Child Find for Students with Disabilities Voluntarily Enrolled in Private Schools

When students are voluntarily enrolled by their parents in private schools, the district has continuing responsibility for Child Find and must locate, evaluate, identify, and reevaluate children with disabilities in private schools just as they do within the district.

If the parent of a student voluntarily enrolled in a private school contacts the home based school to request an Initial Evaluation, school personnel will provide them the contact information for the Child Find office to initiate the evaluation process.

If the parent of a student voluntarily enrolled in a private school contacts the school to request a reevaluation prior to the triennial date, a Reevaluation Planning Meeting will be conducted within a reasonable length of time to consider the parent’s request and to determine if additional data is needed. For students that currently have an Individual Service Plan (ISP), the Case Manager will arrange and facilitate this meeting. For students who do not currently have an ISP, the Contact Teacher or Speech Therapist (for speech only students) will arrange and facilitate the meeting.

Initial Eligibility

The Child Find evaluation team will conduct Initial Eligibility meetings at M. T. Anderson Support Center or at a mutually agreed upon location. Following the Initial Eligibility Meeting, the appropriate Special Education Specialist or Speech Lead will be contacted to coordinate a subsequent service plan meeting if the offer of the development of an Individual Service Plan is accepted by the parent. There may be some situations when it will be more efficient for the team to meet at the student’s home-based school to conduct the Initial Eligibility Meeting and develop an Individual Service Plan.

Individual Service Plans (ISP)

IDEA requires that children with disabilities voluntarily enrolled in private schools (K–12) receive an opportunity for participation in Special Education Services. IDEA makes it clear that a child with a disability voluntarily enrolled in a private school has no individual right to special education or related services. Rather, the public district where the private school is located must ensure that a proportionate share of federal funding is used to provide services to this population of children. All requirements for parentally placed private school students also apply to homeschooled students. Services for eligible students with disabilities voluntarily enrolled by parents in private schools will be documented through an Individual Service Plan (ISP) as outlined in the procedures below. Service Plan meetings will be held at the child’s home based school, unless another mutually agreed upon location is determined by the district and parent.

The ISP process will be initiated in the following circumstances:

1. Student withdraws from GCS and becomes a PPPSS (including students who are homeschooled): The Case Manager will contact the parent of the student to offer an ISP.
   
   
   • If the parent wishes for the team to convene to develop an ISP, the Case Manager will schedule an ISP meeting at a mutually agreed upon date and time.
   
   
   • If the parent does NOT accept the offer for an ISP, clearly document in the “Content” section of the “Contact Log” that the parent has declined the district’s offer for an ISP and has been informed of their right to request an ISP in the future as well as their right to a triennial reevaluation review.


2. Parents of eligible PPPSS requests an ISP: The Case Manager will schedule an ISP meeting at a mutually agreed upon date and time.


3. PPPSS is found eligible for Special Education Services: Following eligibility determination the Case Manager will offer an ISP to the parent.
   
   
   • If the parent wishes for the team to convene to develop an ISP, the Case Manager will schedule an ISP meeting at a mutually agreed upon date and time.
   
   
   • If the parent does NOT accept the offer for an ISP, clearly document in the PWN following the eligibility determination OR in the “Content” section of the “Contact Log” that the parent has declined the district’s offer for an ISP and has been informed of their right to request an ISP in the future as well as their right to a triennial reevaluation review.


4. Student with an active ISP is due for an annual review of their ISP: The Case Manager will schedule an ISP meeting at a mutually agreed upon date and time prior to the Annual Review due date.
   
   NOTE: If the parent does NOT accept the offer for an ISP, clearly document in the “Content” section of the “Contact Log” that the parent has declined the district’s offer for an ISP and has been informed of their right to request an ISP in the future as well as their right to a triennial reevaluation review.

To complete the ISP process, Case Managers will complete the following steps:

1. The Case Manager will schedule an ISP meeting using the Notice of Meeting in the ISP process in Enrich IEP. Just like an IEP meeting, at least two parent contacts are required (one of these contacts must be the written notification of meeting created in Enrich IEP). The ISP team will consist of those participants required at an IEP meeting and will include a representative of the private school, if applicable.
   
   NOTE: For students not currently in PowerSchool and who will not be entered in PowerSchool, Case Managers will complete a Private School Student Addition Request.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Along with the Notification of Meeting, Case Managers will also send home a copy of the parent handbook for PPPSS (IDEA Regulations: Children Enrolled by Their Parents in Private Schools). This form is located on the Special Education Services department website.
   
