Welcome to the Student Services/Special Education Department, providing excellent services in areas vital  to assuring student success in the Tulpehocken Area School District including Special Education and Gifted Support.  Teachers web pages are accessed through the "Links" dropdown at the right of this page.

Special Education Support is provided for exceptional children, ages 5-21 to support their individual needs. Serving more than 350 students in this program, we offer speech and language therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, learning support, emotional support, life skills support, and autistic support.

Gifted Support is currently provided in each school building. More than 75 students are enriched and accelerated through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), MENSA International, and Common Core aligned activities in reading and math.  Students are also challenged by participation in out-of-district activities such as Mock Trial, Math League competitions, and World Affairs.

School-Based Access Program - The Pennsylvania Department of Education initiated the ACCESS Program during the 1991-1992 school year. The program, now referred to as the School-Based ACCESS Program (SBAP), is an avenue for school entities to receive additional federal funding through Medicaid dollars for medical/mental health-related special education services rendered by qualified staff to students enrolled in the PA Medical Assistance Program.

PDE Policy Update 9/5/23

Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) recently made a policy change that may impact you or your child. Under the new policy, students who are eligible under federal IDEA may access a Free and Appropriate Public Education until their 22nd birthday. This means if a student would have traditionally exited from high school during or after the school term in which they turned 21 years of age, they now may remain in school until their 22nd birthday. This includes students that exited during or after the 2022-2023 school term. If your child meets this criteria and would like to return to the school district and access educational services until their 22nd birthday, you will need to re-enroll in them in the school district.

For more information, use the link below to receive additional information regarding this policy update.

https://www.education.pa.gov/Pages/IDEABFAQ.aspx

Taylor Charles, Assistant to the Superintendent for Student Services
Email: tcharles@tulpehocken.org

Caitlyn Brice, Director of Special Education
Email: cbrice@tulpehocken.org