WAYNE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL DISTRICT

ANNUAL NOTICE TO PARENTS

2025-2026

I.NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

To comply with Federal Laws (including Title IX of Education Amendments of 1972), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Amendments of 1974, State Laws, the State Department of Education Regulations concerning Equal Rights and Opportunities, and to assure their implementation, the Wayne Highlands School District declares itself to be an Equal Opportunity Education Institution, and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap or limited English proficiency in its activities, programs or employment practices.

For information regarding Civil Rights or Grievances Procedures, please contact Timothy M. Morgan, Title IX Coordinator, at 474 Grove Street, Honesdale, PA18431.Telephone:(570)-253-4661.It is the coordinator's responsibility to make certain that all education programs and activities and all employment procedures are free from discrimination on the basis of these conditions stated in the Policy.

TITLE IX POLICY STATEMENT

The Wayne Highlands School District has created policies which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in both education and employment.Board Policy and Administrative Practices and Procedures prohibits sex bias in such educational areas as treatment of students, instruction, counseling practices, financial assistance, awards, physical education, interscholastic and intramural athletics, and disciplinary procedures.Board Policy and Administrative Practices and Procedures prohibits sex bias in such employment areas as applications, recruitment, hiring, upgrading and promotion, rates of pay, fringe benefits, job assignment and classification, leaves of absence, training and all other terms, conditions or privileges of employment.

For information regarding civil rights or grievance procedures, contact Timothy M. Morgan, Title IX Coordinator, 474 Grove Street, Honesdale, PA18431.Telephone: (570)-253-4661.It is the coordinator's responsibility to make certain that all education programs and activities and all employment procedures are free from discrimination on the basis of these conditions in the policy.

II.NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS UNDER FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s education records.These rights are:

Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect.The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the school to amend a record should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed.If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment.Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests.A school official is a person employed by the school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member; a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with whom the school has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using its own employees or committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC20202-5920

NOTICE FOR DIRECTORY INFORMATION

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Wayne Highlands School District, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child's education records. However, Wayne Highlands School District may disclose appropriately designated "directory information" without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the Wayne Highlands School District to include this type of information from your child's education records in certain school publications. Examples include:

• A playbill, showing your student's role in a drama production;
• The annual yearbook;
• Honor roll or other recognition lists;
• Graduation programs; and
• Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members.

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent's prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with three directory information categories - names, addresses and telephone listings - unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student's information disclosed without their prior written consent.

If you do not want the Wayne Highlands School District to disclose directory information from your child's education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the District in writing.

PPRA affords parents certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. These include the right to:

Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following protected areas ("protected information survey") if the survey is funded in whole or in part by a program of the U. S. Department of Education.

1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student's parent;

2. Mental or psychological problems of the student or student's family;

3. Sex behavior or attitudes;

4. Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior,

5. Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;

6. Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;

7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or

8. Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of-

1. Any other protected information survey regardless of funding;

2. Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of attendance, administered by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except for hearing, vision or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required under State law; and

3.Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.

Inspect, upon request and before administration or use-

l. Protected information surveys of students;

2. Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and

3. Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

These rights transfer from the parents to a student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under State law.

The Wayne Highlands School District has developed and adopted Policy (#235) in consultation with parents, regarding these rights, as well as arrangements to protect student privacy in the administration of protected information surveys and the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes. The Wayne Highlands School District will directly notify parents of these policies at least annually at the start of each school year and after any substantive changes. The Wayne Highlands School District will also directly notify, such as through U. S. Mail or email, parents of students who are scheduled to participate in the specific activities or surveys noted below and will provide an opportunity for the parent to opt his or her child out of participation of the specific activity or survey. The Wayne Highlands School District will make this notification to parents at the beginning of the school year if the District has identified the specific or approximate dates of the activities or surveys at that time. For surveys and activities scheduled after the school year starts, parents will be provided reasonable notification of the planned activities and surveys listed below and be provided an opportunity to review any pertinent surveys. Following is a list of the specific activities and surveys covered under this requirement:

Collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales or other distribution.

