NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC
From the Office of Special Education
The Office of Special Education of Saluda County Schools requests your help in the location and identification of all children with disabilities not currently being served. South Carolina statutes require public schools to provide appropriate educational programs for disabled children between the ages of three and twenty-one years. Current categories of disabilities are speech/language impairment, orthopedic impairment, visual impairment, other health impairment, deaf-blindness, autism, traumatic brain injury, multiple disabilities, mental disability, specific learning disability, deaf and hard of hearing, and emotional disability.
Anyone who is aware of any child suspected of having any of these disabilities can contact Ferlondo Tullock at 864/445-8441 weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The names of the referral person will remain confidential.
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Parent’s Right to Know
In January 2002, President George W. Bush signed the "No Child Left Behind" Act (NCLB) into law. Designed to ensure that all children have an opportunity to obtain a quality education, this new law is already bringing many changes to South Carolina’s schools.
As a parent of a student in Saluda County Schools, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers and instructional assistants who can instruct your child. Federal law allows you to ask for certain information about your child’s classroom teachers, and requires us to give you this information in a timely manner.
If you would like to receive any of this information, please fill out a "Parent’s Right to Know" form at the school office, and we will mail this information to you. We look forward to partnering with you this year as we work to provide a quality education for your child.
Parental Involvement Policy and School-Parent Compact
Parental Involvement is an integral part of the Title I program. Parents are encouraged to become partners in helping their children achieve and become involved in their child’s school. A strong connection between the home and the school is a key element in student success. Opportunities for active parent participation include, but are not limited to, open house, parent workshops, family nights, school-parent compacts, parent-teacher organizations, conferences, and newsletters.
Each Title I school receives input from parents for the development of a parent involvement policy and a school-parent compact. The parent involvement policy explains how the school plans to work with parents to review and improve parent programs and describes how parents can participate in planning these programs. The school-parent compact outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the way in which the school parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State’s high standards.
Draft copies of the policy and compact were distributed during registration with the Title I Newsletter. Please complete the comment sheet attached to the newsletter and return to the school office.
Notice to the Public
Saluda County Schools receives funding from the following federal programs: Title I Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, Title II Teacher Quality, Title III English Language Acquisition, Title IV Drug Free and Safe Schools, Title V Innovative Programs, and Title I School in Improvement. The District agrees to comply with Title VIIII Section 9501 by inviting private schools to participate in each program. Furthermore, the District follows all policies and procedures governing these funds to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The District maintains documentation of compliance and submits periodic reports to the South Carolina Department of Education. Funds from each program are used based on a needs assessment and are used to supplement, not supplant, other funding sources. Parents, students, and staff members have assisted in the development of school plans.
As of July 1, 2007, three Saluda County Schools participate in the Title I Program. All schools maintain a percentage of 35% or higher of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch and therefore qualify to participate in the Title I program. For information about the Saluda County School’s participation in these federal programs, contact Melissa Gilliland at 445-8441.
Student Referral to the Gifted and Talented Program
Any administrator, teacher, parent, or student that wishes to
refer a student for placement in the Gifted and Talented Academic Program should
request a referral form from the school office. All referral forms must be
completed and turned into the school guidance counselor by Thursday, August 31,
2006.
All students in grade two will be tested with the state provided aptitude test (CogAT) and achievement test (ITBS). Students above the third grade will be tested using the same instrument, but must be referred by a teacher, parent, student, or administrator. The CogAT and ITBS will be administered within the state-identified window of November 2-17, 2006. Saluda County Schools adhere to steps established by the South Carolina Department of Education for Gifted and Talented Identification. A student must meet two dimensions for placement. Below is a brief explanation of each dimension.
Dimension A- Reasoning Ability/Aptitude (CogAT)
Students must score at or above the 93rd national age percentile in one or more areas. Any student that scores in the 96th national age percentile or higher in the composite area will be eligible for placement.
Dimension B- High Achievement (ITBS)
Students must score at or above the 94th national age percentile or higher on a nationally normed test or achieve Advanced on PACT Reading or PACT Math.
Dimension C- Academic
If a student meets only one dimension the District Placement/Evaluation Team may recommend placement using Dimension C. Based upon the grade in which a child is enrolled, Performance Task (STAR) or grade point average will be used after a child meets the standard on either Dimension A or B. Students enrolled in grades two-five may take the Performance Task (STAR) one time at the Primary Level (grades two and three) and the Intermediate Level (grades four and five).
District Timeline for the Identification of Gifted and Talented Students
August - Parents, teachers, students, and administrators may complete referral forms for testing
August - All referral forms are due to your school guidance counselor
*November - School testing coordinators will administer the CogAT and ITBS to all second grade students and referred students
January - Districts will receive and review fall data students and determine students requiring and eligible for Performance Tasks (STAR)
January - The Evaluation and Placement Team will identify and place students into the Gifted and Talented Program
*March -Districts testing coordinators will administer the Performance Task (STAR)
May/June - Districts will receive data from Performance Task (STAR) and the Evaluation and Placement Team will identify and place students into the Gifted and Talented Program for the next school year
*Identified state testing windows
Federal Funding
FARS (Federal Automated Recovery System)
The Saluda County School District is always looking for ways to be
more efficient and effective
in our fiscal polices. While it may seem like a minor issue to
some, receipt of non-sufficient fund checks
is a time consuming and costly issue. As with any business,
Saluda County Schools has an obligation to
our students, the community taxpayers, to be fiscally accountable.
Processing NSF checks can take valuable
time from the school district personnel. To manage this process, our
district will begin using FARS
(Federal Automated Recovery System) immediately. FARS
utilitzes the federal and state laws allowing
the electronic recovery process of NSF checks which results in a
high rate of recovery at no cost to the school
district. The cost becomes the responsibility of those who
wrote non-sufficient fund check and the electronic
recovery of the state fee from the bad check writer's bank account.
Utilizing FARS is an effort by the school
district to be fiscally accountable in a more efficient and cost
effective manner.
Parental Involvement Policy and School-Parent Compact
Parental Involvement is an integral part of the Title I program.
Parents are encouraged to become partners in helping their children
achieve and become involved in their child’s school. A strong
connection between the home and the school is a key element in
student success. Opportunities for active parent participation
include, but are not limited to, open house, parent workshops,
family nights, school-parent compacts, parent-teacher organizations,
conferences, and newsletters.
Each Title I school receives input from parents for the development of a parent involvement policy and a school-parent compact. The parent involvement policy explains how the school plans to work with parents to review and improve parent programs and describes how parents can participate in planning these programs. The school-parent compact outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the way in which the school parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State’s high standards.
Draft copies of the policy and compact were distributed during registration with the Title I Newsletter. Please complete the comment sheet attached to the newsletter and return to the school office.
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AYP: What does it mean?
Along with state report cards, now schools have a new data source:
the No Child Left Behind Adequate
Yearly Progress report. This report rates a school based on
how that school is doing in meeting the highest standards.
Depending on the school population, the number of standards'
categories a school must meet may vary from less than 10 to 25.
Remember that if a school does not meet the highest standards in
only one category, then the school is labeled a
"School in Improvement." Where can I find out more
about
the Adequate Yearly Progress report or AYP? Click on the SC AYP
link on the left. Note also the Report Card Manual on the
left.