The LeGare HS Admissions Process Alton C. Strange, Ph.D. Office of Specialized Instructional...

The LeGare HS Admissions Process

Alton C. Strange, Ph.D.Office of Specialized Instructional Services

Deborah WeiOffice of Multilingual Curriculum & Programs

What is LeGare?

The LeGare Consent Decree (1995) mandates:

That each student with a disability or English Language Learner (ELL) have an equal opportunity to participate in the high schools and high school programs that are available to students generally. Students with disabilities and ELL student and their families are entitled to:

What is LeGare(Continued)

Timely information and guidance regarding the program, admission procedures and available supports

Reasonable accommodations that do not alter the program substantially

A range of choices among programs and the right to be included with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent possible


All decisions concerning the accommodations and supports needed by a student with disabilities are to be made by a team of knowledgeable persons, based on the school-based Multiple Disciplinary Evaluation (MDE) of the student’s needs and abilities

LeGere and ELLs

All decisions concerning the accommodations and supports needed by an ELL student are to be made by a team of knowledgeable persons, based on the student’s English Language Development (ELD) level


The District must make the public aware of these rights and must include these rights in written materials describing high school options for all seventh and eighth grade ELL students, students with disabilities and their parents HS Fair Materials Via Counselor, SEL or ESOL teacher


The family will be assisted by persons knowledgeable about high schools and high school programs in considering a range of programs, in identifying the accommodations and supports needed for the student to be successful, and in recommending modifications and waivers of admission criteria School Counselor Special Education Liaison Multilingual Manager When necessary, parents pare provided with

appropriate translation and interpretation


Students may not be excluded on the of admission criteria if they can participate successfully, given reasonable accommodations

Responsibility of the District

Responsibility of the District

The District must establish a procedure for an impartial review of any individual decision not to admit an ELL or student with disabilities when the decision is based on a reason other than racial balance or space. Due process hearing procedures continue to be available. Information regarding the impartial review and hearing procedures will be provided to parents when they are notified of the decision not to admit

Responsibility of the District(continued)

The District must collect data each year to identify the numbers and categories of ELLs and students with disabilities who are participating in each high school and program, the nature and degree of that participation, and the performance of ELLS and students with disabilities compared to other students. The District will take corrective action as may be necessary to comply with the consent decree


The District must review all high school and high school programs at least annually to determine: 1) the extent and nature of participation by students with disabilities and English Language Learners, 2) if accommodations and supports services must be strengthened, and 3) whether existing admissions criteria should be revised or eliminated


Each proposal for the establishment of a program with admissions criteria, and each program already in existence, must provide for equitable participation by students with disabilities and English Language Learners


The District will provide ongoing professional development for all relevant staff regarding the availability of accommodations and support service for students with disabilities and English Language Learners within high schools and high school programs

Overview of the LeGare HS Admissions Process

School Based LeGare Team

Counselor Special Education Liasion (SEL) Multilingual Manager Teacher of Record ESOL Teacher Principal or Designee

School Based Team DutiesCounselor

Informing school based team and parents of HS Admissions Criteria & Timelines for Special Education and ELL students

Inform Parents & Students of the HS Fair

Coordinate the dissemination of HS Admissions Application Materials

Provide both oral and written translation for parents who need it

School Base Team Duties Counselor

Assists Parents & Students with HS application process (if necessary)

Electronically Input & send HS application to the Office of Student Placement

Prepare Student Advocacy folders to be sent out to the perspective high schools and to the 440 LeGare Review Team

School Based Team DutiesSEL

Assists Parents & Students with HS application process (if necessary)

Administer Career Interest Assessment (ie: CareerScope)

Collect materials for the Student Advocacy folder

Review Student Advocacy folder to ensure folder has all necessary materials

School Based Team DutiesMultilingual Manager

Assists Parents/Guardians & Students with HS application process (if necessary)

Ensure student has completed a Career Interest Assessment (ie: CareerScope)

Ensure all relevant documents are translated in the primary language of the parent & student

Assists with the coordination of language interpretation (if necessary)

