| SED Q & A page 7 82. How should the achievement of a student with special educational needs who is instructed at home be measured? Alternative evaluation measures provided in the student’s IEP may be used. If the student does not have an IEP, one of the two alternatives provided in the regulation, a standardized test or a narrative evaluation, must be used. 83. Is the district responsible for providing a reasonable amount of instructional materials for home instruction? A school district may provide textbooks and other materials to students instructed at home but it is not obligated to do so. However, if a student with a handicapping condition receives special education in accordance with an approved IEP, the district must provide the student with any specialized instructional materials necessary to enable the child to benefit from special education. 84. How does the district claim aid for providing any of the services to a student with special educational needs who is instructed at home? The district may claim aid for providing any of the services described in the IEP by filing for excess cost aid on State aid forms. College Entrance 85. If home-instructed students cannot be awarded local or Regents high school diplomas, how can they gain entrance to colleges? First, please note that seeking admission to college is entirely a choice that students make, and successfully gaining admission to college is entirely the responsibility of home-instructed students and their parents. It is not the responsibility of the State Education Department or the local public school district to secure college admission for home-instructed students. Secondly, colleges set their own admissions requirements. These requirements vary from college to college. The burden, therefore, is on home-instructed students (and their parents) to seek and acquire information on the admissions requirements of the colleges of their choice. The burden is also on home-instructed students (and their parents) to convince colleges to accept them. Because of this, home-instructed students (and their parents) may wish to seek information regarding the admission requirements of the colleges of their choice well in advance of the actual application for college. Third, listed below are some suggested strategies for home-instructed students (and their parents) to consider using to help them gain entrance to colleges. Consideration can be given to using a combination of these strategies. Please note that there is no guarantee that following any or all of the strategies listed below will ensure a home-instructed student’s admission to any college. Again, if home-instructing students choose to pursue admission to college, they (and their parents) are fully responsible for this. Suggested Strategies 1. A portfolio of the student’s work, demonstrating the breadth and depth, might be developed over time. This portfolio can be shared with college admissions personnel to demonstrate the student’s capabilities. 2. If a home-instructed student has taken Regents exams at the public school of residence, he/she can request the public school district to produce, on school letterhead, a list of the exams taken, the date on which they were taken, and the score the student earned. This list of Regents exam scores can be shared with college admissions personnel. 3. Home-instructed students can take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and/or other standardized tests used for college admissions purposes. Scores on these tests can be shared with college admissions personnel. Home-instructed students should contact their public school district about arrangements for taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test and/or achievement examinations offered by the College Board or the American College Testing Service. 4. If the student is beyond the age of compulsory education, and has completed a program of home instruction in compliance with section 100.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, he/she can request that the superintendent of schools of the public school district of residence attest to this, in writing, on district letterhead. This can be shared with college admissions personnel. Please note, however, that the superintendent of schools may, but is under no obligation to, attest to this. 5. Home-instructed students can take the GED exam, when they have reached eligibility to do so. Students passing the GED exam can share their General Equivalency Diplomas with college admissions personnel. |