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.

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

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 were considered for CCS.

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

The IEP team held a meeting to determine the length of time (number of days) an evaluation or reevaluation was 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 were considered when determining the amount that included: (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 was provided in advance of IEP/504 meetings to generate questions to guide the discussion. Areas of focus included instruction, related services, staff support, transition, and accommodations and modifications.

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

Staff made three different attempts to reach the families and uploaded the CCS paperwork for in-district students into IEP Writer for future reference. Copies of the paperwork were also sent home. Efforts to engage families of graduates and students no longer enrolled were documented. CCS meetings for these students will be scheduled once contact with their families is established. 

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 outside 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.

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.

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