Choosing a Special Education School (Part 2)

In our last post, we discussed why some parents might consider a private special education placement for their child with special needs. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the selection process, discussing important factors parents should consider when making the decision to enroll their child in a specialized school.

Tips on Finding the Right School:

1. Involve your child as much as possible and consider their input. Take into account their personal learning preferences and consider what degree of differentiated instruction your child both needs and prefers. Inclusive classes may be detrimental for a student who has faced bullying or difficulties fitting in with their higher performing peers. Other students may have developed friendships in their mainstream peer group and would prefer inclusion classes to a self-contained environment. Consider your child’s social and academic strengths. What type of setting will your child learn best in? What type of setting will be best for your child’s social and emotional development? What factors have created the most significant distractions to your child’s learning in his or her current school?

2. Ask each school you are considering about its curriculum to make sure it is developmentally appropriate. Discuss how your child’s learning goals will be met. If your child’s IEP includes specific accommodations, supplementary aids, or special services (such as speech therapy, recreation services, or counseling), make sure that the school is equipped to meet these needs. Discuss the availability of after-school or weekend enrichment programs, elective and arts programs in the curriculum, and service-learning, vocational skills, and life skills development programming.

3. School visits are key. Observing the classroom and facilities first-hand is essential to making a well-informed decision. Ask to sit in on a class in-progress to gain first-hand perspective to each school’s individual instruction style. Determine what assistive technologies the school has available to aid in student learning. Observe the use of these assistive tools and resources in the classroom. Observe the school’s current students to determine whether they are at a similar functioning level to your child. Take careful note of the amount of one-on-one attention each student receives. Consider each school’s average class size (teacher/student ratio) and available resources.

4. Talk to as many staff members as possible when visiting each school. Evaluate the accessibility of the teachers and staff at each school you visit. How often are parent/teacher conferences held? What existing channels are in place to keep you updated on your child’s progress in the classroom? Make sure teachers and staff are responsive to questions and welcoming to discussion. If possible, meet with the executive director of the school. Ask about the facility’s educational philosophy, the qualifications of the staff, and the school’s licensing and accreditation.

5. Consider whether or not the school provides transition assistance programs upon graduation or transition to the next phase of a student’s education. Does the school employ transition counselors? Does it offer vocational programming, life skills training, or service learning opportunities? Remember that your child’s education is a life-long journey--consider how each school will prepare your child for success in the future. High school students should have access to guidance or programming to ease the transition from school to adulthood. Younger students should receive guidance when transitioning out of their elementary or middle school and into a higher level school.

To begin your search, start by searching PSI’s private school database, a great tool for comparing schools in Massachusetts and the Northeast.