PLACEMENT CHANGES:

Homeschool/Nonpublic

Definition

Parent(s)/guardian(s) are choosing to have the student complete schooling at home. Each district has a person responsible for tracking homeschool enrollments. 

Who Makes the Placement Decision?

A parent or guardian chooses homeschool. 

School district is obligated to provide a FAPE and determines the amount and location of special education services. Services are provided through “shared time services” and documented on the student’s IEP.

Considerations and Next Steps

Schedule an IEP meeting to discuss service needs and service delivery. Even if a student is enrolled in homeschool, the district remains obligated to provide a full FAPE; parents cannot pick and choose which services they want if those selections provide for less than a FAPE. 

Regardless of a student’s educational placement, IEP teams need to determine how special education services will be delivered. Students may access special education services virtually, in person, or a combination of virtual and in-person (e.g., speech virtual but reading and DAPE in person), based on the method that best meets their needs. 

Questions to consider prior to and during the meeting:

• Was the student enrolled in distance learning or homeschool last school year? 

  • If yes, did they make progress on their IEP goals? 

  • If yes, did they pass their classes? (secondary)

  • If no, how did the student do during any remote learning time periods last year? 

• Is the student able to meaningfully participate in services virtually?

• ​​Secondary Students: Is the student on track to graduate? 

Service delivery decisions need to be made on an individual basis and based on the data available. Some services may need to be provided in-person within a mainstream building or alternate, neutral location. 

For any in-person services, try to group students as much as possible to maximize available resources and prevent the student from  having big gaps in their day. 

Amendment Paperwork

Complete amendment paperwork in alignment with procedure.

LRE Statement in IEP

The LRE, regardless of setting, always has the same three considerations: 

1. Where instruction will take place: Specialized instruction can be provided in a variety of formats, including online

2. What the student will be missing: The specific classes and activities that the student will not participate in so that they may receive their specialized instruction

3. Why this is the student’s LRE: The explanation needs to be more specific than, “Because his skills are discrepant from peers, Johnny will receive…" Thorough rationales explain the features of specialized instruction that (1) are necessary for the student and (2) cannot be reasonably offered in a less restrictive setting.

Example statement: "Cheyanne’s family has opted to homeschool her. Cheyanne needs specialized instruction in reading comprehension to meet her educational needs. Cheyanne will receive direct instruction in reading comprehension in the school setting 3 times per week in the special education resource room. This is the least restrictive environment for Cheyanne because for her grade, she needs specialized instruction in comprehension and the district is obligated to provide these services for Cheyanne. Participating only in the homeschool setting would not provide her with a reasonable opportunity for educational benefit."