City of Philadelphia - File #: 090228

• File #: 090228
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 3/19/2009
• In control: Committee on Education
• Title: Authorizing City Council's Committee on Education to hold public hearings to examine the School District of Philadelphia's procedures for the identification, evaluation, and referral of children with special needs and the corresponding development and implementation of appropriate individualized education plans for these children.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Rizzo, Council President Verna, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Sanchez, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember Green, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Kelly, Councilmember Clarke, Councilmember O'Neill
• Indexes: SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
3/19/2009	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED & REFERRED
3/19/2009	0	CITY COUNCIL	READ
3/19/2009	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass

Title
Authorizing City Council's Committee on Education to hold public hearings to examine the School District of Philadelphia's procedures for the identification, evaluation, and referral of children with special needs and the corresponding development and implementation of appropriate individualized education plans for these children.
Body
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Department of Education, in conformance with the Individuals with Disabilities Act has promulgated regulations requiring that "[c]hildren with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education which is designed to enable the student to participate fully and independently in the community, including preparation for employment or higher education"; and

WHEREAS, Pursuant to these regulations, each school district is required to develop and implement a special education plan that, among other requirements, sets forth "procedures for the education of all students with disabilities who are residents of the district, including those receiving special education in approved private schools, and students with disabilities who are nonresidents placed in private homes or institutions in the school district"; and

WHEREAS, Each school district is primarily responsible for identifying and evaluating all exceptional children and developing an individualized education plan (IEP), in a timely manner, that meets the student's unique needs in the least restrictive environment; and

WHEREAS, There are many students who are residents of the School District of Philadelphia ("School District") who are eligible for special education services; and

WHEREAS, There are concerns that when applications for such services are made to the School District, the process for obtaining them is often protracted, and that when services finally are provided, they sometimes are not tailored to meet the particular needs of the child; and

WHEREAS, In some cases, the School District itself cannot provid...