Dive Brief:
- Education Week reports that state voucher programs require special education students to waive their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by accepting public dollars to go to private schools.
- School choice programs like educational savings accounts and tax-credit scholarships also require students with special needs to leave their claim to IDEA protections behind, though the U.S. Department of Education estimates only 1% of special education students are placed in private schools by their parents.
- Advocates of students who need special education services worry parents take advantage of voucher programs to move their children out of public schools that are failing them without realizing the consequences of giving up IDEA rights, and they argue they shouldn’t have to make that choice.
Dive Insight:
The Council of Parent Advocates and Attorneys released a report in June about the impact of school choice programs on students with special needs. They found that voucher funding generally does not cover the entire cost of private school tuition, meaning it is only true school choice for families with enough money to pay the difference. Additionally, voucher programs tailored specifically to special education students do not include all students, leaving out those with more severe disabilities.
Importantly, the COPAA study found a lack of data when it comes to tracking families who choose vouchers that specifically limit or terminate IDEA rights and tracking outcomes of students with disabilities who participate in voucher programs compared to those who stay in public schools. Without more information, many families may be left to make decisions that aren’t in their best interests.