School Based Team DutiesMultilingual Manager

Collect materials for the Student Advocacy folder

Ensure that student’s grades are aligned to the Can-Do descriptors for the student’s English Development Level. If grades do not reflect this accommodation, note it in the Advocacy folder

Review Student Advocacy folder to ensure folder has all necessary materials

School Based Team DutiesTeacher of Record

Support the Counselor, SEL & Multilingual Manager with HS Admissions & LeGare process

Assist students with HS essay Provide students with a

recommendation (if appropriate) Provide supporting documentation for

HS Admission Criteria Waiver (if appropriate)

School Based Team DutiesPrincipal/Designee

Ensure the School Based Team & School staff understand the HS Admissions process and the LeGare process for Special Education & English Language Learner students

Ensure parents and students are formally informed about the HS Admissions process and the LeGare process for Special Education & English Language Learner students

Ensure Translation has been provided for parents who need it

School Based Team DutiesPrincipal/Designee

Ensure School Based Team has developed HS Admissions/LeGare plan

Ensure LeGare Timeline is met Review & Sign completed Student

Advocacy folders for transfer to perspective high schools and 440 LeGare Team

HS Admissions/LeGare Timeline


Student’s 7th grade year Begin discussions with Parents & Students

about HS Admissions process for Special Education & ELL

Ensure that ELL and Special Education students are graded according to the their ELD level/IEP

Ensure that ELL and Special Education students are provided proper accommodations during testing


October School Based Team develop HS

Admissions/LeGare Plan Continue discussions with Parents & Students

about HS Admissions process for Special Education & ELL

Administer Career Interest Assessment Begin collecting documents for Student

Advocacy folder Assist students with working on essay drafts &

obtaining recommendations

HS Admissions/LeGare Timeline (continued)

October Encourage parents to attend HS Fair

and discuss perspective HS choices with their child

Provide parent with HS Application materials offer support (if needed)

Ensure translated HS Application and LeGare documents are available for parents of ELL students


November Prepare Student Advocacy folders for

final review & signature of Principal/Designee

Transfer Student Advocacy folders to perspective high schools and to 440 LeGare Review Team

Assist Parent & Student with obtaining Interview & Audition date with perspective high schools

What Doe Advocacy Look Like?

The High School Admissions Form Addendum

Provides the reviewers with information that allows the reviewers to make their decisions based on a larger body of information that considers the accommodations of students with disabilities and English Language Learners

Is prepared for each student with an IEP, student with a 504/Chapter 15 Service Agreement, and each English Language Learner student as well as students still in post-exit monitoring

Advocacy Waiver

The waiver is the central piece of the advocacy process. The school team recommends that the selecting school waive selection criteria for students with disabilities and English Language Learner students when the team (which includes the student’s family) has documentation (must attach to addendum) that the student can be successful in the program with reasonable accommodations and services

A school CANNOT waive everything!

Areas of Advocacy: Examples

Attendance: student was absent for 30 consecutive days because he/she was hospitalized

Punctuality: student is taking a new medication that causes nausea and vomiting. Student comes to school late rather than missing the entire day

Behavior: student’s behavior is improving due to a recently added behavior plan

Standardized Test Scores: student’s test scores have improved due to an IEP amendment that indicates that student should take the PSSA with accommodations or ELL student’s English language proficiency affected the PSSA reading score

Areas of Advocacy: Examples(continued)

Grades: reading and/or math grades are not based on accommodations (i.e.: Can Do Descriptors or IEP)

Other: student arrived from another country, state, or district and did not attend a School District of Philadelphia school for his/her 7th grade year

Waiver considered, but not appropriate: there are no extenuating circumstances that would warrant you to recommend waiving any of the admission criteria

Advocacy Folder Content

Special Education Liaisons & ESOL Teachers will create a student advocacy folder for every student that includes the following documents:

1. High School Application2. Easy IEP at a Glance or 504/Chapter 15 Service

Agreement or ELL Levels3. Copy of Student Data Transcript that includes all of

the following: grade 7 attendance, punctuality, grades, PSSA scores, and behavior

