Special Education and
Choice Scholarships
Presented by INPEA and IDOE
April 9, 2014
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Agenda
Introductions
Understanding the Law and Rules
Special Ed Basics
Selecting Providers/Informing Parents
Assurances
CSEP
Parental Involvement
Reporting
Working with your LEA
Calendaring & Timelines
Special Ed Voucher Payment Process
Accountability
The Law
Who is eligible?
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The individual is:
– a child with a disability who requires special
education and for whom an individualized education
program has been developed under IC 20-35 or a
service plan developed under 511 IAC 7-34; and
– a member of a household with an annual income of
not more than two hundred percent (200%) of the
amount required for the individual to qualify for the
federal free or reduced price
lunch program.
The Law
Services and Funding
• In addition, if the eligible choice scholarship student has been
identified as eligible for special education services under IC 20-35
and the eligible school provides necessary special education or
related services to the eligible choice scholarship student, any
amount that a school corporation would receive under IC 20-43-7
for the eligible choice scholarship student if the eligible choice
scholarship student attended the school corporation.
• Notwithstanding 511 IAC 7-34-1(d)(4), a public school is not
required to make available special education and related services
to an eligible choice scholarship student who receives funds
under section 4(2) of this chapter.
The Law
Services and Funding
• If an eligible choice scholarship student:
(1) who attends school at a choice scholarship school; and
(2) who is eligible to receive special education funds under
IC 20-43-7;
chooses to receive special education services at a school
corporation required to provide special education services to the
eligible choice scholarship student under 511 IAC 7-34-1, the
special education funds under IC 20-43-7 for that student will be
made available to the school corporation where the student
receives special education services.
The Rule
• Special Education Services
– Will the choice school provide?
– Informing parents of the special education and related
services the choice school makes available
• Parent selection of special education service provider
– Prior to submitting Choice Scholarship application, the
parent must select either the Choice school or the LEA
as their service provider
– The selection is valid for one year
The Rule
• Creating a Choice School Education Plan (CSEP)
– Meet with parents “within a reasonable time after the choice
scholarship student enrolls. . .”
– Determine student’s special education needs
– Develop a CSEP
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Parent’s written consent required to implement the CSEP
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Parent may revoke consent at any time
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Reconvening meetings to talk about or revise the CSEP
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Parent request for reevaluation
The Rule
• Formal Complaint process
– Complaint resolution by Choice School
– Formal investigation by IDOE
• Request for student records
– 10 business days to provide
– Exception for breach of contract situations
• Choice School Assurances
• LEA responsibilities
• IDOE onsite reviews
Special Education Basics
• Article 7
• Child Find and Evaluations
• Eligibility Categories
• Special Education and Related Services
• IEPs - ISPs – CSEPs
• LEA Consultation with nonpublic schools
• Federal and state funding for special education and
related services
Eligibility Categories
• Level 1:
– Autism Spectrum Disorder, Deaf-blind, Emotional Disability (fulltime), Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Severe Cognitive Disability, Multiple
Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Blind
or Low Vision
• Level 2:
– Emotional Disability (all other), Specific Learning Disability, Mild
Cognitive Disability, Moderate Cognitive Disability, Other Health
Impairment.
• Level 3:
– Language or Speech Impairment
Service/Education Plans
• IEP (Individualized Education Program)
– Services provided by the LEA for students enrolled in
the public school
• ISP (Individual Service Plan)
– Services provided by the LEA for students enrolled in
the non-public schools
• CSEP (Choice School Education Plan)
– Services provided by the non-public school for choice
scholarship students who select the non-public school
as their service provider.
(State APC dollars included in scholarship)
Helping Parents Make
Informed Decisions
• Annually, at the time of enrollment in the Choice
Scholarship Program, schools must inform parents
about what special education and related services that
both the LEA and the Choice School can provide their
child so that parents can make informed decisions
about service providers.
• Unless parents revoke the consent given to the Choice
School, the selection is for the entire school year.
• “Say what you do and do what you say!”
Choice School Education Plan
(CSEP)
• Within a reasonable time after the choice scholarship student
enrolls in the choice school, the choice school shall convene a
meeting with the parent of the choice scholarship student and school
staff to determine the choice scholarship student’s special education
and related service needs
• Develop a Choice School Education Plan (CSEP) for the choice
scholarship student.
– The CSEP shall be in writing and, at a minimum, include the following
components:
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Measurable goals.
Information on how the student’s progress will be monitored and how
parents will be informed of the progress.
• Accommodations that the choice school will provide to the student, including
accommodations needed for the student to participate in statewide assessments.
• The length, frequency, and duration of the special
education and related services to be provided.
CSEP
School Year: Click here to enter
text.
IEP Meeting Date: Click here for
drop-down calendar.
Student Data
Student: Click here to enter student name.
Birth Date: Click here to enter
birth date.
School: Click here to enter school name.
Grade: Click here to enter grade.
General Education Teacher: Click here to enter Gen Ed Teacher Name.
Resource Teacher: Click here to enter your name.
Present Levels of Performance
Testing Date: Click
Instrument: Click here
here for drop-down
to enter text.
Calendar.
Reading
Mathematics
Written Language
Grade Equivalency
Click here to enter text.
Click here to enter text.
Click here to enter text.
Instructional Reading Level: Click here to enter
text.
Evaluator: Click here to enter text.
Standard Score
Click here to enter text.
Click here to enter text.
Click here to enter text.
