The York City School District in York, PA | Children`s and Teens` Education | Pennsylvania Catalog

The York City School District

Our Belief:
- Everyone can learn and achieve (at high levels)
- Life’s learning process requires respect of self and others
- Each student must have a quality education
- Great effort is required to meet high standards
- Growth and improvement require change
- Learning within our diverse community prepares our students in our global society
Priority Goals
Curriculum - To ensure that all curriculum, instruction, and assessments are aligned with state and national standards.
Data - Become a School District that is data driven with performance goals, benchmarks, timelines for improved student academic performance.
Accountability - Develop an accountability system for student academic achievement.
Staff Development - Establish professional development activities and programs for all employees.*
Technology - Establish best practice models for technology integration in our schools.
Safe and Secure Schools - Implement policies and procedures to assure a safe and secure environment in our schools.
The School District of the City of York has a full continuum of special education services for students identified as having a disability and in need of having special education. To the maximum extent possible, students with disabilities are educated with non-disabled peers in the least restrictive environment. All instructional programs for students with disabilities are designed to enable students to meet state standards and to progress in the general education curriculum with or without accommodations to the maximum extent possible.
- Individual Education Program (I.E.P.)
Annually, for each student with a disability, an Individualized Education Plan (I.E.P.) is developed by an IEP team, which includes the student, parents, teachers and administrators. At age 16, a transition component is added to the IEP. This identifies post-secondary career goals and assists the student in planning learning activities to reach his or her desired goals.
- Schedule Planning
At the high school level, the student's advisor and the Special Education Department Chairperson or a designee will work with each student to plan an individualized schedule based on the student's IEP goals, post-secondary goals and special interest.
- English Language Learners
Students whose primary language is not English may be placed in classes to help them learn English more quickly. Instruction in these classes is in English. As students acquire English proficiency in a given subject, they should develop additional English vocabulary and fluency. Upon recommendation of the ELL teacher(s), the student will be integrated into regular classroom instruction.
- Able & Ambitious
The A & A Program provides appropriate educational opportunities for the mentally gifted and high achieving students. Core subjects are accelerated and enriched with standards that require higher level thinking and in-depth study. Approximately 150 students participate in this program, including students from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds of our community. The School District of the City of York emphasizes breadth and depth, not acceleration.
- Independent Study Program
This program is designed for students who are interested in pursuing learning beyond regular offerings. Factors to be considered in approving a student for Independent Study are his/her self-directedness, dependability, conscientiousness, and sincerity in pursuing learning. The student should apply for the program through his/her teacher by submitting an Independent Study Application, wherein the student assumes full responsibility for the completion of the project. It is particularly important in this program that the faculty advisor provide assistance gentle enough so that it does not destroy the initiative and creativity of the student, but strong enough that the student makes a consistent growth in his/her work and brings the project to completion.