   
2. Prior to the meeting date, the case manager may begin development of the ISP in IEP software system.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Team and Parent/Guardian Information:
     
     District personnel must cooperate with and encourage parental participation in the ISP process. The required team members consist of the Parent/Guardian, Special Education Teacher, LEA, General Education Teacher, Related Service providers (if applicable) and a representative from the private school. ISP teams are created in the Enrich IEP the same way a Case Manager would create an IEP Team. (Refer to the section “IEP Team Parent/Guardian Information”)
   
   
   • Present Levels of Performance:
     
     
     
     
     The present level of performance statement gives a picture of the student at particular time and place. It describes the level at which the student is working academically and functionally. This includes a description of a student’s strengths and needs. Present levels of performance includes the summary of current services, parental input, student input, if appropriate, and a summary of the student’s strengths and needs. If the parent has not provided input, Case Managers will include all attempts to contact the parent in the "Details" section of the “Contact Log” within the ISP process. In order to develop appropriate present levels of performance, baseline data must be obtained. Baseline data is current and applicable to the student’s needs. Baseline data is objective, measureable and specific to the student’s needs. Baseline data provides the starting point for each measurable annual goal.
   
   
   • Goals:
     
     
     
     
     Goals are only required for students who receive specialized instruction (direct) services. Objectives are not required. Goals for students receiving direct services through their ISP will be entered the same way a Case Manager would enter IEP goals into the system. Users can report progress toward the goals every 9 weeks. Progress reports are not completed for consultative services.
   
   
   • Special Education and Related Services:
     
     
     
     
     As indicated in the Procedures document, speech services may be direct while services related to Curriculum and Learning, Independent Functioning (includes Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Adaptive, Vision, and Hearing), and Social/Emotional Behavior will be provided through a consultative (indirect) method. Individual service times may vary based on student needs but will not exceed 30 minutes per week for Speech and Language specialized instruction (direct services) or a total 5 hours per year (75 minutes quarterly) of consultative (indirect) services for all other areas.
     
     The District may offer direct services in Speech Language in addition to consultative services in the area of Curriculum and Learning or Related Services. If the parent opts for their student to receive Speech Services only, the desired services will be reflected in the final ISP.
     
     In cases where transportation may be required, contact the Speech Lead for your school. To document Transportation services on the ISP the teacher will enter transportation as a related service. The amount will be entered as times per week. A Transportation form will also need to be completed.
     
     
     
   
   
   • Create Draft ISP:
     
     Enrich IEP automatically creates a draft ISP when the user begins the ISP process. Users should select Save periodically as the draft is completed. The draft can be printed at any time by selecting “Services Plan” from the documents section of the navigation pane within the ISP process. Selecting Validate will cause any errors that need to be resolved to be highlighted in red. All of the pages of the ISP will print with the word “Draft” win the footer except the signature page. All changes to the draft are a team decision and will be changed at the meeting.


3. Prior to the presentation of the draft ISP, the parent will be provided with the Procedures for Students with Disabilities Voluntarily Enrolled by Parents in Private Schools. This document is available on the Special Education Services department website. Review this form with the parent. This form must be signed by the parent before the presentation of the ISP. Upon receipt of their signature, the team will review the draft ISP.
   
   Do not present the ISP if the parent does not sign the Procedures form. If the parent does not sign the Procedures form, clearly document this in the “Details” section of the “Contact Log” within the ISP process that the parent has declined the district’s offer for an ISP and has been informed of their right to request an ISP in the future as well as their right to a triennial reevaluation review.
   
   NOTE: The form Procedures for Students with Disabilities Voluntarily Enrolled by Parents in Private Schools must be signed by the parent prior to the presentation of the ISP for Initial and Annual Review ISP meetings.


4. At the conclusion of the ISP meeting, the Case Manager will create a Final ISP document and provide the parent with a copy.
   
   
   
   
   Note: Prior Written Notice is only required for proposals/refusals related to Identification and Evaluation/Reevaluation for PPPSS. Proposals/refusals related to the provision of services in the ISP do NOT require Prior Written Notice, because there is no FAPE entitlement.


5. File all required paperwork in the student’s ISP file (see Setting Up and Maintaining Special Education Files. The Individual Service Plan Checklist, located on the Special Education Services department website, outlines the required paperwork to be filed.


6. Following the service plan meeting, all identified services will begin as outlined in the service plan document. In order to document the provision of services, the Case Manager will document all consultation with the parent or private school teacher in the “Contact Log” within Enrich IEP as evidence of the provision of the consultative services outlined in the ISP. The “Contact Log” is located and used in the same manner in which service providers access and use the “Contact Log” for students with IEPs.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   The procedural workflow below gives an overview of the processes and procedures related to parentally placed private school students.