“The need is there,” said Jodie Chittester, Cranberry’s director of special services.
The training will be held at Cranberry but is open to parents in all school districts. There is no cost for the daylong session on Jan. 11.
Fifteen percent, or 200 students, in the Cranberry district are identified with special needs, Chittester said. Numbers are similar in neighboring districts, she added, and a follow-up session is planned in the Oil City School District in March.
The training in Cranberry will be offered by the PEAL Center in Pittsburgh. PEAL, which stands for Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership, is made up of parents and children who assist other families of people with disabilities.
Parents will come away from the training with a better understanding of common core standards and the types of accommodations that schools are making for their children, Chittester said.
Research has shown benefit in opening access to general studies for students with special needs. A five-year statewide initiative called Project MAX is geared toward doing just that, Chittester said.
The training, Presuming Competence and Access to the General Education Curriculum, will be held Jan. 11 in three seminars that are scheduled from 10:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Lunch is provided at no cost by PEAL.
Parents may call PEAL’s Tammi Morton at (412) 281-4404, ext. 209, or email tmorton@pealcenter.org to register.
Registration is recommended by Jan. 6.
