On July 15, 2019, Patricia Hozella, Interim Director for the PA Bureau of Special Education disseminated a memo via Penn*Link titled 2019-2020 Gifted Compliance Monitoring Schedule. The memo reported that PDE has the responsibility to ensure that all LEAs providing services, whether directly or by contractual arrangements, administer gifted education services and programs that are in compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. In order to fulfill this responsibility, PDE has established administrative procedures for monitoring program implementation, including evaluating the appropriateness, effectiveness, and accountability of gifted education services and programs.
PDE has also developed the schedule for compliance monitoring for the 2019-2020 school year, in which 10 PA school districts of varying sizes will be monitored. Additional monitoring, if deemed appropriate, may be designated as the school year progresses. The Gifted Cyclical Monitoring for Continuous Improvement includes a Gifted Facilitated Self-Assessment (GFSA) completed by the LEA and an on-site visit by a PDE review team including peer monitors. The process includes a review of the GFSA submitted by the LEA; input from administrators, teachers, and parents; and verification activities of the information reported in the GFSA. Verification activities include file reviews of student documents, studies of service delivery and analysis of policies, procedures and outcomes.
Monitoring trainings for gifted are available to districts who will be monitored. To schedule a training for your district, contact Shirley Moyer at 717.705.5186 or [email protected]. Training formats include phone conversations, email communication or face-to-face meetings. Each training will review the monitoring process, documents, and GFSA submission, and provide suggestions and checklists regarding preparation and implementation of the monitoring process. To schedule a training for your district, contact Shirley Moyer at 717.705.5186 or [email protected].
The Gifted Monitoring Manual is located on the PA Gifted web page: https://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Gifted%20Education/Pages/default.aspx. Districts who will be monitored are strongly encouraged to review this document to prepare for the monitoring.
Questions regarding the 2019-2020 monitoring schedule listed below should go to Shirley Moyer, Special Education Adviser-Gifted, at 717.705.5186 or [email protected].
The Gifted Education Compliance Monitoring Schedule for School Districts and Charter Schools to be monitored in 2019-2020 is: Pittsburgh Public SD – September 25 & 26; Dubois Area SD – October 2 & 3; Penns Manor Area SD – October 23 & 24; Shamokin Area SD – November 6 & 7; Central Dauphin SD – November 19 & 20; Wyomissing Area SD – December 4 & 5; Southern Lehigh SD – March 25 & 26; Bethlehem Area SD – March 18 & 19; Chester-Upland SD – March 31 & April 1; Jeannette City SD – April 7 & 8.