Transcript No Child Left Behind (NCLB) First Impressions

Parent Choice in the
Placement Continuum
James E. Tucker, Superintendent
Maryland School for the Deaf
www.msd.edu
State Leaders Summit on Collaborative
Service Delivery Models for Students
Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
April 28, 2005
“Parent Choice” continues to
be a widely misunderstood and
elusive term in the United
States today.
IDEA Promotes “Parent Choice"

Sec. 601 (c) Findings
“(5) (B) strengthening the role and
responsibility of parents and ensuring that
families of such children have meaningful
opportunities to participate in the education
of their children at school and at home.”

Sec. 614 (d) (1)
“(B) Individualized Education Program
Team…means a group of individuals
composed of (i) the parents of a child with a disability”

Sec. 614 (d)
“(3) Development of IEP – In developing
each child’s IEP, the IEP team shall
consider(ii) the concerns of the parents for
enhancing the education of their child;”

Sec. 614
“(e) Educational Placements – Each local
educational agency or state educational
agency shall ensure that the parents of each
child with a disability are members of any
group that makes decisions on the
educational placement of their child.”
Parents’ Perspective:
“We do not know what to do.”
 “We have to fight.”
 “We have to move to another school
district.”
 “We have to move to another state.”
 “We have to get a lawyer.”
 “We did not know our options.”

Educational Administrators’ (of
Schools/Programs for Deaf and Hard
of Hearing Students) Perspective:






Educational placements are often determined by
the local educational agency’s special education
director’s ideology/philosophy.
Economics often drive placement decisions.
Information regarding Continuum of Placements
often not shared with parents.
SEAs “Hands Off” Approach
SEAs often do not have a student achievement
database for all deaf and hard of hearing children.
“Turfism”

A narrow interpretation of LRE is given
consideration over the IDEA’s Sec. 614 (d)(3):
“(B) Consideration of Special Factors – The
IEP Team shall(iv) consider the communication needs of the
child, and in the case of a child who is deaf or
hard of hearing, consider the child’s language and
communication needs, opportunities for direct
communication with peers and professional
personnel in the child’s language and
communication mode, academic level, and full
range of needs, including opportunities for direct
instruction in the child’s language and
communication mode.”
Recommendations:
SEAs take charge!
 Use the upcoming revised NASDSE
Guidelines and the National Agenda.
 SEAs establish and announce “continuum
of placements” for the state.
 SEAs and LEAs, with assistance from the
continuum of schools and programs,
provide parent education and training.

Enact state legislation that ensures “parent
choice” or “parent referral” rights.
Currently, Florida, Illinois, and South
Carolina, and Texas have legislation or state
policies ensuring various forms of parent
referral rights.
 SEAs and LEAs work closely with Parent
Associations, the Deaf Education
Community and the Deaf Community.

“Parents deserve the right to select their
child's educational program without
"permission" from anyone else. They are
the child's most effective and
knowledgeable advocates and it is time
educators recognize that.”
Joseph P. Finnegan, Jr.,
Executive Director of CEASD
April 2005
"I have done nothing but
in care of thee."
William Shakespeare
The Tempest
Act I, Scene 2.
(Prospero tells his daughter Miranda
what every parent feels…)
Special Thanks to:
Barbara Raimondo
…and Lou Abbate, John Balk, Michael J. Bello,
Claire Bugen, Edward E. Corbett, Jr., Elmer
Dillingham, Janet Gordon, Joseph P. Finnegan, Jr.,
Joseph E. Fischgrund, Joan Forney, Joseph J.
Innes, Bob Kellogg, Lin Mackechnie, Linda
Mitchell, Harold Mowl, Jane Mulholland,
Raymond Olson, Marsha Opauski, Jeanne
Prickett, Fern Reisinger, and Ron Stern