Initial Application for Approval to Operate a School-Age Private School for Students with Disabilities
September 2013
SPECIAL EDUCATION FIELD ADVISORY
FROM:
James P. DeLorenzo
SUBJECT:
Initial Application for Approval to Operate a School-Age Private School for Students with Disabilities - PDF 
(800 KB - memo and attachments)
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has revised its application for initial approval of privately operated schools to serve school-age (ages 5-21) students with disabilities pursuant to Article 89 of the Education Law. The application, as revised, includes enhancements that will further assess an applicant’s capacity to provide high-quality and cost-effective programs; ensure that the program environment addresses health, safety and accessibility issues for students with disabilities; and assesses an applicant’s background, qualifications and governance structures to provide sound programmatic and fiscal practices.
NYSED will now accept applications from agencies applying for State approval to operate a school-age day or residential program. The application materials and related materials are available at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/applications/. Prior to submitting an application, the applicant must first receive written confirmation from the NYSED P-12: Office of Special Education, Special Education Quality Assurance (SEQA) Regional Office where the applying agency is located that regional need has been established for the proposed program. A copy of NYSED’s certification of regional need must be attached to the application. For information on the regional need process, see http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/applications/schoolage/regionalneed.htm.
Questions regarding this memorandum and the application may be directed to the SEQA Regional Office in your region. For contact information for SEQA’s Regional Offices, see http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/quality/regassoc.htm. All applicants for residential programs must contact the SEQA Nondistrict Unit.
Attachments
- Initial Application for
New York State Education Department
Approval to Operate a
Private School-Age (5-21)
Special Education Program
In-State or Out-of-State
Day/Residential - Word
(686 KB) - Evaluation Criteria - Standard for Acceptance
- Documentation of Regional Need