Charter Schools in Colorado and Their Response to the Education of Students with Disabilities

Abstract

This article presents the results of an investigation involving the provisions for special education services in state charter school legislation and highlights selected special education issues within Colorado's charter schools. The research included document reviews, a survey of individual charter schools, interviews, and site visits in four schools. The results of this multilevel effort reveal significant variability across states and among charter schools within Colorado in how students with disabilities access the schools as well as how special education is provided. There is a general lack of information flowing to charter schools about special education and a disparity in how services are funded and provided. Legal and administrative responsibilities for special education are often ambiguous. Nonetheless, charter schools appear to offer individualized educational approaches that are perceived by many parents and teachers as meeting the needs of many students who had experienced learning as well as behavior problems in the public schools.