Special Education Policy

Special Education Policy

Tacony Academy Charter School provides a full
continuum of services to scholars with disabilities
who qualify for Special Education or related
services. These services include but are not limited
to counseling, occupational therapy, physical
therapy, speech therapy, learning support, and
remedial reading instruction with a reading
specialist.

If you are concerned about your scholar’s academic,
social or behavioral performance or their progress in
school, please speak to your scholar’s teacher
about your concerns. As a school, we monitor our
scholars’ academic, social and behavioral progress
closely. When you are working on your scholar’s
academics at home it is important to note that there
may be a problem if your scholar’s reading level is
more than one year below grade level, if your
scholar has memory retention issues, or an inability
to remain on task and complete assignments. If you
believe that your scholar may have special needs,
please contact the Special Education Coordinator to
discuss the options that Tacony Academy can offer.
At any time that you feel that your scholar may
qualify for special education, you may initiate testing
procedures by forwarding a written statement to the
CEO/Principal stating your concerns about your
scholar and that you wish your scholar to be tested.
Special Education law states that the School has 60
days to complete the testing process. Your scholar
will remain in his/her present educational placement
until testing is completed. No change in educational
placement will be made unless both you and the
school agree to the change in placement. If any
disagreement arises regarding the
recommendations following testing, the scholar will
remain in his/her current educational placement
while the disagreement is resolved following
established special education procedures.

After the testing is completed and a report prepared,
there will be a meeting to discuss the results. You
have the right to discuss this and offer input into the
goals that will be met for your scholar. When this
discussion results in differences that cannot be
resolved you have the right to request a pre-hearing
conference, mediation, or an impartial due-process
hearing. You may also request a combination of
these alternatives.

For further information on the evaluation procedures
and provisions of services to protected handicapped
scholars or scholars with disabilities, contact:

Theresa Linder, Special Education Coordinator
(tlinder@ap-schools.org)