Covid Compensatory Services are used to remedy any educational or other deficits for a student with an IEP (Individualized Education Program) or 504 plan not receiving the evaluations and/or services to which they were entitled during the pandemic period.

CCS was not correctly identified and/or documented for students. The pandemic period has been extended to include the 2021-2022 school year, and both state and federal guidance surrounding CCS has been updated since the initial CCS determination meetings. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education has reached Resolution Agreements with two large, urban school Districts directing the districts to develop an updated Covid Compensatory Services Plan in order to comply with federal law impacting students with disabilities (IEPs and 504 Plans).

The pandemic period is currently defined as March 16, 2020 – June 16, 2022.

Due to CCS, previously, not being correctly identified and/or documented for the majority of students, school-based teams will revisit the impact of the pandemic to determine whether CCS services are owed.

All students with disabilities (Students with IEPs or 504 plans) from Early Intervention, School Age, and age 18-21 who were enrolled in Pittsburgh Public Schools at any time during the Pandemic Period will be considered for CCS.

The school-based IEP and 504 teams, including parents/guardians/education decision makers, will convene an IEP or 504 meetings to make this determination.

The IEP team will convene a meeting to determine the length of time (number of days) an evaluation or reevaluation is missed or out of IDEA timeline compliance and/or the amount of time (number of days) that services listed in the student’s IEP or 504 plan were not provided during the pandemic period or were not received by the student. There are additional factors that will be considered when determining the amount that include: (1) levels of academic and functional performance, levels of performance on all IEP goals prior to mandatory school closures as compared to the student’s current level of performance as measured from baseline data collection; (2) information and observations from teachers, related service providers, parents, caregivers, and other family members; (3) the student’s ability to access remote learning opportunities and special education services while LEAs were using alternative learning models due to the Covid-19 pandemic; (4) student’s engagement in the learning process while the LEAs were using alternative learning models due to COVID-19 pandemic; (5) the amount of skills and/or behavior loss and/or lack of progress the student experienced while the LEAs were using alternative learning models due to COVID-19 pandemic; (6) historical data regarding the student’s ability to recoup lost skills and/or behavior; (7) services provided while the LEAs were using alternative learning models due to Covid-19 pandemic; (8) data collected through progress monitoring and progress reports; and (9) results of informal assessments.

A checklist for parents and for teachers will be provided in advance of IEP/504 meetings to generate questions to guide the discussion. Areas of focus include instruction, related services, staff support, transition, and accommodations and modifications.

Eligibility will be determined by the timeframe that the student was enrolled in PPS during the Pandemic Period, including students that graduated and students that have withdrawn from the District and enrolled in another school district.

Staff will document their three different attempts to reach the family in IEP Writer. The meeting will still occur with the IEP team completing the process. Copies of paperwork must be sent home. If the student graduated or is no longer enrolled at PPS, a meeting will not be held until contact is made.

Service delivery will vary based on the needs of each student and can occur during the school day if it does not conflict with the student’s current delivery of FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education), after school, during the summer, in person, online, in small group or individually, or in a manner that will be determined by the IEP Team.

This will be determined based on the needs of each student. It may include current staff, contracted staff, and/or outsidde providers.

The start date will be determined at the student’s CCS IEP team meeting. The duration of services will be determined by the IEP/504 team.

CCS meetings should begin January 3, 2023, and end by April 10, 2023. Due dates may vary for schools with significant populations of students with disabilities.

Prior to a CCS meeting, staff should gather and review information and data to determine what services the student was entitled to during the Pandemic Period and whether they were received. Teams can utilize the Pre-Meeting Teacher Checklist to gather and collect necessary information, documentation and data prior to IEP/504 Team meetings. Case managers will issue an official Invitation to Participate (from IEP Writer) to the parent/guardian/educational decision maker (EDM) to attend the CCS 2.0 meeting.

All members of the IEP Team should attend the CCS meeting. This includes but is not limited to: Parent/Guardian/EDM, LEA Representative (Principal), IEP Case Manager, General Education Teacher(s), and Related Service Provider(s) where appropriate. A Gifted Teacher may also be included if the student is gifted with a disability.

First, the IEP/504 Team will determine CCS eligibility for the student. If the student is eligible for CCS, the IEP Team will calculate the amount of CCS that is owed to the student. Next, the team will determine how the services will be delivered. Finally, an CCS Agreement Form, a NOREP and Procedural Safeguards will be issued for students who are eligible and signed by the parent/guardian/EDM. A NOREP and Procedural Safeguards will be issued for students who are not eligible and signed by the parent/guardian/EDM.

For out of district students and current graduates, a CCS agreement form will be completed. A NOREP and procedural safeguard(s) will not be issued. 

The parent/guardian/EDM can decline services. This must be documented on the NOREP by selecting the box that they do not agree and indicating that the reason for disapproval is that the parent is declining the recommendation for CCS.

For out of district students and current graduates, a letter indicating they are not interested will be mailed home and uploaded in IEP Writer.

Parents should receive a copy of the CCS Service Agreement, a NOREP indicating whether their student is eligible for CCS, and procedural safeguards. If there is disagreement amongst the team, the Parent will also receive information on informal resolution with PSE administration.

For out of district students and current graduates, parents should receive a copy of the CCS Service Agreement.

All documents related to the CCS process must be uploaded into IEP Writer (other documents section) by the case manager upon eligibility determination.