Charter school placing out due to special needs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:wouldn't osse try to place the kid in one of their DCPS special ed self contained classrooms rather than going straight to a private placement from charter? It seems like DCPS tries to do everything it can to avoid a private placement, and that includes considering ALL public options

No. Most charters act as their own Local Education Agency and have no connection to DCPS. Charters cannot "place" their students into DCPS although the parents can switch to DCPS if they want to.

Doesn't DCPS only have self contained classrooms for autism only? I'm the pp at an immersion charter, none of these kids who got a private placement has an ASD diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

But isn't it the same osse? This does, frankly, seem like a back door way of getting a placement

[Anonymous]

OSSE doesn't do the placement. It's up to the charter just like it is up to DCPS and again, a charter cannot place a student into DCPS only the parents can.

[Anonymous]

PP you are wrong. where does the charter get the money to fund the placement? it comes from osse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OSSE doesn't do the placement. It's up to the charter just like it is up to DCPS and again, a charter cannot place a student into DCPS only the parents can.

It would be truly remarkable if osse handed over tens of thousands of dollars based on a charter schools saying that it couldn't serve a student, without any oversight or control. I think I'm going to start a charter school for the purpose of kicking out SN students so they can go to private schools!

[Anonymous]

Yes. The PP who is spouting off what she/he doesn't know anything about is truly arrogant.

[Anonymous]

Here's the process:

Someone, either parent or school or both together, makes the decision to consider an outside placement.

A document is written, called a "Justification for Removal" that outlines the reasons why this is being considered. It includes all different kinds of data. It is sent off to OSSE along with a packet full of IEPs and work samples and other things.

OSSE has 30 days in which to convene a meeting with the school. In the interim they usually talk to the parents, visit the child at school, and talk to school professionals.

At the meeting, the OSSE rep asks any clarifying questions they may have, and gives people opportunities to speak about the child. They then make a "state recommendation" which can be either to place or move. Usually there have to be very compelling reasons for a child to be moved. They also offer "training and technical assistance" which is OSSE speak for suggestions on what the school could try. It's important to note that charter schools have the responsibility to educate any child who can be served in an inclusive environment. They have a responsibility to set up self contained classrooms if that's what a child needs, or hire dedicated aides, or bring in specialists. If a child could function in a special education autism class in DCPS they can function in a special education autism class in a charter school and the charter needs to develop one.

The IEP team then considers the OSSE's recommendation and makes a final decision. They can disagree with a recommendation to place elsewhere, but most schools are hesitant to do so as it comes with increased monitoring etc . . . In addition, the OSSE knows the private placements, and often has good suggestions. So, frequently if the OSSE says no the school decides to try again.

If the IEP team decides that they've exhausted all options for providing FAPE in the LRE then the OSSE has 10 days to find a placement and move the child there.****

OSSE then pays tuition to the private school, they take the student's allotment to pay for part of it, and eat the cost for the rest. The charter school continues to be the LEA of record, and school employees attend IEP meetings etc . . . When the new IEP team at the new school decides the child is ready to move they return to the charter, even if it's midyear, even if it's full, even if it's 4th grade and the school doesn't usually accept new 4th graders.

**** This is the trickiest part of the whole thing. They'll ask you your thoughts on schools as a parent, but if that school doesn't have an opening in 10 days your child won't be placed there. The only way around this, is to apply before the process or early in the process so you can tell OSSE that a certain school already accepted your child. However, given that the top private schools generally only accept kids for fall placements, this can get very tricky with timing and deadlines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know of three at our language immersion charter. In all the cases, the school and the parents tried just about everything in the IEP for two yrs, preK and K, before placing them at a private SN school. In all the cases, the school made the suggestion to the parents. The kids are still considered students at the charter so if they have sibs, their sibs got preference in admissions.

Who pays for the private school tuition? The Charter? The Parents? DCPS?

The charter gets the funding from OSSE to pay the tuition.

Is this a backend way to get private school tuition? Are there some Charters that recommend more than others?

NO - it is NOT a backend way to get private school tuition. OSSE isn't going to fund your kid from a charter school if they think DCPS can provide FAPE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's the process:

Someone, either parent or school or both together, makes the decision to consider an outside placement.

A document is written, called a "Justification for Removal" that outlines the reasons why this is being considered. It includes all different kinds of data. It is sent off to OSSE along with a packet full of IEPs and work samples and other things.

