Public School Choice: Implications for Children with Handicaps. Revised

This report describes recent gains in support for the movement to allow parents to choose the public school which their children attend. Reasons for the movement's growth and methods of implementing school choice plans are presented. The paper then focuses specifically on interdistrict school choice plans, identifying major aspects which are likely to affect special education programs and the ability of students with handicaps to participate in these types of choice programs. Five major issues are discussed: (1) responsibilities of the resident district; (2) criteria for student admission to nonresident school districts; (3) due process; (4) finance; and (5) transportation. The report discusses each of the major issue areas as they relate to special education and describes how each area has been addressed in five states with interdistrict choice plans (Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Ohio). A final section summarizes, by state, the provisions included in each state's legislation. An appendix reprints the school choice legislation of each of the five states. Includes two references. (JDD)