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Act 55 & Students with Disabilities Turning 21

by | Jul 11, 2022 | Archive-News

On July 8, Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 55 of 2022 (Act 55) into law. The Act permits a student with a disability who was enrolled during the 2021-22 school year and turned age 21 during the 2021-22 school year, or between the end of the 2021-22 and the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, to attend a school entity during the 2022-23 school year and receive services as outlined on their most recent Individualized Education Program (IEP) with all the protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Parents/guardians and students who want to take advantage of Act 55 must complete, sign, and submit the Act 55 of 2022 Student Enrollment Notification Form to the student’s school entity on or before August 1, 2022.

Below is a link to the form to download and complete:

Act 55 of 2022 Student Enrollment Notification Form  (PDF)

For a student with a disability who turned 21 during the time periods listed above: both the parent/guardian and the student must complete the form. Forms are to be submitted to the school entity in which the student will attend in the 2022-23 school year – they may not be submitted to PDE.

 

LINK: FURTHER GUIDANCE AND FAQs FOR ACT 55 from the Dept. of Education.

NEW Module Just Arrived - Trauma-Informed Care. Visit our E-Learning Module Series. This series provides information and strategies for teachers, families, and paras to support the education of all students.

The Arc of Pennsylvania’s Making Employment Work course is an ACRE Basic Certification Training. In order to receive certification, participants must attend a 3 day, in-person training and then complete a self-paced, online curriculum. Completing this certification course will qualify individuals to provide Supported Employment services with Pennsylvania’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and Office of Developmental Programs. Our training combines lessons learned from traditional Supported Employment and Customized Employment techniques.

Arc Discovery Employment Transitions (ADEPT) is The Arc of Pennsylvania’s customized employment program. The Arc of Pennsylvania supports individuals with significant impact of disability to seek and maintain customized employment in their community. As a result, The Arc of Pennsylvania’s consultants are trained and nationally certified by Marc Gold & Associates, a national leader in customized employment, to provide Discovery, Customized Employment Job Development, and Systematic Instruction to individuals with disabilities in Pennsylvania who are seeking employment. In addition to providing customized employment services, The Arc of Pennsylvania hosts several certification courses with Marc Gold & Associates for individuals and organizations interested in national certification in Discovery, Job Development, and Systematic Instruction.

Include Me is a new model for inclusive education and gaining meaningful employment for Pennsylvania’s students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Arc of Pennsylvania and Include Me believe all individuals with significant impact of developmental and intellectual disability deserve equal educational and competitive employment rights. Our mission, build and strengthen the inclusive education capacity for all public-school students, and discover meaningful employment opportunities meeting Pennsylvania employee and employer needs. Include Me strives to ensure all impacted students have equal access to all aspects of life and the community throughout their lifespan.

Include Me is an initiative that was part of the agreement on final terms between the plaintiffs and the Pennsylvania Department of Education in the Gaskin Settlement Agreement. We were initially assigned to work with school districts with the lowest inclusion rates. After the initial success, we have grown in reputation among school districts. Currently districts voluntarily chose our services, which are provided free of charge to the district. In addition to our School Age services, we offer transition-age services to help teams plan a path to customized employment for students transitioning from high school.

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