Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lets all try to be supportive here, Ok?

Nobody else had info anywhere near as good as the PP wih the outplaced friends, right?

So she was super helpful, I thought, and basically mirrorered the process listed in the OSSE document, though it is certainly all complex. She did say it was based on her friends' experience at one charter. Let's not attack and let's not a are her away. We can all benefit from anecdotal info.

I think I'm the poster that you're referring to, in that I wrote the long post that started "here's the process . . . " but I certainly never would have said that my understanding was based on friends' experiences, because that isn't true. I'm a professional in the field and have participated in the process from that perspective.

Anonymous wrote:Lets all try to be supportive here, Ok?

Nobody else had info anywhere near as good as the PP wih the outplaced friends, right?

So she was super helpful, I thought, and basically mirrorered the process listed in the OSSE document, though it is certainly all complex. She did say it was based on her friends' experience at one charter. Let's not attack and let's not a are her away. We can all benefit from anecdotal info.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

NP here. Don't mean to derail this thread, but the bolded parts above don't make sense to me. How can a charter school have an obligation to set up a self-contained classroom or an autism classroom based on one student's needs? That seems highly impractical--they presumably would not have an extra classroom sitting open, plus there would just be one student in that room. Am I misunderstanding something here?

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.

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

Anonymous wrote:

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 wrote: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!

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