Special ed questions on Colorado charter school applications violate federal law, complaints allege

3 years ago 251

Advocates person filed civilian rights complaints against much than 2 twelve Colorado charter schools alleging that questions connected their exertion forms astir whether prospective students person peculiar acquisition services interruption national law.

Colorado charter schools enroll students with disabilities astatine a little complaint than the authorities mean — and astatine a little complaint than charter schools successful astir different states, according to a survey by the Center for Learner Equity.

The study, commissioned past twelvemonth by the Colorado Department of Education’s Schools of Choice Unit, identified specified screening questions arsenic 1 crushed for the little enrollment. Even erstwhile schools don’t usage the question to surface retired prospective students, advocates fearfulness parents volition beryllium deterred. They mightiness deliberation a schoolhouse isn’t prepared to service their kid — oregon doesn’t privation to.

The authorities has convened a moving radical to amended charter schoolhouse practices and suggest regularisation changes, but it hasn’t mandated immoderate changes yet.

The complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights place 29 Colorado charter schools that inquire a question astir disablement presumption successful their application. The national bureau has opened investigations into each of them.

The applications alteration by schoolhouse and whitethorn inquire if the applicant receives peculiar acquisition services oregon has services and accommodations spelled retired successful what are known arsenic an Individualized Education Plan oregon a 504 plan. Some schools inquire applicants to supply copies of the plan, oregon inquire if the pupil has intelligence wellness oregon behavioral challenges.

Read the afloat communicative from our partners at chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat Colorado is simply a nonprofit quality enactment covering acquisition issues. For more, sojourn co.chalkbeat.org.

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