Public charter schools educate a diverse student population, including students with disabilities and Emerging Multilingual Learners. View resources public charter schools should use to support students.
Oversight & Compliance Resources
Special Education Enrollment Preference Information
Pursuant to the Special Education Quality Improvement Amendment Act of 2014 (DC Act 20-488), DC public charter schools may institute a preference for applicants with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or applicants who have an IEP and their disability is in one or more specific disability category as defined by IDEA.
The purpose of this policy is to identify and address public charter schools that may not be in compliance with all federal and local laws pertaining to students with disabilities. This policy seeks to identify patterns of inequity in student outcomes that may be caused by a lack of access to quality programming for students with disabilities. This policy establishes the criteria the DC Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB) will review, the audit procedures it will initiate, and the subsequent monitoring activities it will require in response to each potential indicator of special education noncompliance or indication of inequitable provision of educational benefit LEAs must provide students with disabilities as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The guide follows DC PCSB’s Quality Assurance Review (QAR) tool standards and offers examples of possible evidence to submit. Please note, not every QAR standard is represented in this document.
Emerging Multilingual Learner Audit and Monitoring Policy
This policy identifies practices that may be preventing emerging multilingual learners’ success and provides guidance on how the DC Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB) will monitor schools’ compliance with local and federal laws related to emerging multilingual learner (EML) students.1 This policy also identifies criteria for DC PCSB to initiate an audit, and the subsequent audit procedures it will initiate in response to each potential indication of noncompliance or inequitable provision of services schools must provide to EML students.
Emerging Multilingual Learner Resources for School Leaders
The series of blog posts outlines the basics of serving Emerging Multilingual Learners. These articles provide a clear, concise foundation of knowledge about definitions, assessment, models of instruction, and policy, among other things.
As the Emerging Multilingual Learner student population continues to rise, so does the need for additional development of policies, practices, and supports for leaders and teachers across the District. OSSE is taking critical steps to create supporting conditions that enhance programs for Emerging Multilingual Learners, increase learning opportunities for educators, and ultimately ensure Emerging Multilingual Learners can succeed in every classroom in DC
Q & A Regarding Inclusion of Emerging Multilingual Learners with Disabilities in English Language Proficiency Assessments and Title III Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives
The questions and answers included in this document are intended to help States and LEAs address these challenges, and more broadly, to understand how Part B of the IDEA and Titles I and III of the ESEA address the inclusion of Emerging Multilingual Learners with disabilities in annual State ELP assessments.