Percentile Rank
Click here to enter text.
Click here to enter text.
Click here to enter text.
Instructional Math Level: Click here to enter
text.
Relative Strengths: Click here to enter text.
Relative Weaknesses: Click here to enter text.
Placement & Services
Special Education Designation: Click here to enter text.
Range of Time (minutes per week): Click here to enter text.
A.
 Direct Services: Click here to enter text if necessary.
 Goals attached
B.
 Support Services: Click here to enter text if necessary.
 Assisted Support:
 Supplemental Support:
 Goals attached
C.
D.
E.
 Consultation Services: Click here to enter text as necessary.
 General Education Accommodations & Modifications: Click here to enter text as necessary.
 Accommodations/Modifications Sheet attached
Additional Services: Click here to enter text as necessary.
Consent: I agree with this CSEP and the attached goals and objectives.
_______________________________________________________
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Parent Signature
Date
Student Signature
Date
_______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
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Parent Signature
General Education Teacher Signature
School Principal
Date
Date
Date
Resource Room Teacher Signature
Other
Other
Date
Date
Date
Choice School Education Plan
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The CSEP shall include statements to inform the parents of the following:
– The parent must provide written consent in order for the choice school to
implement the CSEP.
– The parent may revoke consent at any time by providing a signed written
statement revoking such consent.
– Revocation of consent encompasses the entire CSEP.
– Upon receipt of the written revocation, the choice school will stop implementing
the CSEP.
– A parent may request a meeting at any time to review the CSEP. The
choice school shall convene a meeting to review the CSEP within a reasonable
time after receiving the request.
– For any choice scholarship student returning to the choice school, the student’s
previous year’s CSEP shall be reviewed at the beginning of the school year to
inform the planning and development of a CSEP for the current school
year.
– The choice school shall provide the parent of with a
copy of the CSEP.
– The choice school shall implement the CSEP as written.
Choice School Education Plan
Revocation
– At any time after the parent gives consent for implementation of the CSEP, the
parent may revoke that consent by submitting a signed written statement to the
choice school revoking the consent.
– A parent’s revocation of consent encompasses everything included in the
CSEP.
– The choice school shall terminate special education and related services
upon receipt of the parent’s written revocation and is not required to provide
special education and related services for the remainder of the school year.
– Upon the choice school’s receipt of the parent’s revocation of consent, the
choice school shall immediately: (1) provide written notice to the school
corporation within whose boundaries the choice school is located that the
student’s scholarship is no longer funded pursuant to IC 20-51- 4-4(2); and (2)
provide the school corporation with a copy of the student’s CSEP. (h) Not
later than ten (10) instructional days from the date the school corporation
receives the written notice described in (g), the school
corporation shall convene a case conference committee
meeting and develop an individual service plan in
accordance with 511 IAC 7-34-5.
Parental Involvement
• Partnering with parents in serving their
children
– Providing information regarding service provider
selection
– Consulting on student’s needs and CSEP
development
– Ongoing communication on CSEP
implementation
– Consent and Revocation
Reporting
• Special Education for Vouchers (DOE-SV)
– December 1 and April 1
• Special education assurances (IDOE)
– Annual
• Service provider designation (STN)
– Annual
Choice School Assurances
(1) The choice school will inform the parent of special education
and related services available from the choice school so that the
parent is able to make an informed choice as to who will provide
the special education and related services to the student.
(2) The choice school and the parent will collaborate to develop
the student’s choice school education plan.
(3) The Choice School Education Plan will be in writing and will be
implemented only upon the parent’s written consent to the Plan.
(4) The choice school will inform the parent of the consent
requirement, the parent’s right to revoke that consent, and the
consequences of revoking consent.
(5) The choice school will provide student progress
reports as described in the Choice Scholarship
Education Plan.
Working with your LEA
• Consultation
• Child Find
• Service delivery designation for Choice
Scholarship students
– Students moving back and forth (falling through
the cracks)
• Service Delivery for non-choice students
• Reevaluation
Calendaring & Timelines
• Voucher School Assurances (time of
reapplication) Sept. 1
– General and Special Education
• Provider Designation (at the time of voucher
application/reapplication) Sept. 1
• Endorsement Forms (3 weeks prior to payment)
• CSEP Development and Implementation
• Special Ed student count (SV) (Dec. & Apr.)
• On site compliance visits (spring)
Special Ed Voucher Payment
Process
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Based on 3 tiered eligibility categories
Special Ed Count (SV) – December
Conflict resolution: Jan-Feb
Endorsement Forms (3 wks. prior to payment)
Special education voucher payment:
end of February
• Second semester regular voucher payment: end of
March
Funding (APC)
If a parent designates the non-public school as the
service provider:
(1) The nonduplicated count of pupils in programs for
severe disabilities multiplied by eight thousand three
hundred fifty dollars ($8,350).
(2) The nonduplicated count of pupils in programs for mild
and moderate disabilities multiplied by two thousand two
hundred sixty-five dollars ($2,265).
(3) The duplicated count of pupils in programs for
communication disorders multiplied by five hundred
thirty-three dollars ($533).
Chat Questions???
Follow-up: Written FAQ
Questions and Comments
Contact Information
Becky Bowman, State Director of Special Education
bbowman@doe.in.gov
Fatima Carson, Choice Specialist
choiceschool@doe.in.gov
John Elcesser, Executive Director, INPEA
jelcesser@inpea.org