Dear Mr. Cohen,
My son’s middle school failed adequate yearly progress three years straight. He has an IEP, and a diagnosis of Asperger’s.
I have identified a school in a nearby town that specializes in educating children like my son. I have requested placement on the grounds that the school did not meet the NCLB criteria, and that he has not shown progress as he should. However, the school is denying me the ability to send my child out of district, stating NCLB does not apply to IEP/special education, and that I can only send my son to “another school” if and only if there exists another school within our district.
My question: How does NCLB apply to IEP/IDEA and FAPE? If my school did not meet NCLB, do I have a right to send my child out of district to another school that performs better, especially one that specializes in educating children with Asperger’s?
Dear Dawn:
Under NCLB, there are circumstances where students at a school that is consistently failing to make adequate yearly progress can request transfer to a school that is meeting state guidelines. However, the transfer to an adequately performing school would be based on the overall school failure and would allow transfer to an adequately performing school. It would not trigger an automatic right to transfer to the school with the program for children with Asperger’s.
On the other hand, if your child is not making adequate progress on his IEP on a consistent basis, the school is obligated to provide your child with an appropriate education. If that can’t be accomplished at the current school, they are obligated to provide a program that does, whether within the district, or, if not available in the district, potentially in another public or private school outside the district.
The right to placement in a special program under IDEA due to the child’s inability to receive an appropriate education is not limited or governed by the transfer provisions of NCLB.