and civic readiness
• Use performance measures that incentivize all public schools to move all students to higher levels of achievement and attainment and measure student growth from year to year
• Identify low-performing schools by using multiple measures
• Recognize that school environment has an effect on student academic performance and support efforts to improve the climate of all schools
• Ensure that all students have access to support for their social-emotional well-being
• Provide all students access to extra-curricular opportunities so they can serve their schools and communities, participate in community-based internships, and engage in sports and arts
• Promote a relationship of trust, cultural responsiveness, and respect between schools and families, recognizing that student achievement and school improvement are shared responsibilities
• Ensure that effective educator practice is driven by an understanding of content knowledge, evidenced-based instructional practices, and a commitment to all students and their families
• Ensure that students with disabilities are provided services and supports consistent with the principles of the Blueprint for Improved Results for Students with Disabilities
• Provide educators with opportunities for continual professional development in the areas of equity, anti-bias, multicultural, and culturally responsive pedagogies
• Support districts and their communities in engaging in critical conversations about culturally responsive educational systems
• Support schools in developing and implementing policies that result in all students being educated to the maximum extent possible with their general education peers and provide appropriate supports and services to promote positive student outcomes

How Will Parents and Families Know if ESSA is Working?

SED will publish an annual set of reports that highlight school conditions and students’ opportunities to learn. These will be used for diagnosing needs and demonstrating progress in achieving quality and equity at the school, district, and State levels. Some of these measures include:

• School Climate
• School Safety
• Per Pupil School Funding
• Access to Specific Learning Opportunities
• Student Access to Highly Qualified Teachers
• Access to Staffing Resources
• Integration of Students
• High School Credit Accumulation/Completion of Required Credits/Successful completion of coursework for graduation
• Student Attainment of Industry- Approved Licenses or Certificates Post-Graduation Outcomes Postsecondary Enrollment Rates Postsecondary Persistence Rates
• Teacher Turnover
• Teacher Absences
• Teaching Conditions
• Parent Involvement and Engagement

While these measures are being considered for inclusion in the accountability and reporting systems, SED will develop a data dashboard that will provide parents with a transparent and intuitive way to evaluate the performance of schools in many areas, not just academic subjects.

How Was the ESSA Plan Created?

NYSED and the Board of Regents solicited public input and feedback regarding the development of the state’s ESSA plan beginning in May 2016. Throughout the process, the Board of Regents was committed to hearing all stakeholder voices and encouraging discussions between groups with diverse viewpoints. NYSED and Board of Regents created a framework for engaging stakeholders that included the following activities:

• Creation of the ESSA Think Tank
• Regular consultation with the Title I Committee of Practitioners (COP)
• Fall and Winter Regional Stakeholder Meetings on ESSA
• Public Online Surveys
• Spring Public Hearings on the ESSA Draft Plan and Public Comment Period on the ESSA Draft Plan
• Educator Conference on ESSA
• Consultation with National Educational Experts

Updates to the Board of Regents on ESSA, with items, presentations, and webcasts also available to the public on the Board of Regents webpage

Over 5,000 students, parents, teachers, school and district leaders, school board members, and other stakeholders participated in the NYSED’s stakeholder engagement initiatives.

Educators will be at the forefront of the implementation of the state’s ESSA plan, and therefore the state prioritized their involvement in the creation of the plan. In addition to serving on the ESSA Think Tank and COP and attending the ESSA regional meetings, educators also participated in ESSA Conference for Educators held in June 2017. Educators provided the NYSED with valuable feedback on how to effectively support implementation of the plan across the state.

Students Returning from Residential Facilities

Any youth presented for enrollment who is entitled to attend the schools of such district pursuant to Education Law, section 3202 and who is released or conditionally released from a residential facility operated by or under contract with the Office of Children and Family Services, the Office of Mental Health, the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities or a local department of social services is promptly enrolled and admitted to attendance in such district, and that school district personnel cooperate with such facilities and agencies in facilitating such prompt enrollment;

1. That the youth's educational records are requested from the school such student attended while in the residential facility; and

2. Where applicable, that the educational plan for such student's release or conditional release, as submitted to the family court pursuant to Family Court Act section 353.3(7)(c), is implemented.

