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Through the Child Find process, Los Angeles Unified School District is committed to locating, identifying and evaluating students with disabilities ages 5-22 parentally placed in a private school. If you suspect your child or a student in your program has a disability, you may discuss the evaluation process with a District representative. Please contact your child's school of residence for assistance.

For students that are currently attending a private school, the responsibility to conduct Child Find belongs to the District of Residence (district where student lives), per an agreement between the Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPAs) in Los Angeles County.

A special education evaluation may be requested by choosing ONE of the following options:

Resident Students

• For students residing within LAUSD boundaries, regardless of the private school of attendance location, written requests for initial, annual or three-year special education evaluations are made to the public school of residence.

Non-Resident Students

• For students who reside outside LAUSD boundaries but attend a private school within LAUSD boundaries, written requests for initial, annual or three-year special education evaluations are made to their District of Residence. Parents maintain the right to submit requests to LAUSD's Parentally Placed Private School Office ([email protected]) for purposes of eligibility only, regardless of student's residence.

Written Requests for Evaluation

Parents or guardians may refer their child for assessment for special education services. Teachers, other school personnel, and community members may also refer a child for assessment; however, parental permission is required for assessment to commence.

To assist the public school in processing a request, compile the following documents:

• student's full name (as written on birth certificate), birth date, grade level, 

• home address,

• parent/guardian contact information including email,

• school attendance and all previous schools attended (public and/or private)

• a brief explanation of educational concern(s),

• educational and intervention history (has the child been evaluated previously, if so  when and where), and suspected disability, if known,

• Release of Confidential Student Information form (signed by parent/guardian)

• copies of educational records which may include but are not limited to:

  • cumulative records, including academic transcripts,

  • report cards and current progress reports,

  • attendance records,

  • health records,

  • results from assessments including curriculum-based, standardized and language proficiency exams,

  • multi-disciplinary team meeting records, including Student Support and Progress Team (SSPT) meetings, parent conferences, etc.,

  • types and results of academic and/or behavioral intervention provided,

  • teacher reports, information, and/or concerns,

  • work samples (with objectives and scores, if available),

  • independent evaluation reports developed by outside agencies, medical providers, or private parties

The LAUSD develops an Individual Services Plan (ISP) for any student with a disability, ages 5–22, parentally placed in a non-profit private school located within the District’s boundaries. An ISP describes the alternative services a child is eligible to receive. Students with disabilities enrolled in private schools by their parents do not have an individual right to receive some or all of the special education and related services they would receive if enrolled in a public school.

The District where the private school is located has the responsibility to ensure equitable participation through the development of an ISP. Services provided through an ISP are developed through timely and meaningful consultation with parent and private school representatives.

ISP Meeting

The meeting to develop the ISP shall be convened immediately following an IEP team meeting when a student has been found eligibility for special education. In addition, a parent of a child with special education eligibility enrolled in a non-profit private school located within LAUSD boundaries may request an ISP from the school of residence or, if they do not reside within LAUSD boundaries, they may contact the Parentally Placed Private School Office (PPPSO). The ISP meeting is comprised of the following:

• Student, if appropriate

• Parent(s)/guardian(s)

• District representative

• Representative from the student's non-profit private school.

Review of Individual Services Plan

The ISP of a student receiving alternative service will be reviewed at an annual ISP team meeting. Unless parents/guardians requests a reassessment or an IEP team meeting, this ISP is in lieu of an annual IEP Review.

All parentally placed private school students will have an ISP reviewed every year. The public school of residence will conduct a three year IEP to reestablish eligbility.

LAUSD provides alternative services to all eligible students with disabilities who are parentally placed in a non-profit private school located within district boundaries, regardless of where the student resides and homeschool students not enrolled in a public charter school.  The District's policy includes two types of alternative services: 

Consultation Services

Consultative service is designed to provide a student’s private school teacher and/or parents/guardians with instructional and behavioral strategies and supports necessary to promote the student’s participation and progress in the private school setting. According to private school policy, these services are only available to students with the eligibility of Autism or a Specific Learning Disability.

Professional Development

Professional development opportunities are offered to private school teachers of all students with special education eligibilities. Professional development opportunities are designed to provide private school staff of students with disabilities with information and instructional resources to address a wide range of disability-related educational needs.

Private school representatives and parents participate in meaningful consultation with LAUSD to review and determine the services and supports to students with disabilities enrolled in private schools. LAUSD provides notices about the Child Find process to every private school located within LAUSD boundaries.

For information regarding requests for special education evaluation refer to Child Find.

If you are a private staff member that believes health, academic, social/emotional, or other areas are impacting a student's educational progress, you should initially consult with the teachers and instructional support staff at the private school to discuss universal support strategies and pre-referral interventions for supporting the student's learning.

Private schools may conduct team meetings to review the educational issues and can suggest a variety of interventions and instructional strategies to address the child's educational difficulties. If implementation of appropriate interventions does not result in improved educational performance, and you suspect the student may have a disability that is adversely impacting their educational performance, you can refer the student for a special education evaluation.

If you reside within LAUSD boundaries and your child attends a private school, contact your public school of residence to submit your request in writing. To determine your child's school of residence, visit the Resident School Finder webpage.

For detailed information regarding a request for assessment, refer to the Child Find-Child Serve section on the PPPSO homepage.

In order to complete a valid, reliable, non-discriminatory evaluation, the assessment process requires access to records and direct observation in the child's current educational program. With written consent from the parent, the child's current and previous schools of attendance, whether public or private, will be contacted for the following purposes, including, but not limited to:

• Obtain student record

• Request student work samples 

• Interview and/or receive reports from the classroom teachers and other educational providers

• Observe the child participating in his/her current educational environment

No. An IEP provides assessment and eligibility information and/or an offer of a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Parents have the right to accept or decline any offer of FAPE.

If the parent accepts the offer of FAPE, the student may enroll in a public school to receive special education services.

If the parent agrees that FAPE has been offered but declines the offer of FAPE and continues enrollment in the private school, an Individualized Services Plan (ISP) meeting will be held to offer an ISP.