The Foreign Service Journal, December 2022

96 DECEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT CFP specialists can answer questions, discuss concerns, and provide recom- mendations for services that the schools can consider, as well as confirmwhether an evaluator and the assessment meet the qualifications for Special Needs Education Allowance (SNEA) eligibility. What about my child’s prior IEP/504? If your child has an IEP/504 from the U.S. public school they previously attended, their eligibility has previously been established, which can help guide the receiving school. Even if the inter- national school’s IEP/504 is the most current, parents should share the U.S. public school’s previous IEP/504 with the receiving school as early as possible so the school has an idea of what services the child will require. Although the receiving U.S. public school will require retesting to determine the services needed, having previous IEP/504s can help expedite the process. According to a Fairfax County Public School administrator we spoke with, “Par- ents are encouraged to collect all docu- mentation regarding evaluations of their child, their special education services, current IEP if available and accommo- dations, and share with the school. This will help establish the family and school partnership in supporting their child’s transition.” Although other schools cannot guaran- tee this, the FCPS administrator contin- ued, “If we recognize that a student was receiving special education services and accommodations and a new evaluation is not needed, a new IEP will be written within 30 days of the child being enrolled in FCPS. If a new evaluation is needed, we will do our best to provide similar services for the child until the new evaluation is completed.” What happens if I move to a different state? When a family decides to transfer schools and move to another state, MED/ CFP follows the guidance of the IDEA 2004. It requires that “in the case of a child with a disability who transfers school districts within the same academic year, who enrolls in a new school, and who had an IEP that was in effect in another state, the school district shall provide such child with a free appropriate public education, including services comparable to those described in the previous IEP, in consulta- tion with the child’s parents, until such time as the district conducts an evalua- tion, if determined to be necessary, and develops a new IEP, if appropriate, that is consistent with Federal and State law.” For SNEA requests, MED/CFP will accept an equivalent IEP/504 to allow some flexibility inmeeting the needs of the student. Note, in this type of situation, the new state may have different requirements from the state where the original IEP/504 was issued, but it will remain in place until the new evaluation is completed (for more information, see: https://u.org/3CoiCBS ). While overseas international schools may be U.S. accredited with U.S.-accred- ited teachers, they do not operate under the U.S. laws that support IEPs or 504s. To ensure a smooth transition for acquir- ing special needs services in a U.S. public school, your best option is to start as soon as you know you are returning to the U.S. to understand the process and the timeline. Armed with this knowledge, and the support of the Department of State, GCLO, MED/CFP, and the Office of Overseas Schools, parents will be in the best posi- tion tomake informed decisions for their child’s transition back to a public school in the U.S. For more information, email GCLOAskEducation@state.gov . n