1. Special Education: Lessons Learned in the Restructure of Los Angeles Unified School District National Charter School Conference Sharyn Howell, Executive Director, LAUSD Brian Bauer, CEO, Granada Hills Charter High School Sydney Quon, Director, LAUSD Gina Plate, Sr. Advisor for Special Education July 1, 2013

2. Key Factors Independent LEA for special education purposes Part of an LEA for special education purposes Legal Status Relationship to authorizer dictates: Access to funding Service delivery responsibility and decision making authority Linkage

3. = Authorizer = Traditional School = Charter School Another look at the Options Independent LEA for Special Education (No Link) Part of an LEA/ School of the District (Total Link) Responsibility & Funding

4. Local Educational Agency (LEA) for Special Education Ed. Code §47641(a) Part of an LEA (“School of the District”) Ed. Code §47641(b) California Charter Schools have two options for special education service delivery and responsibility: California: Two Options for Charter Schools

5. California Special Education Structures Schools Interacts with students and families Supports service delivery for students at site May be required to contribute financially to district costs *Local Education Agency (LEA)* Participates in SELPA governance Carries responsibility for special education Receives special education funds from the SELPA Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) Multiple LEAs (or one large LEA) collectively develop a plan for special education Receives special education funds from CDE and allocates funds to participating LEAs Schools Interacts with students and families Supports service delivery for students at site May be required to contribute financially to district costs *Local Education Agency (LEA)* Participates in SELPA governanceCarries responsibility for FAPE Receives special education funds from the SELPA

6. Another look at the Structures LEA for Special Education School of The District School District Charter School SELP A

7. Charter School: Autonomy, Flexibility, Funding SELPA: Compliance, Funding Authorizer: Oversight, Funding The Great Divide: Competing Interests Quality Services for Students

8. Los Angeles Unified School District Total ADA: 655,494 studentsTotal students with IEP: 75,000228 charter schools; 88,000 ADA

9. The LAUSD Vision Expand the innovative, high-quality school choice options available for vulnerable youth by empowering charter schools to: Serve a greater number of students with unique needs; Provide innovative, high-quality services to a broader range of students.

10. 10 The New Structure One Single-District SELPA Two Sub-groups – District-Operated Programs – Charter-Operated Programs

11. LAUSD: One structure, two programs LAUSD Board of Education LAUSD SELPA $ District-Operated Program $ Charter-Operated Program Advisory Committee 2 charter representatives 3 district representatives

12. One SELPA, two Programs District Operated Program Charter Operated Program LAUSD SELPA Affiliated charters Traditional district schools and “school of the district” charters Programs and Services Option 2 charters Option 1 charters Semi- autonomous “LEA-like” charters Option 3 charter $ $ $ $

13. Charter schools in the new program have increased both the number and range of students with disabilities they serve COP schools increased the % of students with disabilities they serve from 8.08% in 2010-’11 to 9.01% in 2011-’12. This is equivalent to 11.5% increase in percentage points. COP schools increased their population of students with the most severe ("low-incidence") disabilities from 1.21% in 2010- ’11 to 1.47% in 2011-’12, which represents an percent increase of 21.9% Case Study: Los Angeles