Administration of any protected information survey not funded in whole or in part by Department of Education.

Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening as described above.

Parents who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U. S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D. C. 20202-5920

WAYNE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL DISTRICT PPRA NOTICE AND CONSENT/OPT-OUT FOR SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), 20 U. S. C. section 1232h, requires Wayne Highlands School District to notify you and obtain consent or allow you to opt your child out of participating in certain school activities. These activities include a student survey, analysis, or evaluation that concerns one or more of the following eight areas ("protected information surveys"):

1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student's parent;

2. Mental or psychological problems of the student or student's family;

3. Sex behavior or attitudes;

4. Illegal, anti-social, self - incriminating, or demeaning behavior;

5. Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;

6. Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;

7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or

8. Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

This requirement also applies to the collection, disclosure or use of student information for marketing purposes ("marketing surveys"), and certain physical exams and screenings.

If you wish to review any survey instrument or instructional material used in connection with any protected information or marketing survey, please submit a request to the school principal. The principal will notify you of the time and place where you may review these materials. You have the right to review a survey and/or instructional materials before the survey is administered to a student.

Parents’ Right to Know Regulations 200.61

The Wayne Highlands School District receives Title I funding and is included under the regulations of the “No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLB) that was signed into law by President Bush on January 8, 2002.

NCLB requires:

•Increased accountability for states and school districts.

•Greater choice for parents, especially those in low performing schools.

•Greater flexibility for state and local education agencies in the use of federal funding.

•Under NCLB, parents have a right to request professional qualifications of their children’s teacher(s) or paraprofessional(s).This letter is to inform you of your right to ask for the following information about your children’s classroom teachers or paraprofessionals:

•Whether Pennsylvania has licensed the teacher for the grades and

subjects he or she teaches.

•Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional

status through which Pennsylvania licensing criteria have been waived.

•The teacher’s baccalaureate degree major and whether the teacher has

any advance degrees, and if so, the subject of the degrees.

•Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

If you would like to receive specific information about your child’s teacher or paraprofessional, please contact your school principal.Our district is fully committed to the success of your child.We appreciate your partnership in our efforts to provide the best education for your child.

WAYNE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL DISTRICT ANNOUNCES TESTING PROGRAMS
FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR

During the school year, the Wayne Highlands School District will administer a variety of tests in order to evaluate student achievement; educational programming; and career selection.

In the primary grades (K-2), the DIBELS Next (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessment is given. In the elementary grades (3-5) and middle grades (6-8), the 4Sight Assessment in Math and Reading will be given. High school students and in some content areas at the middle level, will utilize the Classroom Diagnostic Tool (CDT). The Pa. State Assessment Test will be given in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8.Keystone Exams will be administered to 8^th grade and high school students who take Algebra I, Biology and Literature.

Tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students will also be eligible to take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test which will be given on October 13^th, and the Scholastic Aptitude Test which is scheduled for October 2nd, November 6th, March 12th, and June 4th.Finally, students in grades eleven and twelve will be able to volunteer to take the Armed Services Vocational Battery of tests on September 29th.

For more information on the District's testing program, contact any of the school principals, or the Assistant Superintendent, Mr. Timothy M. Morgan.

DIRECTORY INFORMATION POLICY OF WAYNE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Parents of students or eligible students will be given the opportunity to notify the school in writing on a yearly basis of their wish to not be included in the release of directory information.This notification must be renewed in writing to the individual building principal wherein the student is enrolled on a yearly basis.Directory information includes information relating to the student as follows:the student's name, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation of officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the most recent previous school attended by the student, homeroom lists released to local newspapers, e-mail address, photograph and other similar information.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Annual Child Find Notice Wayne Highlands School District

Annual Public Notice of Special Education Services and Programs, Services for Gifted Students and Services for Protected Handicapped Students

Notice to Parents

According to state and federal special education regulations, annual public notice to parents of children who reside within a school district is required regarding child find responsibilities. This notice shall inform parents throughout the school district of the child identification activities and of the procedures followed to ensure confidentiality of information pertaining to students with disabilities or eligible young children. The District publishes written information in student handbooks and on its website.

