Special Services

Heather King: Lead Process Coordinator
        
Danielle Overly: Process Coordinator, Gerner
Courtney Shepard: School Psychologist, Gerner
        
Joe Reed: School Psychologist/PC, Russell Jones Center
Jordan Nutt: School Psychologist, Russell Jones and MS Behavior
        
Cheryl Allen: Process Coordinator, English Landing, Tiffany Ridge and Renner
Leah Place: School Psychologist/PC, Hopewell and Line Creek
Andrea Crutcher: Process Coordinator,  Congress and Lakeview
Angela Flores: Process Coordinator: LEAD, Park Hill South
Lisa Bischoff: School Psychologist/PC, Graden and Union Chapel
Patty Riemensnider: Process Coordinator, Prairie Point and Southeast
Kim Hart: Process Coordinator, Plaza and Walden
John Liberto: Process Coordinator, Park Hill High School
Tatiana Fisher: Process Coordinator, Chinn and Hawthorn
Cindy Williams: Process Coordinator: Park Hill South

Below are the general descriptions of services and classrooms available in Park Hill: 

• Early Childhood Services
• 504 Services and Resource Setting provided in every Home School
• Classrooms Specifically Designed for Students with Autism (K-21)
• Staff trained and classroom setup designed specifically for students with behavioral, language, and or sensory needs
• Essential Skills Classrooms (K-21)
• Staff trained and classroom setup designed specifically for students with significant cognitive and adaptive behavior deficits
• Behavior Support Classroom (K-5)
• Staff trained and classroom setup designed specifically for students with emotional/behavioral needs
• Public Separate Day Facility
• Staff trained and classroom setup designed specifically for students with more significant emotional/behavioral needs

The Park Hill School District employs support staff to meet student needs:

• Teacher for deaf and hard-of-hearing students
• Teacher for blind and visually impaired students
• School psychologists
• Physical therapists
• Diagnostic consultants
• Sign language interpreter
• Speech pathologists
• Occupational therapists
• Recreational therapists

Parent Info Nights are hosted by Jessi Conner, our district’s transition teacher. Topics are geared towards increasing understanding of community support and resources available for parents within Park Hill School District’s special needs community.

Unless noted, all events will be hosted in Room 230 at District Office - 7703 NW Barry Road.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Conner at 816-359-6166.

Sept. 19, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
SSI/Medicaid, Developmental Disability Services
Presented by: Jennifer Hulmes

Oct. 17, 6 to 7 p.m. in Room 223
Special needs financial topics (Trusts, ABLE Accounts, etc.)
For anyone interested in preparing for their child’s financial future.
Presented by: TBD

Jan. 16, 2025, 6 to 7 p.m.
Available services, activities and resources in the community
For anyone interested in learning more about community resources and funding opportunities.
Presented by: Center for Human Services, Exceptional Humans & Platte County Board of Services

Feb. 20, 6 to 7 p.m.
Learn about Independent Supported Living options from a parent’s viewpoint and Children’s Health Services (CHS)
Presented by: Jeff Fanney (My Life, My Plan) and Heather Wood (CHS)

March 20, 6 to 7 p.m.
Learn about extracurricular activities available for individuals with disabilities
Booth-style with small conversations
Presented by: Various organizations

 

Mission and Definition

Park Hill School District recognizes that all students learn in different ways. It can be especially difficult when a child is not learning as would be expected. Dyslexia can be one of these challenges and is defined by the International Dyslexia Association: 
              
"Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

With the current research available to educators from science, Park Hill School District is working hard to broaden our understanding in order to ensure the supports that are needed for all students are in place. We are eager to challenge our learners with the best methods available as we continue to grow and develop in our understanding of how to help students who are faced with this type of learning challenge. This mission requires the collaboration of families and teachers.
 

Missouri's Current Mandates

The Missouri Legislation passed House Bill 2379 and Senate Bill 638 which require the screening of students for dyslexia along with reasonable supports in the classroom. The classroom support and screening will align with guidelines developed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Each teacher is also required to have two hours of professional development in the area of Dyslexia.

• State Recommendation: Screening students
  • Park Hill School District: We use the universal NWEA screener to identify students who are at risk.
  • Additional Park Hill School District Measures: Additional screeners are available in order to drill down to a specific need that students have in reading. These assessments can include: phonemic awareness screener, phonics and word reading surveys, spelling inventories.
• State Recommendation: Teacher Training
  • Park Hill School District: Every year we provide teacher in-service training.
  • Additional Park Hill School District Measures: 

  • • Reading interventionists, instructional coaches and special education teachers received Pathways training 2019-2020*.

    • Reading interventionists received Orton Gillingham certification and training through the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education.
      Instructional coaches, reading specialists and special education teachers will provide embedded support to all classroom teachers using Pathways and LETRS training.  

    • Reading interventionists and instructional coaches received LETRS training 2020-2021*
      LETRS training offered to ELD, special education teachers and classroom teachers.
      Instructional coaches, reading specialists and special education teachers will provide embedded support to all classroom teachers using Pathways and LETRS training.  

    • Special education and first grade teachers are receiving LETRS training in 2021-2022

    • Sounds Walls training and materials provided to classroom teachers K-3 and reading interventionists.

• State Recommendation: Reasonable Classroom Supports
  • Park Hill School District: We use effective best-practiced as demonstrated by allowing teachers to make accommodations to benefit students. 
  • Additional Park Hill School District Measures: We review all 504 plans with families to ensure teachers, the student and their family members understand the accommodations.

Addressing Dyslexic Learner's needs in the regular classroom

Structured Literacy is the current recommended approach to teach students with Dyslexia according to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA).   Structured literacy is not a specific program but rather principles to follow in order to ensure effective instruction for students with Dyslexia.  The principles of teaching include being diagnostic, explicit, systematic, and cumulative in teaching reading skills.
 
