moving IEP from middle school to high school - new school district

[Cottage]

We are changing school districts so my daughter can attend a theater performing academy high school. It is a school within a school. (We are not moving, it is just 4 miles away.) So she will have all the same class requirements as the typical public high school, but the theater academy only has 132 students.  The academy will focus on theater electives that earn college credits (along with the other required academic classes).  

 

What are the best steps to transfer my daughter's IEP from 8th grade to the new high school? They have requested a copy of her IEP. 

 

I have one final IEP meeting with her current school.  I am trying to figure out if I need to make any changes to that IEP because of her changing schools.  She has OCD and high anxiety, which has led to a lot of tardiness and absences. The current IEP  accommodations include allowing credit for work turned in late and mandatory assignments highlighted by the teachers to make sure she is complete the assignments to show her understanding of the course. She is also allowed to be tardy or absent if she is having difficulty with anxiety, and it is excused and does not count toward truancy. I call the school to let them know she is late or absence due to illness.  She thinks she will be more inclined to go to this new school everyday but I am trying to be realistic about it and prepare the new school and my daughter with an appropriate IEP plan. I am not sure if it is best to start with a broad plan or a more specialized plan and adjust after we see how she does in the new school.

[Carolyn Rowlett]

Agree with JSD24.  It is very state specific, so I would get a copy of your state's special education policies, parents' guide, etc.,  and see what the procedure is for in-state transfers.  Usually, the new school district has to either accept the evaluation and IEP from the previous school district and therefore implement the IEP as is, OR the new school district can reject it, in which case it would do it's own evaluation and determine eligibility or draft a new IEP.  If the latter, the new school district has to keep the "old" IEP in place and implement until they either exit the student from special education (not likely in this scenario) or develop a new IEP document.

I think what you are doing is the correct approach.  If I were you, I would prefer an IEP that is as specific as possible before a transfer occurs.  I would also reach out to the new school for a meeting to discuss issues like tardiness and absences and how they are related to her disabilities, so you can know upfront how they will handle this rather than being blindsided when an incident actually occurs.

[JSD24]

No suggestions.  With magnet schools like this, the rules vary a lot - often by state.  You'd need someone who knows the rules in your area to answer this and you didn't provide any info about where you are (and it might not be info you want to share).  I have a feeling they could kick her out if attendance is an issue and there's a waitlist for her seat in this school.