Special Education: Lessons Learned in the Restructure of Los Angeles Unified

School District

National Charter School Conference

Sharyn Howell, Executive Director, LAUSDBrian Bauer, CEO, Granada Hills Charter High School

Sydney Quon, Director, LAUSDGina Plate, Sr. Advisor for Special Education

July 1, 2013

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

= 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 Responsibility & Funding

Local Educational Agency (LEA) for Special

EducationEd. 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

California Special Education Structures

SchoolsInteracts with students and

families Supports service delivery for

students at siteMay be required to contribute

financially to district costs

*Local Education Agency (LEA)*Participates in SELPA governance Carries responsibility for special

educationReceives 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

SchoolsInteracts with students and

families Supports service delivery for

students at siteMay be required to contribute

financially to district costs

*Local Education Agency (LEA)*Participates in SELPA governance Carries responsibility for FAPE Receives special education funds

from the SELPA

Another look at the Structures

LEA for Special Education

School of The District

School DistrictCharterSchool

SELPA

Charter School:Autonomy,

Flexibility, Funding

SELPA: Compliance,

Funding

Authorizer: Oversight,

Funding

The Great Divide: Competing Interests

Quality Services for Students

Los Angeles Unified School District

Total ADA: 655,494 students

Total students with IEP: 75,000

228 charter schools; 88,000 ADA

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

The New Structure

• One Single-District SELPA

• Two Sub-groups– District-Operated Programs– Charter-Operated Programs

LAUSD: One structure, two programs

LAUSD Board of Education

LAUSD SELPA

$

District-Operated Program

$

Charter-Operated Program

Advisory Committee2 charter representatives3 district representatives

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

Option 3

charter

Option 3

charter

$ $

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

LAUSD Conversion and Independent Charters (Excluding COP Schools)

COP Year 1 cohort 41 schools (6 schools were new and did not have data for '10-11")

LAUSD Conversion and Independent Charters (Excluding COP Schools)

COP (Year 1 Cohort 47 Schools)

2010

-11

2011

-12

6.69%

6.87%

7.31%

7.53%

0.95%

1.21%

1.09%

1.47%

Students With Disabilities in LAUSD Charters

Percent - High Incidence Disabilities Percent - Low Incidence Disabilties

DISCUSSION RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON CONFERENCE WEBSITE