Letchworth Plan

The mission of Letchworth Central School is to  prepare each student for the challenges of his or her
own distinct future in a democratic pluralistic society. Each pupil will acquire the life skills, moral values and information processing capabilities to become successful, fulfilled adults. The school community will develop and maintain high staff and student morale and encourage the love of learning as a lifelong process. This is best achieved by bringing the world to our students through  the cooperative effort and common goals of staff, students, and the community.

The School District will:

6. Communicate regularly with students, parents and other teachers concerning growth and achievement.

1. Attend school daily, except when ill, and be on time to all classes.

2. Express his/her opinions and ideas in a respectful manner so as not to slander, or restrict the
rights of others. (See Section VI)

3. Dress so as not to endanger physical health, safety, limit participation in school activities or be
unduly distractive. (See Section V)

4. Be aware of all rules and expectations regulating student behavior and conduct him/herself in
accordance with these guidelines.

5. Should be willing to volunteer information in disciplinary cases if he/she has knowledge of
importance in such a case.

6. Be aware of available educational programs in order to use and develop capabilities to a
maximum.

7. Be physically fit, prepared to participate, and have a positive attitude toward physical activity.

8. Be aware of all rules and expectations governing participation and conduct him/herself in
accordance with these guidelines.

9. Be aware of the information and services available and to seek assistance in dealing with
personal problems, when appropriate.

10. Be aware of the right to access information and guidelines governing such access.

11. Be aware of actions which constitute serious and dangerous wrong-doing and refrain from such
acts (possession of contraband, drugs, etc.).

12. Refrain from participating in any discriminatory practices or harassment against others -students,
teachers, custodians, etc.

13. Demonstrate appreciation for the dignity and integrity of all community members.

14. To respect one another and treat others fairly in accordance with the District Code of Conduct
and the provisions of the Dignity for All Students Act. To conduct themselves in a manner that
fosters an environment that is free from intimidation, harassment, or discrimination. To report
and encourage others, to report any incidents of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

It is the purpose and intent of the Letchworth Central School and the Board of Education, in
conjunction with the Special Education Department, to identify all students suspected of having a disability. Such identification will be completed in accordance with section 200.4 of the
Commissioner’s Regulations. This plan satisfies the requirements set forth in section 200.2 (c), (2)
that states each Board of Education shall have available for public inspection and review an
acceptable plan that explains the Special Education program in our school district.
Upon completion of the evaluation, the Committee on Special Education, (CSE), as appointed by the
Board of Education, will determine if classification and placement are necessary. All students so
identified will be placed in accordance with existing State and Federal Regulations. Students who
are found to be students with disabilities will be provided educational opportunities in the Least
Restrictive Environment (LRE) and be given all the guarantees of due process and equal access as
required by regulation.
Philosophically, the school district believes that all children should be educated in an environment
that challenges their academic and social potential, regardless of individual, physical, emotional, or
socioeconomic limitations. All children have equal access to all school programs. The Letchworth
Central School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual
orientation, age, disability or marital status.

A. Purpose of the Plan
Pursuant to current regulations which specify Board of Education responsibilities, the
Letchworth Central School has developed and defined this District Plan. The purpose of this
plan is to describe the overall functioning and aspects of the special education programs
within the Letchworth Central School. The District Plan contains no personally identifiable
data and is available for public inspection.

B. Description of District
The Letchworth Central School is located approximately 50 miles south of Rochester. It is in
Wyoming County and is primarily a rural community. Present enrollment is 898 students as
of June 30, 2023. As of June 22, 2023, the special education school-aged population is 110
students and 17 preschool students. The District is housed in a single connected building
which contains three programs, Elementary School (grades PreK-4), Middle School (grades
5-8) and High School (grades 9-12).

C. Assumptions
This plan is predicated upon certain suppositions about factors which exist or will exist for
the duration of this plan. They include:
1) It is assumed that State and Federal Laws and Regulations concerning the
education of children with disabilities continue to be reviewed and revised.

2) It is assumed that financial assistance from the State and Federal government will
be maintained or increased to support these programs.
3) It is assumed that the early identification and screening of children with
disabilities will be refined and will serve to identify greater numbers of children at
an earlier age.
4) It is assumed that educating special education students within the Least
Restrictive Environment will continue to be a priority.
5) It is assumed that parents will become increasingly cognizant of their rights to be
involved in the special education process and will exercise these rights to a
greater degree.
6) It is assumed that the need for related services will increase with the types and
levels of special education children being served.
D. Nature and Scope of Special Education Programs
Currently, the District has established positions to service special education students as
follows:

