1. Equitable Participation
55 Miller Street
Enola, PA
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Fax
Consultation Meeting
For Parents:
Equitable Participation

2. Equitable Participation
Special Education
Equitable Participation

3. Agenda Capital Area Intermediate Unit
Public school vs. non-public school
Special Education
Special Education Options
Equitable Participation
EP vs. ANPS
Evaluation process
Child Find
Funding
Requesting services once identified
Service Menu
Yearly time line
Questions and answers related to special education and equitable participation

4. CAIU
Our Mission: The Capital Area Intermediate Unit will achieve educational excellence with families, schools and communities through leadership, partnership and innovation.
Our Vision: Educational Excellence through Leadership, Partnership and Innovation.
The CAIU is one of 29 regional educational service agencies in Pennsylvania. We serve Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, and Northern York Counties in south central PA. We focus our efforts on our 24 member school districts, 2 area vocational technical schools, over 50 non-public schools, several charter schools and cyber charter schools. In addition, we operate Capital Area Online Learning Association (CAOLA), and the Capital Area Adventures (CAA). We also work very closely with our partners in higher education.

5. CAIU continued
Several statewide projects are administered by the CAIU, including PA Initiative for Instructional Coaching and Comprehensive Planning.
We currently employ about 490 persons who work on one of our five teams: Administrative Services, Curriculum Services, Business/Human Resources and Communications Services, Student Services and Technology Services.

6. Private/Non-Public Schools
Act 89 Auxiliary Services to Non-Public Schools
The state of Pennsylvania established Act 89 through legislative action in The purpose of Act 89 is to provide auxiliary educational services to Pennsylvania students who are enrolled in nonprofit, non-public schools. Regulations, guidelines, and procedures are issued and updated by the state Department of Education. All related information is summarized in the Public School Code of Pennsylvania.
The Capital Area Intermediate Unit (CAIU) administers the fiscal, educational, and programmatic services to the non-public schools located within Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry Counties. Approximately 10,000 students attend these schools.

7. ANPS continued CAIU Act 89 Program Plan: Academic Remediation
School Counseling
Speech and Language Support
Psychological Evaluation and Consultative Services

8. What is Special Education?

9. Special Education: acronyms you may see
PTE- permission to evaluate
PTRE-permission to reevaluate
ER-evaluation report
RR- reevaluation report
IEP-individual education plan (public school document)
NOREP-Notice of recommended educational placement
Invite-invitation to attend a meeting related to ER/RR/IEP

10. Special Education Options
Full time enrollment in public school where the school evaluates the child, writes the IEP, and the student receives FAPE
Dual Enrollment where the student enrolls part-time in the public school and services are provided through a service plan
Child remains in private school and services are requested through EP, service plans are developed from services provided from the limited service menu

11. Equitable Participation
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that the CAIU, as a sub grantee, make provisions for children with disabilities enrolled by their parents in private schools to benefit from special education services. However, there is no individual entitlement to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for these students. The CAIU is required to consult with representatives of private schools to determine which children will receive services, what services will be provided, how and where the services will be provided, and how the services will be evaluated.

12. EP continued
The procedures for a private school student to access services from the CAIU are as follows: First, the student must have been identified as eligible under IDEA and offered FAPE by a school district, that is, an offer of special education via an Individualized Education Program (IEP) which would be available if the parent wishes to take advantage of a public school education. Second, if the parent refuses the offer of FAPE, but wishes to enroll, or maintain enrollment of their child at a private school, the student may access services from the CAIU if those services have been determined available through the consultation described above. The list of available services may vary from year to year depending on the results of the annual consultation with representatives of private schools.

13. EP continued
Next, if a parent who refuses the offer of FAPE wishes to access services under the IDEA from the CAIU, the private school must submit a Referral Request Form to Central Referral indicating a request for “Equitable Participation” with a copy of the child’s Evaluation Report, IEP and Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP). The “Reason for Referral” should be indicated in the space provided. The CAIU will follow up on the referral, which may result in the development of a Service Plan if the needed services are on the list of available services.

14. The Evaluation Process
From public school:
From CAIU:
Parent writes a letter to public school asking for their child to be tested
School sends out PTE
60 day process/test + present report
An IEP could follow
Parent writes a letter to the IU requesting testing
School psychologist will gather
If an evaluation is warranted a PTE will be sent out
60 days process/test + present the report

15. EP vs. ANPS Equitable Participation Aide to Non-Public Schools
The child is identified as having a disability and in need of specially designed instruction.
The child has been parentally placed in a non-public school
Aide to Non-Public Schools
Act 89 provides auxiliary educational services to children parentally placed in the non-public schools.
For example, remedial reading to child that does not have a diagnosis but does have a need.

16. The Evaluation Process
Explanation of Child find
Funding
Requesting a service

17. Child Find
The IU, acting as the LEA for the non-public schools, is required by law to find and identify any students residing in its footprint who are parentally placed in a non-public school.
In August a letter is sent to non-public school principals asking them to list students who have been identified with a disability and who are in need of specially designed instruction. In addition, they send the IU a copy of the child’s current evaluation report that documents the disability.

18. Funding
Letters are sent to principals in August asking principals to identify any students identified with a disability and in need of specially designed instruction
Letters are returned to the IU by November 1st with a list of identified students
An ER or RR that states their disability and need for special education is included with any newly enrolled students
Calculation/number of eligible students in non-public schools in CAIU footprint THEN number of eligible students residing in CAIU footprint THEN a multiplier=estimated funding allocation
The budgeted amount for the academic school year=$214,

19. Requesting a service
The non-public school, in conjunction with parents with eligible students, submits a referral request to the IU EP coordinator
The request for services is limited to the services on the current menu
Requests for services under EP should mirror the specified needs identified in the most recent evaluation
The IU supervisor will review request, accept or deny it, and follow up with school personnel
Services will be outlined in a Service Plan NOT an IEP

20. Services continued
The CAIU is responsible to act as the LEA and provide the approved services
IU staff will be assigned to provide the services
Services can be provided at the non-public school, at the public school of residency, or at the IU.
Up until this point all services have been provided and accessed at the non-public school.

21. Service Menu 2014-2015 Occupational Therapy-direct therapy sessions
Speech/Language-direct therapy sessions
Reading- direct services for 3rd grade through 5th
Positive Behavior Support-consultation
Autistic Support-consultation
DHH- consultation
VI-consultation
Staff training-consultation

22. Yearly time line-parents
In July of each year a letter is generated and sent to parents of children who received services in a non-public school the year prior
The letter asks for the parents to decide if services will continue and to sign/return the letter to the CAIU
Notification to school administrators will then occur following the return of the ‘continuation’ letters.
New service plans are developed at the start of every academic year

23. Yearly timeline
If a child is due for a reevaluation the process can move along if parents return paperwork in a timely manner.
The PTE or PTRE
The parent survey
The invite
The NOREP-if needed

24. Questions and Answers:
Special Education/Equitable Participation