Special Education

Children ages three through twenty-one years of age may be eligible for special education programs and services. If the District identifies a child as possibly in need of such services, the parent or guardian will be notified of applicable procedures.  If parents believe that the child may be eligible for special education, the parent should contact the student’s teacher or school counselor.  Individualized programming is provided for students who are determined eligible for specially designed instruction due to the following conditions:

• Specific learning disability
• Emotional disturbance
• Intellectual disability
• Hearing impairment including deafness
• Visual impairment including blindness
• Deaf-blindness
• Speech-language impairment
• Other health impairment
• Autistic/Autism
• Multiple disabilities
• Orthopedic impairment
• Traumatic brain injury
• Gifted with disability

Preschool Children with Special Needs

Parents who have questions regarding their child’s seeing, hearing, learning, talking, moving about, manipulating objects, understanding, showing emotions, getting along with others, playing with toys, taking care of himself/herself should phone the Western Wayne School District, which offers the Early Intervention Program, a preschool program for children with special needs. The Early Intervention Program can provide information, screening, evaluation, programs, therapy, parent involvement, and referral to community agencies at no cost to the parent. For further information phone the Western Wayne School District at 570-969-6711.

Potential Signs of Developmental Delays:

• Cognitive (thinking skill) skills: Difficulty learning, understanding information in the same way other children of the same age do, trouble following directions or solving problems.
• Social and emotional skills: Difficulty getting along with others, expressing feelings or communicating needs.  Struggling to understand social cues, having a conversation or dealing with changes in routine or expectations.
• Speech and language skills:  Challenges with using and understanding language the way their same-age peers do.  Difficulty speaking words or understanding what others say.
• Fine and gross motor skills:  Difficulty coordinating small or large muscles to perform actions.  Trouble holding an object in their hands or with coloring and writing.  Difficulty rolling over, sitting up, walking, or jumping.

Other Risk Factors that Could Indicate Disabilities:

• Exposure to toxins before birth (i.e. alcohol, opioids or other unregulated drugs)
• Exposure to toxins after birth (i.e. lead poisoning)
• Birth complications (i.e. premature birth, low birth weight, not enough oxygen at birth)
• Poor nutrition
• Health/medical concerns that may include chronic infections, vision issues, seizures, etc.
• Severe physical or emotional trauma including child abuse.

Screening

Kindergarten screening activities include a review of informal social and health history, developmental areas, functional vision and hearing, and speech and language. Kindergarten screenings are held during the spring at the school district. Further screenings are conducted through the Instructional Support Teams in each school throughout the year for any student that may be in need of special education services.  Parents who wish to request screening and evaluation for their child may do so by contacting the principal or counselor in their child’s school building.

Evaluation Process

Either parents or the school district can request an evaluation.  If you believe your school-age child may be in need of special education services you may request screening and evaluation at any time whether or not your child is enrolled in the District’s public school program.  Child Find federal regulations also apply to highly mobile children, including migrant children and those who are homeless.  Requests for evaluation and screening are to be made in writing to the appropriate staff at your child’s school (typically your child’s teacher, school counselor, or principal).  Parents of preschool age children, age three through five, may request an evaluation in writing to the Western Wayne School District’s Early Intervention Program.

Protected Handicapped Students

The District completes child find activities for children who may be eligible for services via Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The District will provide to each protected handicapped student, without discrimination or cost to the student or family, those related services or accommodations that are needed to provide equal opportunity to participate in and obtain the benefits of the school program and extracurricular activities.  These services and protections are distinct from those applicable to students receiving, or eligible to receive, special education and related services.  To qualify as a protected handicapped student, the child must be school age with a physical or mental disability that substantially limits or prohibits participation in or access to an aspect of the school program.  For additional information related to Section 504/Chapter 15 services, the parent may refer to Section 504, Chapter 15, and the Basic Education Circular entitled Implementation of Chapter 15.

