Student Choice Global Awareness & Presentation

Introduction

What rights do special needs students have in the public school setting? 

 

Children with such special needs are usually entitled to receive additional services or accommodations through the public schools. Federal law mandates that every child receive a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment possible. To support their ability to learn in school, three federal laws apply specifically to children with special needs:

  • The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (1975)
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (1990)

 

Special education services pick up where early intervention services leave off, at age 3. Your local school district provides these services through their special education department. 

While early intervention addresses your child's overall development, special education focuses on providing your child with an education, regardless of disabilities or special needs. The document that spells out your child's needs and how these needs will be met is the Individualized Education Program (IEP).

 

McKay Scholarship

Florida's school choice programs allow parents to choose the best educational setting—public or private—for their child. The McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities provided nearly 30,000 Florida students with special needs the opportunity to attend a participating private school during the 2020-21 school year. The McKay Scholarship Program also offers parents public school choice. A parent of an eligible special needs student may choose to transfer the student to another public school.

"The school-choice issue is not about public versus private; it's about choice. It's about knowing what works well for my family and being able to make that choice for them." — Parent of a McKay Scholarship Student

Task

Identify the disabilities that qualify students for additional services during the school day.

Identify the laws associated with students with disabilities and define them.

Identify the services students can receive alongside a public education.

 

Process

  1. Read these articles
  2. After reading these articles, write at least one paragraph about what could change for the rights of special needs students in the public school. 
  3. If you had a child with special needs in your regular Ed classroom, what could you do to help them be successful?

Evaluation

Conclusion

Students with disabilities are entitled to the same education as other students. They will have more needs, require accommodations and in some cases modifications, they will receive services above and beyond what you as a teacher can provide, but each and every student is just as important as the next. These students have the right for an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. 

Credits

Aacap. (n.d.). Resources for families. Retrieved November 29, 2021, from https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_Youth/Resources_for_Families/AACAP….

Aacap. (n.d.). School services for children with special needs: Know your rights. Retrieved November 29, 2021, from https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-G….

Know your rights: A handbook for public school students in Florida. ACLU of Florida. (2021, November 16). Retrieved November 29, 2021, from https://www.aclufl.org/en/know-your-rights/know-your-rights-handbook-pu….

Solodev. (n.d.). McKay scholarship. Florida Department of Education. Retrieved November 29, 2021, from https://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/k-12-scholarship-programs/m….

Statutes & constitution :view statutes : Online sunshine. (2021, November 29). Retrieved November 29, 2021, from http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&….

Your child's rights: Autism and school. Autism Speaks. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2021, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-school-your-childs-rights.