4. Addendum Form that includes a statement requesting a waiver of specific admission criteria or indicates that a waiver was considered, but not recommended

5. Advocacy forms (letters of recommendations, supporting documentation for a waiver recommendation, essays)

6. Team Determination Log

Advocacy Folder Content(continued)

On the tab of the folder PRINT the student’s name as follows: Last name, First name

Please prepare the proper number of folders 4 Schools/6 Folders 5 Schools/7 Folders, etc

Please be sure to keep 1 folder for your records Special Education & Chapter 15

1 folder to be sent to OSIS/440 English Language Learners

1 folder to be sent to Office of Multilingual Curriculum Programs/440

Dual Diagnosed (Special Ed & ELL) student folders go to the Office of Multilingual Curriculum & Programs

Student Advocacy Folder Review Timeline

Folder Review Timeline

November (mid to late) Perspective Schools & 440 Team

Receive folders Each folder should have a Team

Determination Log for the individual school

e.g. 5 individual schools = 5 separate Team Determination Logs

Folder Review Timeline(continued)

Each Prospective High School should receive:

1 Student Advocacy folder & Team Determination Log of a Special Education or English Language Learner student who has applied to the prospective school

A student can ONLY apply to ONE program in a HS. A student CANNOT use all of their application choices to all the programs in one HS

i.e.: CAPA Dance, Vocal, Art, etc


December-February Prospective Schools & 440 Team

Review folders Decision to Accept or NOT Accept is

recorded on Team Determination Logs

March Prospective Schools & 440 Team

submit list of accepted & not accepted students


April Student Placement Mails Letters

Special Education & English Language Learner students who are NOT accepted to any of the HS’s they applied to have the opportunity for an additional review called an “Impartial Review”

Impartial Review

If a Special Education or English Language Learner student is not accepted to any of the HS’s he/she applied to, the parent has 10 days to contact OSIS or OMCP to request an Impartial Review

A 440 Team who did not previously review Student Advocacy folders will review Impartial Review request folders and make a determination

Additional Information

Additional Information

Mentally Gifted (MG) Students are not considered under the LeGare process unless there is a secondary diagnosis

Special Education and English Language Learner students can “Opt Out” of the LeGare Process by informing their school in writing their desire not to participate in the LeGare process

English Language Learners student’s who are part of the post-exit monitoring process (exited less than 2 years) qualify for LeGare

Additional Information(continued)

Comprehensive & Charter High Schools are not part of the LeGare Review

Students are NOT eligible for LeGare if they were not considered as “Thought To Be” prior to October

Additional Information(Continued)

Students new to your building after the LeGare Deadline must have their Students Advocacy folder sent to the Office of Student Placement for determination of participation

Areas of Improvement

The use of SchoolNET documents is NOT a replacement for Student Data Transcript

Team Determination Logs should Not be double-sided

The Reading level on the Student Data Transcript should match the Reading level on the IEP at a Glance

CareerScope documents are NOT a part of the Student Advocacy folder

Areas of Improvement(continued)

Indicate if student’s PSSA scores are based on the PSSA-M

Make sure documents in Student Advocacy folders are clear & legible, including the name on the folders and the Team Determination Logs

Include supporting documentation for waivers


Letters of Recommendation should: Address the qualities that the perspective

school is seeking in their applicants Discuss strengths, areas of improvement &

why student is a good fit for perspective school Demonstrate the recommender knows the

student Be typed on School Letterhead

(if recommendation is by school staff)


Letters of Recommendation should NOT: Be generic (i.e.: good student, hard

worker, helps out a lot) Have Boiler Plate language Have blank spaces to write in name of

student or “his/her” Be handwritten

(if recommendation is by school staff)

Handouts

LeGare Consent Decree Flyer Guidance/Directions for Completing High and

Middle School Admissions Form Addendum Student Advocacy Folder Content HS & MS Admissions Addendum Advocacy Form Team Determination Log

The LeGare HS Admissions Process Alton C. Strange, Ph.D. Office of Specialized Instructional...

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Transcript of The LeGare HS Admissions Process Alton C. Strange, Ph.D. Office of Specialized Instructional...