KS is being very obstinate about helping GT child who is home schooled. For last two years we have home schooled through a public school district. The very last day that staff were still available in May 2007 our IEP for both gifted services and special ed (daughter has problems expressing herself in writing) was FINALLY written. Services for both were very disappointing this last school year. Also, school changed its policy regarding allowing students to accelerate. We decided to home school independently for 2007-2008 and signed up as a "nonaccredited private school" as required. Also, my daughter took ACT through Duke TIP and scored 21 composite. This is minimum required for admission to KS state regents schools. When I queried local community college, I was told daughter could take courses with an IEP which specifically stated "college level courses". When told person we were independent HSing but I could write IEP (plenty of experience after 2 daughters in gifted), I was told, NO must be from "Special Education Cooperative recognized by the State of Kansas." I looked up KS statutes for spec ed, and it said that students in private schools must be accepted for special ed services. I contacted local school and local special ed consortium about doing IEP but was told my home school did not qualify as private school as indicated in statute. No one will provide even minimum services (an IEP written for college level classes) to my home schooled student. I would LOVE to challenge the state on this issue, but I don't have the time, money or energy. Would be happy to testify to this problem if someone else wanted to take up the issue!


Source: Mark Ward, the Student Support Team lawyer at KS Department of Education was source of refusal for special education services by local school district.

Email address: mward@ksde.org