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ESE and Charter Schools. Adam Miller Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice. Overview . Performance Data Needs Assessment Results Rules and Regulations Current Issues. Charter School Performance. CREDO Report (Florida) Charter students perform at lower level initially
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ESE and Charter Schools Adam Miller Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice
Overview • Performance Data • Needs Assessment Results • Rules and Regulations • Current Issues
Charter School Performance • CREDO Report (Florida) • Charter students perform at lower level initially • Charter students outperform by year 3 • Issues with methodology • RAND Study • Charter high schools in Florida, “have substantial positive effects on both high school completion and college attendance.” • Florida, 57 percent of students attending a charter school in grade nine went to either a two-year of four-year post secondary institution within five years of starting high school (compared to 40 percent of students who started grade nine in a traditional public school)
Preliminary 08/09 Data- Florida • 63 comparisons • Proficiency in Reading, Math, Science • Elementary, Middle, High School • Total • White, African American, Hispanic • FRL • ESE • ELL • Higher charter achievement in 53 comparisons
Preliminary Needs Assessment • November 2008 • Identification of training needs of charters • Addressed all areas, including ESE • n=230 • Top 4 areas identified by schools • Instructional strategies, ESE instructional strategies, Learning Gains, Accountability
ESE Needs Assessment (July 09) • Second needs assessment • Follow up to initial assessment in Nov. 08 • n=94
ESE Support from Sponsor% of respondents answered “meets” or “exceeds expectations”
State Statutes: Eligible Students • Students with disabilities and students served in English for Speakers of Other Languages programs shall have an equal opportunity of being selected for enrollment in a charter school. (s. 1002.33(10)(f), F.S.)
State Statute: Enrollment Preference • A charter school may limit the enrollment process to target, “Students considered at risk of dropping out of school or academic failure. Such students shall include exceptional education students.” (s. 1002.33(10)(e)2, F.S.)
State Statute: Exemptions • A charter school shall operate in accordance with its charter and shall be exempt from all statutes in chapters 1000-1013. However, a charter school shall be in compliance with the following statutes in chapters 1000-1013: • Those statutes pertaining to the provision of services to students with disabilities. (s. 1002.33(16)(a)3, F.S.)
State Statute: Sponsor Services • A sponsor shall provide certain administrative and educational services to charter schools. These services shall include contract management services; full-time equivalent and data reporting services; exceptional student education administration services… (s. 1002.33(20), F.S.)
State Statute: Funding • If the district school board is providing programs or services to students funded by federal funds, any eligible students enrolled in charter schools in the school district shall be provided federal funds for the same level of service provided students in the schools operated by the district school board. (s. 1002.33(17)(c), F.S.)
State Statute: ARRA • Charter schools shall be included by the Department of Education and the district school board in requests for federal stimulus funds in the same manner as district school board-operated public schools, including Title I and IDEA funds and shall be entitled to receive such funds. (s. 1002.33(17)(d), F.S.)
State Statute: Funding • District school boards shall make timely and efficient payment and reimbursement to charter schools, including processing paperwork required to access special state and federal funding for which they may be eligible…The payment shall be issued no later than 10 working days after the district school board receives a distribution of state or federal funds. (s. 1002.33(17)(e), F.S.)
IDEA- Charter Responsibilities • Rights of children with disabilities. Children with disabilities who attend public charter schools and their parents retain all rights under this part.
IDEA – LEA responsibilities • Serve students in same manner as its traditional public school students. • Including supplementary and related services on site at charter school. • Provide IDEA funds to charter school on same basis as funds are provided to traditional public schools.
NCLB Title V, Part B • Federal definition of charter school includes a requirement that a charter school, “complies with the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;”
Current Issues • Discrimination • Lack of Expertise • Lack of Clarity in Law • Funding Disparities
Discrimination- Research • Historically, percentage of students receiving special education services has been smaller in public charter schools than in traditional schools. (Estes, 2000, 2001; Rhim & McLaughlin, 1999; USDOE, 1997; USDOE, 2000)
Discrimination- Research • Charter schools may “counsel out” students with significant disabilities (Estes, 2003) • Charter schools may discourage students with disabilities from enrolling (Fiore, et. al, 2000)
Florida Data • 18 charter schools with 0 ESE enrollment • Avg. total enrollment for these schools is 28 • Incubator schools/schools within school
Discussion • Florida charter schools enroll less SWD than traditional. • SWD in charters tend to perform well. • State and federal law clearly prohibit discrimination • Model application and contract further clarify prohibitions
Expertise- Research • Lack of expertise at charter schools may hinder the implementation of programming for students with special needs (Estes, 2000, 2001; Glascock et al., 1997; Lange, 1997; McLaughlin & Henderson, 1998; Vernal, 1995). • Education Commission of the States (1995) found that charter directors in seven states felt unprepared to accept students with disabilities. • Some charter schools do not have a formal plan in place to serve SWD at time of opening (Lange, 1997)
Expertise- Research • Research tends to focus on the expertise of charter school leadership. • No data on Florida’s charter school leadership expertise in ESE • Data available on HQT percentages
Expertise • Data reviewed: • ESE classes that are NCLB core course • Taught by HQT or NHQT
Expertise- Discussion • Large gap in HQT% (14%) • Reasons? • Solutions?