Why Serve Private Schools
The federal programs are supported from tax dollars; therefore all children and teachers are eligible to access these programs. NCLB requires equitable services be provided to private school students, teachers, and other educational personnel.
Equitable Participation
Services should be equitable and should begin at the same time as the public school services. E-Grants calculates the equitable share to be used for services to private schools.
The key word is services. No public funds are distributed to private schools, only professional development services.
Participation Requirements
Public school districts must notify all private schools within the district boundaries of the professional development services available through Title II, Part A.
Private schools must submit the Intent to Participate forms by the spring deadline in order to qualify for services the following school year.
Public school districts must:
- Review Intent to Participate forms and determine which districts wish to participate.
- Contact private schools that indicate an intent to participate and begin consultation process (April-June). Consultation must start prior to submitting the federal grant application and continue throughout the school year.
Consultation Requirements
Consultation between the public school and private schools during the design, development, and implementation of the programs:
- Must be timely and meaningful and must happen prior to district decisions being made to ensure the needs of the private school are considered when professional development.
- Must take place on an annual basis, and be documented by the district. Public school district should complete a written affirmation form (required for Title I) indicating the date the consultation took place between the public and private school. The affirmation of consultation should be signed by both the public and private school officials.
- Must continue throughout the year, to ensure the needs of private school teachers are being met. Consultation is an ongoing process and can occur in many ways. It can be phone calls, e-mails, or a site visit.
- Consultation must cover issues such as:
* How the private school needs will be identified
* What services will be offered
* How and where the services will be provided
* How the services will be assessed and how the results of the assessment will be used to improve those services
* Service delivery mechanisms used to provide equitable services
* Who will provide the services
* The amount of funds available to serve private school students
Public schools must discuss with the private school the amount of services available to them in each of the federal programs.
This will allow the private schools to better plan appropriately and make careful decisions with the public school district to serve their students. |
* The size and scope of the services to be provided
Each public and private school should have a written plan of services to be provided.
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* Consideration of the views of the private school officials regarding the use of third-party providers
* How to resolve disagreements about provision of services:
When the LEA disagrees with the views of the private school officials on the provision of services, the LEA must provide a written explanation of the reasons why the LEA has chosen not to use a contractor.
If the private school officials are dissatisfied, they may file a complaint. |
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Complaint Process
If private school officials believe that timely and meaningful consultation has not occurred or that the district did not give due consideration to their views, they should first contact the federal programs representative or superintendent at the school district to discuss their concerns.
In the event the concern is not resolved, the private school has the right to file a formal written complaint with the Office of Public Instruction (OPI). Section 200-3 of the OPI State and Federal Grants Handbook is the guideline for the complaint process.
The formal written complaint should include:
- A statement that the district, other educational agency, or in some cases the OPI, has violated a requirement of a federal statue or regulation that applies to a program requiring equitable participation;
- The specific requirement alleged to have been violated;
- The facts on which the complaint is based;
- The name and address of the complainant;
- The expected resolution of the alleged violation;
- The signature of the complainant.
The complaint should be sent directly to:
Patricia Johnson
Title II, Part A Coordinator
Office of Public Instruction
P. O. Box 202501, Helena, MT 59620-2501 |
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