Parentally Placed Private School Students (PPPSS)
Parentally Placed Private School Students (PPPSS) are students with disabilities enrolled in non-profit private schools. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school districts must allocate a proportionate share of their IDEA grant to provide services to these students.
Each year, Marion County Public Schools consults with private school representatives and parents of PPPSS to discuss the provision of services, ultimately making a final decision on the services offered to students in private schools.
Parents of students at Non-profit, Private Schools are invited to participate. Please contact our office for information.
CHILD FIND PROCESS
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B (IDEA 2004) requires that school districts locate, identify and evaluate at public expense students who are parentally placed at private schools and who are suspected of having disabilities and needing special education or related services. This is part of the school districts responsibility, known as Child Find.
Child Find services include:
- Assistance in determining if a private school student may need special education services.
- Reevaluation of parentally placed private school students with disabilities
Question: Which school district is responsible for Child Find activities (i.e., evaluations) when the district the child resides in differs from the district where the private school is located?
Answer: Districts must conduct Child Find activities for all children attending nonprofit private schools, including religious schools, located in their jurisdiction, to identify students who need special education and related services or may need a reevaluation. *Note - if the private school operates as a for-profit school, then the district where the student resides is responsible for Child Find activities.
Question: What is the responsibility of the district regarding Child Find activities for parentally-placed private school students?
Answer: Child Find activities must ensure equitable participation and an accurate count of parentally-placed private school students with disabilities enrolled in nonprofit private schools. In carrying out Child Find for parentally-placed private school children, districts must undertake activities similar to those undertaken for their publicly enrolled students.
If you are the parent or guardian of a child in a private school who may need an initial evaluation or needs a reevaluation, please contact Rebecca Standridge at 352-671-6832 for more information on how to get started.
For children Birth through 36 months, please contact Early Steps at 352-273-8560 or visit their website at https://earlysteps.pediatrics.med.ufl.edu/referrals/
For children Three to Five Years old, please contact FDLRS Springs at 352-671-6051 or visit their website at https://springs.fdlrs.org/
For Kindergarten through 21 years old, please contact Rebecca Standridge at 352-671-6832 or email at [email protected]
Marion County Schools Child Find brochure: MCPS Child Find Brochure 11.2024 update.pdf
REFERRAL PROCESS
CONSENT FOR INITIAL EVALUATIONS
- If a parent/guardian or other entity has suspicions that a private school student is a student with a disability, they should contact their home zoned school or district Exceptional Student Education (ESE) office.
- If the student has not been enrolled in Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) previously, parent will be asked to register their student on the MCPS website to establish residency, generate a student number, and activate the student in our IEP system.Zoned school staff will send records requests to previous school(s), if applicable.
- Within 30 days of the request for an evaluation, the ESE Specialist at the home zoned school will schedule a meeting with the parent to discuss their concerns; the School Psychologist assigned to home/private evaluations should be included in this meeting.The ESE Specialist will provide informed consent, Procedural Safeguards, and obtain signed consent, if appropriate.A Prior Written Notice (PWN) will be provided to the parent if consent is determined to be inappropriate.
- Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) documentation will be requested by the evaluation team.This could include but is not limited to intervention information, classroom data, grades, behavior data, parent and teacher input forms, accommodations and supports in place, as well as any other anecdotal information to assist the team in fully evaluating the student’s educational needs.The IEP team will use whatever information is provided to aid them in eligibility determinations.A lack of documentation will not be used as a barrier to eligibility.
- Initial evaluations will be completed in accordance with the 60-day timeline.Following receipt of the completed evaluation reports, the ESE Specialist will schedule an eligibility meeting and develop an initial IEP, if applicable.
PARENT INFORMATION
Services Plan (SP)
The District will work cooperatively with contracted providers, private school representatives, and parents of parentally-placed private school students (PPPSS) with disabilities to identify students who are eligible to receive services under this IDEA (2004) requirement. Services Plan meetings will be scheduled and held for each eligible student whose parents want their child to receive services. The District encourages the participation of parents and private school representatives in this process. Services Plans describe the special education services that the District will provide to each student who will receive services at a participating non-profit private school.
Speech and Language Therapy
Currently, Marion County Public Schools provides direct services in the form of speech/language therapy to eligible, parentally-placed private school students with disabilities who are identified as Speech Impaired and/or Language Impaired. Requests for speech therapy need to be submitted by the parent. To request speech and language services please email Rebecca Standridge, ESE Coordinator for Private Schools, at [email protected] or call at 352-671-6832.
PARTNERSHIP WITH NON-PROFIT PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Non-profit private schools in Marion County are invited to affirm with MCPS for services. Each year a service delivery model is determined through consultation between private schools and MCPS programs.
Private School Collaboration Meeting 11.2024
The current service delivery model provides the following supports and services to private school students with disabilities attending affirmed private schools and to the staff that serves them:
- Marion County Public Schools will provide direct services in the form of speech/language therapy to eligible parentally-placed private school students with disabilities who are identified as Speech Impaired and/or Language Impaired. These services, in the form of speech/language therapy, will be provided at the private school campus during the school day, with a MCPS speech/language pathologist. Direct services in the form of speech/language therapy will be delivered in accordance with each eligible student’s services plan.
Request an Evaluation or Reevaluation
If you suspect your child is a student with a disability or there are additional needs that are not addressed by their current IEP plan, please complete this form and email it to Rebecca Standridge at [email protected]
Evaluation Request Form.pdf