Gifted Students

The District completes child find activities for children who may be eligible for gifted services via 22 PA Code Chapter 16. Either parents or staff may request an evaluation to determine eligibility for gifted services.  Parents who believe their child is gifted may send a request for evaluation, in writing, to the appropriate staff member at their child’s school (typically the child’s teacher, guidance counselor, or principal).  For additional information regarding gifted services, the parent may refer to 22 PA Code Chapter 16. If a student is both gifted and eligible for Special Education, the procedures in IDEA and Chapter 14 shall take precedence.

Consent

School entities cannot proceed with an evaluation or reevaluation, or with the initial provision of special education and related services, without the written consent of the parents. For additional information related to consent, please refer to the Procedural Safeguards Notice which can be found at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) website, www.pattan.net. Once written parental consent is obtained, the district will proceed with the evaluation process. If the parent disagrees with the evaluation, the parent may request an independent education evaluation at public expense.

Program Development

Once the evaluation process is completed, a team of qualified professionals and parents determine whether the child is eligible. If the child is eligible, the individualized education program team meets, develops an individualized program, and determines the most appropriate educational placement. Once the IEP team develops the program and determines the educational placement, school district staff will issue a notice of recommended educational placement/prior written notice. Parental written consent is required before initial services can be provided. The parent has the right to revoke consent at any time after initial placement.

Confidentiality of Information

All school records are confidential.  Personally identifiable information cannot be released without consent, except as permitted under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.  The District shall ensure the confidentiality of personally identifiable information at collection, storage, disclosure, and destruction states.  For additional information related to student records, the parent can refer to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

This notice is only a summary of the Special Education services, evaluation and screening activities, and rights and protections pertaining to children with disabilities, children thought to be disabled, and their parents. For more information or to request evaluation or screening of a public or private school child, contact an appropriate staff member at your child’s school.  For preschool age children, information, screenings, and evaluations may be obtained by contacting the Western Wayne School District’s Early Intervention Program.

For further information regarding special education supports and services in the Wayne Highlands School District, please contact the Special Education Office.

Amanda Kerna, Director of Special Education
474 Grove Street
Honesdale, PA  18431
570-253-3402 or 570-253-4661
AKerna@WHSDk12.com

STUDENT RECORDS ACCESS POLICY

The Wayne Highlands School District, upon request of a parent, shall permit the parent to inspect, review or copy education records relating to an exceptional child of that parent when the record is collected, maintained or used by the agency.The agency shall comply with the request without unnecessary delay, but not exceeding 30 days after the request is received.When the request is made to a school district or an intermediate unit, it shall be compiled prior to a conference regarding an IEP and prior to a hearing relating to identification, evaluation and placement of the child.

1.The right to inspect, review or copy education records includes:

i.The right of a parent to request of and receive from the educational agency a reasonable explanation of information contained in the education records of the child.

ii.The right of a parent to be provided, on request, with a copy of all or part of the education records of the child.

iii.The right of a parent to designate a representative, who will inspect, review or copy the records.

2.If a parent requests copies of education records from the Wayne Highlands School District, the Wayne Highlands School District may charge the parent a reasonable cost which may not exceed the actual expense of the duplication, reproduction or photocopying.Cost may not be charged to a parent for the search for or retrieval of records.

3.A parent has the right to request a list of the types and the location of the child's education records collected, maintained or utilized by the Wayne Highlands School District.

4.At the discretion of the Wayne Highlands School District and for verification and records keeping purposes only, an agency may require the parents to put into writing the following:

WAYNE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL DISTRICT VOCATIONAL PROGRAM OFFERINGS