Public schools
Charter schools are public schools. They serve all children, including those with special education needs. Charter schools serve students’ individual needs as they are identified by a team of teachers and experts, working in conjunction with the New York City Department of Education. Charter schools are also bound by federal laws and regulations about special education.
Innovative approaches
Where charter schools can apply some of their characteristic flexibility and innovation is in how they work to meet special education needs. If charter schools have a better way to address a student’s needs, they are not required to adhere to the Department of Education’s standard “continuum of services.” They can think creatively about better ways to provide special education services, provided that the Department’s Committee on Special Education considers the alternative service delivery models to be appropriate.
Charter schools’ successes in special education are hard to fully measure. Many parents are enthusiastically loyal to charter schools for the quality of their services, although this is not always reflected in standardized tests. It is also difficult to quantify how many charter school students may be prevented from requiring special education services because of effective mainstream teaching.
Growing and improving
There is still room to improve; for example, the percentage of children with special needs who attend charter schools has steadily increased but is still somewhat below the rates of neighboring public schools. Charter schools are working to strengthen recruitment efforts, resolve bureaucratic frustrations, and continue their curricular innovation. Many charter schools also participate in special education co-operatives, which they use to pool resources and share best practices, and these organizations are growing.
Learn more about how the Center helps school leaders provide high-quality Special Education.
