Director of Special Education/Division 504 Administrator
Ellen Baker
Send Email
540-743-6533

Supervisor of Special Education
Brandy Hilliard
Send Email
540-743-6533

Supervisor of Special Education
Dr. Kevin Good
Send Email
540-743-6533

Administrative Assistant/Medicaid Coordinator
Tonya Gray
Send Email
540-743-6533

Transition Services/CSA Facilitator
Lisa Brown
Send Email
540-743-6533

Child Find Coordinator
Please Contact Central Office
540-743-6533

PCPS Dyslexia Advisor
Emily Seals
Send Email

• VDOE Parents Guide to Special Education

• Terms and Acronyms in SPED

• I'm Determined Project

• VA Family Special Education Connections

• Information for Families of Children with Disabilities

• Secondary Transition Services For Students With Disabilities

• Autism

• Developmental Delay

• Emotional Disability

• Intellectual Disability

• Learning Disability

• Multiple Disabilities

• Other Health Impairment

• Orthopedic Impairment

• Deaf-Blindness

• Deafness

• Hearing Impairment

• Speech-Language Impairments

• Traumatic Brain Injury

Special education means specially designed instruction to meet the unique educational needs of a child with a disability. It can include instruction, accommodations/modifications, supports, and related services needed as determined by the child’s individualized education program (IEP) team. The parent is a necessary component and is always invited to participate as a team member. The steps in the special education process are listed in the table below. For more information, you may want to look at the VDOE document, Parents Guide to Special Education.

Identification and Referral 

When parents or school staff notice that a student might need special help, they should give that information to the school system. A team will gather information and decide if an evaluation is needed. Information given by the parents is very important. Anyone who has a vested interest in the child's education can refer the student to the Child Study Team. Contact your child's building administrator to complete the referral request.

Evaluation

An evaluation is a careful look by a team of teachers and specialists at a student’s abilities, strengths, and areas of need. It provides information about the student’s educational needs and will also include information provided from the parents. Information given by the parent is very important.

Determination of Eligibility

In order for a student to receive special education services, the student must meet the criteria of one or more of the thirteen disability categories which adversely affects educational performance. At the eligibility meeting, a team of qualified professionals and the parents of the student make a decision as to whether or not a student meets the requirements to receive special education services. If the student is found eligible, then an IEP will be developed and special education services will begin.

Development of an IEP and Determination of Services

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) describes the educational plan that has been designed to meet the child’s unique needs. Each child who receives special education and related services must have an IEP. The IEP is developed with a group of individuals such as teachers, parents/guardians, administrators, related services personnel, and student (when appropriate) who work collaboratively to create a plan that provides meaningful benefit for the student with a disability. 

Special education services include a variety of options that allow the student to access the general curriculum. Teachers provide special education services across a continuum of service options that range from the least restrictive to the most restrictive. Students receive services determined by their specific needs. Related services mean developmental, corrective or supportive services required for a child with a disability to benefit from special education, including: assistive technology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social and behavioral services, speech-language therapy, vision services, hearing services, and transportation.

Review and Re-evaluation

Annual Review - At least once a year, the IEP team meets to review/revise the student’s IEP.

Re-evaluation - At least every three years, a student’s eligibility is reviewed which may, or may not, involve new evaluations. This meeting determines a student's continued need for special education services.

“The Department of Education shall annually prepare and distribute to local school boards packets of information describing the educational and other services available through the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, and the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired to students who are identified as hearing impaired or visually impaired. Local school boards shall annually post this information on the school division's web site and inform the parents of those students who are identified as hearing impaired or visually impaired of its availability. School boards shall ensure that packets of such information are available in an accessible format for review by parents who do not have Internet access.”  With the attached link, you will find guidance documents and resources available at the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) website for Sensory Disabilities

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/disabilities/sensory_disabilities/index.shtml