Each staff member reports directly to the building principal as they are assigned as well as to
the Director of Pupil Personnel Services. The District contracts with agencies and/or institutions for services not available within its facilities, such as Music Therapy and
Behavioral/Autism Consultation.
The program serves all students with special education needs as identified by the Committee
on Special Education (CSE). Students are referred for consideration by either their parents or
school staff. Each student receives a comprehensive psychological and educational
evaluation as well as a physical examination, social history and classroom observation prior
to being classified and recommended for placement by the CSE.
The District also maintains a Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE), which is
responsible for identifying and providing special education services to students ages 3-5
years old, who reside within the district boundaries. Letchworth Central is approved to
operate a preschool special education program integrated with the Universal PreK program
as well as two Special Classes in and Integrated Setting (SCIS) classrooms. The student’s
county of residence contracts with approved preschool providers to provide the appropriate
services to students who are deemed eligible by the CPSE.

In accordance with the regulations, the following continuum of services are available to preschoolers
with disabilities:

Part 200 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education also describes a Continuum of
Services for School-Aged Students as follows:

E. Test Access and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
The purpose of testing accommodations is to enable students with disabilities to participate
in assessment programs on an equal basis with their nondisabled peers. Testing
accommodations provide an opportunity for students with disabilities to demonstrate
mastery of skills and attainment of knowledge without being limited or unfairly restricted
due to the effects of a disability. Testing accommodations promote the access of students
with disabilities to assessment programs as well as to more challenging courses and
programs. Testing accommodations should not be excessive and should alter the standard
administration of the test to the least extent possible.

Testing accommodations are neither intended nor permitted to:
● Alter the construct of the test being measured or invalidate the results.
● Provide an unfair advantage for students with disabilities over students
taking tests under standardized conditions.
● Substitute for knowledge or abilities that the student has not attained.

F. Annual Review Meetings
Annual review meetings are held from January through June of each school year. Meetings
are scheduled by grade level, beginning with 12th grade and ending with preschoolers
transitioning to school-age. Parents/guardians are sent an invitation to the meeting at least
5 days in advance notifying them of the date and time of the annual review meeting. Parents
are able to attend in person or virtually via Google Meet or telephone. The meeting
invitation includes a list of the professional team members that are invited to the meeting.
The Special Education Teacher, who is the case manager for the student, is responsible for
collecting present levels of educational performance (PLEP) from the general education
teacher(s). This information is used to develop the PLEP statement and goals for the IEPs.

G. Special Education Referral Process
Letchworth Central implements an integrated multi-tiered system of support (MTSS-I). This
system uses quantitative and qualitative data to identify students with academic or
behavioral skill and/or performance deficits. Once the deficits are identified, academic
and/or behavioral interventions are implemented and progress monitored. In many cases
that intensified intervention is successful, and the deficits are ameliorate. When the more
intensive intervention does not result in a positive change, the MTSS-I team and or the
parent may refer the student to be evaluated for special education services. That evaluation
process is as follows:
1. REFERRAL
2. PARENTAL NOTICE AND CONSENT
3. EVALUATION
4. ELIGIBILITY RECOMMENDATION/IEP
5. IMPLEMENTATION
6. ANNUAL REVIEW within one year of IEP
7. REEVALUATION, every 3 years or triennially

H. Section 408
Section 4402(7) of the Education Law, as amended by Chapter 408 of the Laws of 2002,
addresses a school district’s responsibility to ensure that copies of IEPs are provided and
individuals informed of IEP implementation responsibilities prior to the implementation of a
student’s IEP. The Board of Regents adopted regulations to implement the requirements of
Chapter 408 to ensure that school personnel and other service providers that are charged
with the implementation of a student’s IEP have the information necessary to fulfill their IEP
responsibilities for each student.
I. Declassification Process
The Board of Education recognizes that it may be appropriate to declassify some students
with disabilities. The CSE, or the CPSE, as applicable, is responsible for making this
determination, while adhering to the requirements of federal and state law and regulation.
In order to determine that a student is no longer eligible to receive special education services
for reasons other than graduation or aging out, the committee shall meet to discuss the
student’s progress and determine the need for a reevaluation of the student. The District
then provides prior written notice to the parents of their right to request additional testing
and evaluations.
The reevaluation shall be conducted by a multidisciplinary team including at least one
teacher or other specialist with knowledge in the area of the student’s disability. The
reevaluation shall be sufficient to determine the student’s individual needs, educational
progress and achievement, ability to participate in instructional programs in regular
education as well as continuing eligibility for special education.

The committee then reviews the reevaluation report(s) at a meeting to determine the
student’s continued eligibility for special education services. The District provides the parents
with written copies of the reevaluation reports. If the result is that the student is
declassified, support services may be provided for up to one year after the declassification.