These standards address the need for phonics instruction to be taught to struggling readers with a logical sequence that builds from the smallest phonetic concept to the most complex.   Encouraging students to read words part to whole rather than guessing.  
 

• Structure Literacy Teaching Principle: Diagnostic 
  • Park Hill's elements that address this principle: screeners and diagnostic assessments
  • Components: NWEA, and additional screeners
• Structure Literacy Teaching Principle: Explicit (how)
  • Park Hill's elements that address this principle: curriculum frameworks
  • Components: Teaching Point (connect, teach, active engagement, link)
• Structure Literacy Teaching Principle: Systematic/Cumulative
  • Park Hill's elements that address this principle: pacing guides
  • Components: Words Their Way scope and sequence, Heggerty Phonemic Awareness scope and sequence; explicit and systematic pacing of print awareness, phonemic awareness and phonics; sound walls; LETRS phonics scope and sequence; benchmark phonics

Our Process to Determine Additional Supports

All students in Kindergarten through fifth grades are screened to identify students at risk for reading difficulties using a universal screener.  Students are screened a minimum of three times per year, starting in Kindergarten. Once students are identified as at risk, a multitude of data is collected to decide on the type of supplemental instruction and intensity of services that would fit their individual needs. Along with determining the type of instruction, we will also look at who will provide this service.  Service providers at the Tier 2 level are typically the classroom teacher, and students at the Tier 3 level are usually instructed by a Reading Specialist. The students who are determined to receive supplemental instruction will be given frequent progress monitoring assessments in order to determine the effectiveness of instruction the student is receiving.

Medical Screening

If your child has a screening by a medical professional, always  begin with your child’s classroom teacher when sharing information regarding your child. Other building staff to include in the support of your child’s educational needs may be the counselor, reading specialist, psychologist, principal, and assistant principal. Your child’s teacher will meet with a team to closely review the evaluation and other data sources. With your child’s best interests in mind and using the RTI flow chart above, we will determine next steps for your child’s placement in interventions.

Ieps and 504 plans for student diagnosed with dyslexia

A student can qualify for an IEP or a 504 plan if the criteria are met. 

IEP

Park Hill uses the DESE criteria to qualify a student for special education:  

1. Insufficient gains on interventions
2. Adverse educational performance which requires special education instruction

If a student does not meet these criteria, then they would not be eligible.

504

Your child’s school will review grades, teacher reports, information from medical professionals, and state and district assessments to determine if there is an impact on a student’s learning.

Family Resources

• IDA Parent Newsletter
• IDA Quarterly e-Letter
• IDA Dyslexia Handbook

Contact

Reading Difficulties Specialist
Kim Walker
816-359-6810

All responsible public agencies are required to locate, evaluate, and identify children with disabilities who are under the jurisdiction of the agency, regardless of the severity of the disability, including children attending private schools, highly mobile children, such as migrant and homeless children, and children who are suspected of having a disability and in need of special education advancing from grade to grade.  The local public school district assures that it will provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to all eligible children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 under its jurisdiction.  Disabilities include autism, deaf/blindness, emotional disorders, hearing impairments, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment/blindness, and young child with developmental delay.

The Park Hill School District assures that it will provide information and referral services necessary to assist the State in implementation of early intervention services for infants and toddlers eligible for the Missouri First Steps program.

The Park Hill School District assures that personally identifiable information collected, used, or maintained by the agency for the purposes of identification, evaluation, placement, or provision of FAPE of children with disabilities may be inspected and/or reviewed by their parents/guardians.  Parents/guardians may request amendment to the educational record if the parent/guardian believes the record is inaccurate, misleading, or violates the privacy or other rights of their child.  Parents have the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education concerning alleged failures by the district to meet the requirements of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The Park Hill School District has developed a Local Compliance Plan for the implementation of State Regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  This plan contains the agency’s policies and procedures regarding storage, disclosure to third parties, retention and destruction of personally identifiable information and the agency’s assurances that services are provided in compliance with the General Education Provision Act (GEPA).  This plan may be reviewed at the Park Hill School District Office 7703 NW Barry Rd. Kansas City, Missouri 64153 Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

This notice will be provided in native languages as appropriate.

Revised September 2012

Requirements for parentally-placed private school children and home-schooled children with disabilities

Each public school agency shall ensure that a services plan is developed and implemented for each parentally-placed private school child/home-schooled child with a disability who has been designated by the local school district in which the private school or home school is located to receive special education and/or related services.

Each local school district must spend a proportionate share of funds on students who have a disability. This amount fluctuates yearly based on the amount of federal/state funds which the local district receives. Information on the amount of proportionate share funds which the Park Hill School District provides through services can be provided upon request by the Director of Special Services.

Annually, we will host a Parent Informational Meeting for representatives of parentally-placed private school children and home-schooled children with disabilities. In the 2024-25 school year, this meeting will be Monday, September 30, 2024, from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. at the district office, located at 7703 NW Barry Road, Kansas City, MO, 64153. The Park Hill School District will meet with each individual private/parochial schools and consult with representatives from those institutions. During both the parent information meeting and the scheduled meetings with each individual private/parochial school, topics to be discussed will include (but not be limited to the following):

• Child find process
• Determination of proportionate share funding
• Consultation with parents and representatives about the services available and how the process will operate during the school year.
• Discussion of personnel who will be providing services, where the services will be provided, and types of services which will be apportioned if funds are insufficient to serve all parentally-placed and/or home-schooled students.
• Individual rights of parentally-placed and home-schooled students
• Differences in the amount of services provided to parentally-placed or home-schooled students
• Service plan vs. Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
• Complaint procedures for parentally-placed private school students or home-schooled students