SERVICES TO PRIVATE SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS

A new resource - Children with Disabilities Placed by Their Parents in Private Schools: An IDEA Practices Toolkit -- is now available to explain the parts of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that apply to parentally placed children with disabilities in private schools.   This information will be helpful to private school administrators and teachers, public school officials who administer IDEA, parents, and others.   We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this practical guide and reference book.

The Toolkit includes an overview of IDEA and parentally placed private school students with disabilities, resources, best practices, helpful tips, and questions and answers.   It contains over 150 pages, with chapters on child find, child count, and expenditures; provision of services; and state provisions affecting parentally placed private school students with disabilities.

The toolkit was produced by the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) in conjunction with the IDEA Local Implementation by Local Administrator Partnership (ILIAD), with funding from the US Department of Education.   Although the toolkit was produced by CAPE, it is available to all who want it, not just members of CAPE.

To read and download the toolkit, go to http://www.capenet.org/new.html.

With the reauthorization of IDEA currently before Congress, CAPE has also created an "IDEA Toolkit Update" website at http://www.capenet.org/IDEA.html to provide information about changes in the law, regulations, and guidance regarding services for parentally placed children in private schools.