Skip To Main Content

Federal Programs / Annual Notices

Child Find

The Fairport Harbor Schools are participating in a Child Find effort to locate and evaluate all children from 3 through 21 years of age who may have a disability including children with disabilities who are homeless or are wards of the state and children with disabilities attending non-public schools within the boundaries of the District, who may be entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), including special education and related aids and services, pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). Disability, in this instance, means such conditions as hearing impairments, visual impairments, specific learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, mental retardation, speech and language disabilities, orthopedic and other health impairments, multiple disabilities, deaf-blindness, autism and traumatic brain injury. Although many school aged disabled children are identified and currently being served by the Fairport Harbor Exempted Village School System, preschool children ages 3-5, with disabilities may be unidentified because parents may not be aware that programs and services are available through the School District. Community members can help us with this important effort. If you know of a child in our district with a suspected disability that is not presently attending school or receiving services from another agency, please contact The Director of Special Education Services at 440-354-5400 x 102.  If you are a parent/guardian of an infant/child (ages birth through 3) who demonstrates significant delays or deficits in his/her development, please contact the Ohio Family and Children First Initiative, Help Me Grow at (440) 350-2433 or (440) 298-3334 extension 2433.

TITLE I

Part of the Elementary and Secondary Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Title I is a federal entitlement program that provides the district and schools serving low income families with funds to improve student achievement. District and school allocations are based on the number and percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Currently, McKinley Elementary receives Title I funds based on our student population.

There are four guiding principles in NCLB:

  1. Schools are expected to teach students using standards-based curriculum and scientifically based methods proven to be successful.
  2. Schools and districts are accountable for demonstrating that all students are meeting academic goals each year. Schools not making adequate progress for two or more consecutive years in reading or math are in "school improvement" status.
  3. Teachers and instructional paraprofessionals must be highly qualified. School districts must develop plans to ensure highly qualified teachers and instructional paraprofessionals in Title I funded programs.
  4. Parents must be given information, rights and choices concerning their child's education. NCLB states parents have a right:
    1. to have access to their child's individual performance levels on the statewide assessments.
    2. to know if their child's school is making adequate yearly progress
    3. to know the qualifications of their child's teachers,
    4. to be informed if their child is being taught by a substitute or a non-highly qualified teacher for longer than four consecutive weeks, and
    5. to know about school choice and supplemental educational services.

MRS FELIX McKinley Elementary Title One Video 8/28/20

TITLE 1 PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Title I funds are federal funds provided to schools based upon their percentage of students who are identified as being from low income families. This does not mean that those are the only students served by Title I funds, but that is how the determination is made as to how much each school district receives. Title I funds pay for teacher salaries in order for us to reduce our class sizes in language arts, instructional materials and professional development and resources for teachers at the elementary level. 

Parents Right To Know

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), all school districts are required to notify parents with children in Title I Schools that they may request information regarding the professional qualifications of each student’s classroom teachers. This information may include qualifications listed below.

  • If the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade level and subject areas taught
  • If the teacher is teaching under emergency or temporary status in which state qualifications or licensing criteria are waived
  • The teacher’s baccalaureate degree major, graduate certification, and field of discipline
  • The qualifications of any paraprofessional that is providing services to the student

If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact your building principal or Board of Education at 440-354-5400 x 102.

MCKINNEY - VENTO HOMELESS ASSISTANCE ACT

McKinney-Vento is the primary piece of federal legislation dealing with the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in U.S. public schools. It was reauthorized as Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act.

The McKinney-Vento program is designed to address the problems that homeless children and youth have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. Under this program, state educational agencies (SEAs) must ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as other children and youth. Homeless children and youth should have access to the educational and other services that they need to enable them to meet the same challenging state student academic achievement standards to which all students are held. In addition, homeless students may not be separated from the mainstream school environment. States and districts are required to review and undertake steps to revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youth.

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, children in homeless situations have the right to:

  • Go to school, no matter where they live or how long they have lived there;
  • Attend either the local school or the school of origin (the school of origin is the school the child attended when he/she was permanently housed or the school in which the child was last enrolled), if this is in their best interest;
  • Receive transportation to and from the school or origin;
  • Enroll, attend classes and participate fully in all school activities while the school arranges for the transfer of records,;
  • Have access to the same programs and services that are available to all other students including transportation and supplemental services; and
  • Attend school with children not experiencing homelessness - segregation based on a student's status as homeless is prohibited.

Our school district liaison is The Director of Special Education Services. They may be reached at 440-354-5400 x 102

Ohio Department of Education Resources Page

Homeless Resource Pamphlet

Notification of Rights under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records. These rights are: (1) The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the School receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the School principal or Director of Special Education a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The School official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

(2) The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate. Parents or eligible students may ask the School to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. They should write the School principal or Director of Special Education, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. If the School decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the School will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing. (3) The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the School as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with whom the School has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. (4) The release of a student’s educational records is governed by FERPA and Section 3319.321 of the Ohio Revised Code. Both FERPA and Ohio law allow the release of “directory information” without prior consent, unless the parent/guardian or eligible student age 18 or older) requests, in writing, that directory information not be disclosed. The District considers the following information “directory information”:

  • Student’s name;
  • Student’s address;
  • Telephone number (s);
  • Student’s date and place of birth;
  • Major field of study;
  • Participation in officially recognized activities and sports;
  • Student’s weight and height for members of athletic teams;
  • Dates of attendance (“from and to” dates of enrollment);
  • Student’s achievement awards or honors
  • Date of graduation
  • Student’s grade; and
  • The most recent educational agency or institution attended

Additionally, authorized District employees may videotape and/or photograph students engaged in classroom and extracurricular programs, activities and other school functions. Videotapes and/or photographs may be shared with the public through the District’s newsletters, reports, web site or other District communications, unless the parent/guardian or eligible student requests, in writing, that videotapes or photographs of the student not be publicized. A form is available, upon request, for those parents/guardians or eligible students who do not want directory information released and/or do not want videotapes or photographs published. The District, directly or through it’s A-Site, will also release personally identifiable student information to another school, school system or institution of postsecondary education in which a student seeks or intends to enroll or that is providing services to the student upon receiving a request from the institution. Parents/guardians or eligible students will receive a copy of all information disclosed upon request.

(5) The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Fairport Harbor Exempted Village Schools to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202-4605

GIFTED EDUCATION

The Fairport Harbor Exempted Village School District follows eligibility criteria as prescribed by the Ohio Revised Code and Ohio Department of Education to identify youngsters who are gifted. The District identifies students in grades kindergarten through twelve that may be gifted in one or more of these areas:  superior cognitive ability, specific academic achievement, creative thinking ability, and/or the visual or performing arts. All students’ standardized test scores and other school performance measures are reviewed to determine the need for gifted screening and identification. In addition, parents, students, and/or teachers may recommend students for screening for possible identification. If you have questions about the identification of students as gifted in the Faiport Harbor Exempted Village Schools, please contact, the Director of Special Education Services, 440-354-5400 x 102, or your child's principal.