Guest Blogger Jed Wallace: California - Expanded Special Education Options for Charter Schools
The California State Board of Education (SBE) recently took a major step forward for the future of improved special education service delivery options. On January 7, 2010 the SBE voted in favor of removing “pilot” status from four Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPA). This monumental decision grants charter schools increased flexibility to better service their special education students.
There are approximately 122 SELPAs in California established for the purpose of providing special education services within a specific geographic region. For the past two years, four SELPAs have been doing innovative work with charter schools with the goal of opening up SELPAs to charters throughout the state regardless of their geographic location. This change will give every charter school the ability to find a SELPA that best meets their needs.
The Board’s action to lift the pilot status and provide more options to charters drew on recommendations from a task group established by the California Department of Education (CDE) and one initiated by the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA). In addition, the recommendations had the support of the State Special Education Advisory Commission and the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools.
The CCSA fully supports this change as it will mean more special education options for our members. Specifically, the action allows for expansion of different approaches to charter school-SELPA participation, including the option for charter schools to participate as LEAs for special education purposes in SELPAs from outside of their geographic area. It also creates the option to establish statewide or regional “charter-only” SELPAs. This will greatly improve charter school special education delivery, because it will enable charters to make autonomous decisions and assume direct responsibility for their special education programs.
What does this mean for other states? Well, for states that have similar service-delivery structures (BOCES, “regional service centers” and so forth), it offers a new model of cooperation with charters. But for all states, it provides concrete evidence that charter schools are serious about their obligations under IDEA and are willing to put in long hours to devise creative new structures that can overcome barriers to service.
- Jed Wallace,
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