Chester-Upland special education leaders present K–12 framework, partnerships and revised gifted plan
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Summary
Special education staff described a new K–12 framework, services offered (OT, PT, speech, counseling, BCBA), external partnerships and a revised gifted screening plan to be submitted to the state in March.
Special education leadership at Chester-Upland School District presented a K–12 special education framework, outlined current related services and described partnerships and upcoming program changes, including a revised gifted identification plan scheduled for state submission in March.
The district’s special education team introduced itself and described a horizontally and vertically aligned K–12 framework intended to standardize programming across grades. Team members named in the presentation included Meg Santoro (K–12 special education supervisor), Julia Davis (elementary special education coordinator), Daria Adams (secondary special education coordinator), Nikkita George (admissions coordinator), Jamila Queen (special education specialist) and Valerie Grant (administrative assistant to the director of special education).
What the team presented: the district said it has related services in place including occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech, counseling, vision and hearing supports, behavior consultants and a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA). Staff described professional development including IDEA-related training and attendance at the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) special education conference. The presentation said district teams are working on transition supports into kindergarten and on expanding vocational and college-access partnerships.
Partnerships and programs highlighted: monthly Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) visits for high school students with a plan to expand that work into middle schools; collaboration with an entity described as Patton to support autistic programming; participation in the "Include Me" initiative funded through ARPA PA; Unified Sports and a proposed bocce team in the fall; the Best Buddies program; and the Victory Closet resource serving students and families experiencing homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Act. The district also described a 12-plus program focused on employability skills and mock interviews conducted in partnership with the Delaware County Intermediate Unit (DCIU), plus an upcoming panel visit to Delaware County Community College.
Gifted program: staff said they are revising the district’s gifted plan for the state. The plan will begin screening in a phased manner: identifying students in third grade in the first year and adding a spring screening for second grade in a later phase.
Context and enrollment: the presentation included a district enrollment figure of 3,071 students. Staff said the district continues to monitor special education implementation and will use monitoring information to develop corrective actions where needed.
Why it matters: the framework and partnerships affect services for students with disabilities and those eligible for gifted programming; changes to screening and service delivery will shape supports across the district.
Next steps: staff will file the revised gifted plan with the state in March and continue the K–12 alignment work; the district also plans follow-up communication about monitoring results and corrective actions where required by PDE.