Each school district shall designate one or more employees or representatives to facilitate the prompt enrollment of students who are released or conditionally released and whose duties shall include, but are not limited to, the receipt of student records and serving as a district contact person with residential facilities and State and local agencies.

Galway Central School District

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

The Galway Central School District Board of Education believes that positive parental involvement is essential to student achievement, and thus encourages such involvement in school education planning and operations. As stipulated in Section 1188 (d) (Parental Involvement) of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Galway Central School District will ensure that;...Each school served under Title I, Part A shall jointly develop with parents for all children served...a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff and students will share responsibility for improved achievement and the means by which the school parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State's high standards.

Title I Parental Involvement -- District-level Policy

Consistent with the parent involvement goals of Title I, Part A of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), the Board of Education will develop and implement programs, activities and procedures that encourage and support the participation of parents of students eligible for Title I services in all aspects of their child's education. The Board will also ensure that all of its schools receiving Title I, Part A funds develop and implement school level parental involvement policies, as further required by the NCLB. With oversight from the Board of Education of the Galway Central School District to ensure that all schools provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment to enable all students to achieve. Recognizing the importance of communication between teachers and parents, all schools will, at a minimum, conduct annually the option of two parent-teacher conferences during which their school's compact will be discussed in relation to the individual child's achievement, in addition to providing frequent reports, beyond the quarterly report card, to parents on their child's progress. This could take the form of phone calls home, interim reports and written correspondence. Parents will be afforded reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child's class and observation of classroom activities.

For the purposes of this policy, parental involvement refers to the participation of parents and teachers in regular, two-way and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities. At a minimum, parental involvement programs, activities and procedures at both the district and individual school level must ensure that parents:

• play an integral role in assisting their child's learning;
• are encouraged to be actively involved in their child's education at school; and
• are full partners in their child's education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child

(The term parents refers to a natural parent, legal guardian or other person standing in loco parentis such as grandparent or step-parent with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child's welfare.)

District- and school-level Title I parental involvement programs, activities and procedures will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities and parents of migratory children.

Parents also will participate in the process for developing a school improvement plan when the school their child attends fails to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years and is identified as a school in need of improvement. The Galway Central School District will publicly report on the progress of the schools and will prioritize resources to assist schools in reaching the State's standards. Parents and community members will be welcomed and encouraged to actively engage with the district in developing and implementing initiatives that lead to the academic success for all students.

Parent participation in development of district-wide parental involvement plan

The board, along with its superintendent of schools and other appropriate district staff will undertake the following actions to ensure parent involvement in the development of the district wide parental involvement plan:

• Meetings at flexible times and/or in highly accessible places such as community settings or surveying parents by phone, mail or e-mail.

Review of district-wide parental involvement plan

The board, along with its superintendent of schools and other appropriate staff will conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement plan in improving the academic quality of Title I schools, including the identification of barriers to greater participation of parents in activities under this policy and the revision of parent involvement policies necessary for more effective involvement.

Development of school-level parental involvement plans

The superintendent of schools will ensure that all district schools receiving federal financial assistance under Title I, Part A are provided technical assistance and all other support necessary to assist them in planning and implementing effective parental involvement programs and activities that improve student achievement and school performance.

Building capacity for parental involvement

To build parent capacity for strong parental involvement to improve their child's academic achievement, the district will, at a minimum:

1. Assist parents in understanding such topics as the state's academic content and student achievement standards, state and local academic assessments, Title I requirements, how to monitor their child's progress and how to work with educators to improve the achievement of their child.

2. Provide materials and training to help parents work with their child's academic achievement.

3. Educate its teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff in understanding the value and utility of a parent's contributions and how to:

• reach out to, communicate with and work with parents as equal partners;
• implement and coordinate parent programs; and
• build ties between parents and the schools