All About Special Education Services in Goochland

Goochland County Public Schools provides a variety of special education programs and related services for children with disabilities. The programs are provided for identified special needs children, ages 2-21 inclusive.

Special Education consists of instruction designed to meet the learning needs of students who cannot learn through standard methods of instruction and curriculum.

Appropriate alternative placements for disabled children whose needs cannot be met locally are also provided.

You can make a difference in a child's life. If you know of a child with special needs for education, please contact Ms. Debra W. Beasley (e-mail), (phone: (804) 556-5625), Director of Student Services and Special Education or any Goochland County Public School principal.

Advisory meetings are held at the Goochland Middle School at 6:00 PM in the Special Education Conference Room. All citizens of Goochland County are welcome to attend these meetings. We invite you to join us. Please get involved. We need parental input to make our programs successful.

Parent Resource Center

The resource center was developed in 1990 to provide a variety of services to parents of children with special needs in Goochland's public schools. It acts as a partnership of parents, professionals, and the community in helping educate all children.

A goal of the center is to assist parents in understanding the special education process and in developing problem-solving skills as a way of enhancing the parent-school partnership. The center is relocating from Goochland Middle School. The new location will be announced later this year. Residents can call a special phone number: (804) 556-5649, if you need resource materials. Contact us if you'd like to become involved or learn more about special education.

New: Resource Center Resource Library! Access the library of books and materials available from our resource center at our central office.

What is PERT?

PERT (Post-secondary Educational Rehabilitation Transition) was developed in 1984 as an Office of Special and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) demonstration project. Continuation and expansion have been funded by the Virginia Department of Education (Adolescent Services Division) and the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services (Division of Client Assistance Services, Special Client Services, and Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center).

PERT provides:

• A continuum of secondary vocational programs for extended career ladders.
• An education/rehabilitation service delivery system allowing for the smooth transition of students with disabilities from secondary schools to postsecondary education, training, employment, and independence in adult life.
• Transition planning and services implementation.
• PERT is for students with current IEPs or 504 plans, or who have had limited opportunities to explore vocational options and to experience independence. PERT students are in need of a comprehensive, vocational evaluation within a residential setting.
• PERT assists students in the transition from high school to employment by helping them answer questions, such as: "What's out there for me?", "What are my talents?", "What are my interests?", "What types of jobs might I enjoy doing?", and "What skills do I need to become employed?"

Services are provided throughout the year to secondary special education students from all disability groups in 114 localities across the Commonwealth. Continued expansion is anticipated to allow localities access to programmatic services.

Changes in VGLA

There will be a "phase-out" of the VGLA, applicable to students with disabilities identified under the Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) and to students with disabilities identified under the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973). The phase-out will occur on the following schedule for VGLA reading and VGLA mathematics for students with disabilities:

2010-2011: VGLA will continue to be available for students with disabilities in reading, mathematics, science, writing and history/social science.

2011-2012: VGLA mathematics will no longer be available. VGLA will continue to be available for students with disabilities in reading, science, writing and history/social science.

2012-2013:VGLA mathematics and reading will no longer be available for students with disabilities. VGLA will continue to be available for students with disabilities in science, writing, and history/social science.

A schedule has not been determined for the phase out of VGLA science, writing and history/social science. Please note that while VGLA reading and mathematics are being phased out for students with disabilities, VGLA reading will continue to be available for eligible students with limited English proficiency.

More Information

Any agency or individual can refer a child for special education services by contacting the director of special education or the principal or assistant principal of the child's school. Some examples of disabling conditions which may require special education services include:

• Intellectually Disabled
• Specific Learning Disabled
• Emotionally Disabled
• Speech and/or Language Impaired
• Developmentally Delayed
• Autism
• Deaf and Hearing Impaired
• Blind
• Deaf Blindness
• Multi-Disabled
• Orthopedically Impaired
• Other Health Impaired (ADD, chronic and acute health problems)
• Severely and Profoundly Disabled
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Visual Impairment