The primary goal of the District’s special education program is to maximize the academic and
functional achievement of all students with disabilities residing in the district in accordance with the
following objectives:
1. To provide a free appropriate education in the Least Restrictive Environment for resident
students with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 22 or until a high school diploma has
been awarded, whichever shall occur first.
2. To ensure that students with disabilities have the opportunity to be involved in and to
progress in the general education curriculum to the maximum extent appropriate to the
needs of each individual student and to provide them with appropriate opportunities to
earn a high school diploma in accordance with Section 100.5 of the Regulations of the
Commissioner of Education.
3. To maintain a CPSE and CSE for the purposes of evaluating students suspected of having
disabilities and for placement of students with disabilities in appropriate programs. The
CPSE and CSE will monitor the progress of all students with disabilities and will report
annually to the Board of Education regarding the status of each individual student.
4. To ensure effective communication and collaboration between the CPSE, CSE, school staff
and parents and to ensure that parents are advised of their due process rights.
5. To ensure the establishment of procedures to implement the provisions of Part 200 and
200.1 of the Commissioner’s Regulations for Students with Disabilities.
6. To provide the human and material resources necessary for the implementation of a
continuum of programs and services to meet the academic, social, physical and
management needs of students with disabilities.
7. To provide, to the greatest extent appropriate, adaptation and/or modification of
instruction and materials to enable students with disabilities to benefit from instruction
within the general education setting, whenever appropriate.
8. To ensure the confidentiality of personally identifiable data, information or records
pertaining to a student with a disability.
9. To ensure that adequate and appropriate space is made available to meet the needs of
preschool and school age students with disabilities.
10. To provide professional development for all personnel who work with students with
disabilities in order to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge necessary to meet
the unique needs of all students.

Progress toward the goals and objectives of the Special Education District Plan will be measured
through the following means:
1. The progress of individual students toward their IEP goals will be determined on at least
an annual basis. At these Annual Reviews, IEP will be reviewed and adjusted to meet the
needs of each student.
2. Reevaluations will be conducted at least every three years to gather additional specific
assessment data to make individual student IEP adjustments and improvements.
3. Teacher observations, conferences and professional development opportunities will be
reviewed for effectiveness toward meeting the needs of students with disabilities.
4. District accountability data, including progress toward the goals identified in the New
York State Performance Plan, will be reviewed to assess the achievement outcomes of
students with disabilities and progress toward the special education program objectives.
5. The Special Education District Plan will be reviewed and updated every two years.

The District will provide alternative format materials to students with disabilities who have been
determined, by the CSE, to need their instructional materials to be provided in an alternative
format. “Alternative format” is defined, in Section 200.2 of the Commissioner’s Regulations, as any
medium or format for the presentation of instructional materials other than a traditional print
textbook that is needed as an accommodation for a student with a disability who is enrolled in the
school district. It includes, but is not limited to, Braille, large print, open and closed caption, audio,
or an electronic file that is appropriate to meet the needs of the individual student.
The District has adopted the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) to
ensure that curriculum materials are available in a usable alternative format for students with
disabilities and the District participates in the National Instructional Materials Access Center
(NIMAC). This national effort to centralize the distribution of instructional materials in alternate
formats helps to guarantee timely provision of such materials to students. In purchasing
instructional materials, the District gives preference to vendors who agree to provide materials in a
usable alternative format. In addition, all purchase orders for textbooks or other related materials
include a provision that requires the publisher to produce NIMAS files and send them to the NIMAC. When a student requires instructional materials to be provided in an alternative format, as per their
IEP, the assigned Special Education Teacher notifies the CSE Chairperson who arranges for the
materials to be provided, at no cost to the family or student, in a timely manner, via the appropriate
source, which includes, but is not limited to, Bookshare.org and Recordings for the Blind and
Dyslexic (RFB&D).

In keeping with the Least Restrictive Environment model, the majority of students with disabilities receive special education services within the general education classroom. It is the District’s belief that students with disabilities should be instructed in the general education setting to the maximum extent possible. If a special class is required in order to meet a student’s academic and management needs, the classroom should be in close proximity to other classrooms of the same age and grade level students to enable the student with a disability to participate in general education whenever
appropriate.

In addition to district-based special education programs and classes, the District will work with the Genesee Valley BOCES to ensure that appropriate space will be available to meet the needs of resident students with disabilities who attend special education programs provided by GVEP. 

2023 – 2024 (anticipated) $2,932,986 (local and state funds)

The following data tables summarize the District students served in preschool or school-age
programs by age, disability area and type of placement, as of the Special Education Snapshot date as
of July, 2023.

Preschool and School-age Data for 2023-24 School Year

Number and Age Span of Students Served (Preschool)
by disability category & recommended placement

Number and Age Span of Students Served (School-Age)
by disability category & recommended placement