OSSE has 30 days in which to convene a meeting with the school. In the interim they usually talk to the parents, visit the child at school, and talk to school professionals.

At the meeting, the OSSE rep asks any clarifying questions they may have, and gives people opportunities to speak about the child. They then make a "state recommendation" which can be either to place or move. Usually there have to be very compelling reasons for a child to be moved. They also offer "training and technical assistance" which is OSSE speak for suggestions on what the school could try. It's important to note that charter schools have the responsibility to educate any child who can be served in an inclusive environment. They have a responsibility to set up self contained classrooms if that's what a child needs, or hire dedicated aides, or bring in specialists. If a child could function in a special education autism class in DCPS they can function in a special education autism class in a charter school and the charter needs to develop one.

The IEP team then considers the OSSE's recommendation and makes a final decision. They can disagree with a recommendation to place elsewhere, but most schools are hesitant to do so as it comes with increased monitoring etc . . . In addition, the OSSE knows the private placements, and often has good suggestions. So, frequently if the OSSE says no the school decides to try again.

If the IEP team decides that they've exhausted all options for providing FAPE in the LRE then the OSSE has 10 days to find a placement and move the child there.****

OSSE then pays tuition to the private school, they take the student's allotment to pay for part of it, and eat the cost for the rest. The charter school continues to be the LEA of record, and school employees attend IEP meetings etc . . . When the new IEP team at the new school decides the child is ready to move they return to the charter, even if it's midyear, even if it's full, even if it's 4th grade and the school doesn't usually accept new 4th graders.

**** This is the trickiest part of the whole thing. They'll ask you your thoughts on schools as a parent, but if that school doesn't have an opening in 10 days your child won't be placed there. The only way around this, is to apply before the process or early in the process so you can tell OSSE that a certain school already accepted your child. However, given that the top private schools generally only accept kids for fall placements, this can get very tricky with timing and deadlines.

You seem to know the process very well. My question is when you say, "OSSE has 10 days to find a placement and move the child there..." can OSSE say that the placement they are offering is in a DCPS (assuming, of course, that OSSE can make the argument that the DCPS they are offering can serve the needs of the child at the LRE level)?

For example, if you figure out in pre-K that your child is autistic, and that the charter school cannot meet his/her needs, can the placement OSSE offers be a DCPS autism program?

[Anonymous]

It looks like PP knows what she is talking about. The way I read the regs here http://osse.dc.gov/release/osse-publishes-final-rulemaking-charter-schools they don't consider DCPS or other charters.

It's kind of hard because we apply for charters so early in DC (often they are 2 when you are applying for preschool/ PK3.)
But you don't know them if immersion isn't good fit, if Montessori isnt a good fit (eg because of language learning disabilities or sensory issues--bad with Montesorri our OT mentioned). So another school might be a better fit, say a traditional language school might work even if LAMB is a disaster for your child with SN ( example only). Yet they would have to try a self contained classroom or non Montessori method before moving your child?

Personally we played the lottery again because I think our charter is in some ways not a great fit for our DC with SNs.

[Anonymous]

Here is the OSSE memo outlining SN placement from charters.

http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/Policy%20%26%20Procedures%20for%20Placement%20Review%20-%20FINAL_0.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is the OSSE memo outlining SN placement from charters.

http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/Policy%20%26%20Procedures%20for%20Placement%20Review%20-%20FINAL_0.pdf

Based on this, it would seem that OSSE reviews the charter's decision about whether the child needs a more restrictive environment. If OSSE agrees that a more restrictive environment is needed, then OSSE assigns a location, based on an order where DCPS is the first choice (see p. 4), then privates within DC, then privates outside of DC.

[Anonymous]

Seems other charters are an option too. None of hat seemed to happen with knowledgeable PP's friends though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems other charters are an option too. None of hat seemed to happen with knowledgeable PP's friends though.

I'm the pp who posted the link to OSSE and the one with friends who got private placement through their charter. I'm not sure why you are attacking me...

I did not go through the procedure so I'm only trying to help OP. I assume that in my friends' cases, they got a private placement b/c no DCPS or charter could meet their child's needs. They got placement at DC SN private schools.

[Anonymous]

13:15 here, was not trying to attack you at all, not sure where you see that in my post? I apologize to have caused that impression.

Was pointing out it looks like other charters ARE in fact an option, which seems like good news!