Building Bridges for Federal Programs

The U.S. Dept. of Education's Office of Non-Public Schools has authored suggestions for working with your school district (Local Educational Agency or "LEA") on federal programs that serve private school students and teachers.   The No Child Left Act (NCLB) requires the LEA to contact and consult with private school officials regarding the equitable participation of private school students and teachers in federal education programs.   Private school officials can help make consultation succeed by contacting their LEA and asking to speak with the person in charge of coordinating federal education programs.   In larger districts, several people will be involved and could be assigned by program; in smaller districts, there is often just one person who coordinates the involvement of students, teachers, and other educational personnel in all of the federal education programs in which the district participates. It is important for private school officials to establish a positive, productive working relationship with this person or persons. Questions are more easily answered and difficulties more effectively resolved when the officials involved have met to discuss the issues beforehand.

Private school officials should consider the following:

Be informed about the various federal education programs requiring the equitable participation of private school students and teachers.   For up-to-date information and educational resources in this area, click onto the Office of Non-Public Education Web site.

Be familiar with the consultation requirements regarding the equitable participation of private school students and teachers in federal education programs as outlined in Title IX, Part E, Section 9501, Title I, Part A, Section1120, and Title V, Part A, Section 5142.   This information is available at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oii/nonpublic/index.html.  

Make sure the school or group of schools is on the mailing list of the LEA and state educational agency (SEA) so that notices will be received in a timely manner. Be sure that the LEA and SEA have the correct name and address of the designated private school officials.

Take an active part in the consultation process, finding out in advance the purpose of the programs, the criteria that are used to identify eligible children, teachers, and other personnel for each program, and permissible activities.

Be prepared to provide specific information on the needs of the students and teachers and to offer suggestions for services/programs that will help meet the particular needs of the private school students, teachers, and other personnel.

Engage in early and frequent contact with public school officials so that public and private school officials are part of the consultation process throughout each phase of the project. Request a calendar of dates for consultation meetings.

As required by law, discuss upfront how the various programs/services will be evaluated in order to ensure accountability and how that assessment will be used to modify/improve programs/services for the following year.

Encourage the private school community--parents, teachers, and administrators--to take an active role in assessing student needs and planning a program to meet those needs.

Give the LEA a copy of the private school calendar, including starting and dismissal times, and notify the LEA as soon as possible of any unscheduled change in calendar.   Inform the LEA if the school office will be closed for any of the summer months.

Encourage the development of a Non-Public School Working Group within the district to maximize private school students' and teachers' participation in federal education programs; foster collaborative relations with private schools and school district personnel; develop effective programs and activities; and address concerns.

If a problem arises, try to resolve it through personal contact and by following the chains of command in the public and private school systems.   In the event the problem cannot be resolved at the local level, contact the State Department of Education.   In Washington, start first with Joan Iyall at 360-725-6175.