Special Education Local Planning Process
IMPORTANT UPDATE: There is a NEW ASSEMBY BILL that if passed, will impact the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) planning process and the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) process. AB-1517: Special education: special education local plan areas: local plan (2023/24, Introduced by Assembly Member Gallagher (Coauthors: Assembly Members Dixon, Hoover, Lackey, Mathis, and Waldron) February 17, 2023 CACs are mentioned in this bill text and CAC voices will be important regardless. READ MORE...
The California Department of Education (CDE) recently adopted new templates for the SELPA Local Plan.
The Governance section of the Plan, Section B, is developed in collaboration with as members of a committee of representatives of special and general education teachers and administrators selected by the groups they represent, and with participation by parent members of the CAC, or parents selected by the CAC, and the Plan is adopted by the Governing Board on a three-year approval cycle.
The Budget Plan, Service Plan, and Certifications sections of the Local Plan are developed and approved on an annual basis. Local Plans often incorporate numerous references to other documents including SELPA local policies, interagency agreements, and locally developed procedural manuals.
CACs have an integral role in collaborating with the SELPA in the development of these plans.
For more information about the local planning process, visit the CDE website and our summary of the Local Plan process. The special education statutes and regulations pertaining to CACs and SELPAs are also important for CAC members to learn and educate their governing boards for the SELPA regarding SELPA/CAC requirements. Most often governing board members have not received training on special education and the CAC will be integral in reminding them of responsibilities and requirements involved with special education planning and the importance and purpose of the CAC's role in the governing structure for SELPAs.
CA SELPA Map:
https://selpa.info/info/legal-background-of-selpas
What is a SELPA?
CA Dept. of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/as/caselpas.asp
SELPAs are responsible for assuring that all individuals with disabilities receive a free and appropriate education (FAPE) in the least restrict environment (LRE). They must ensure that all education resources are considered and utilized to meet the needs of students. They are responsible for assuring that a system exists for identification, assessment, and placement of students with disabilities. They are responsible for assuring a viable system for public education functioning in the community, with participation and interaction involving parents and other agencies. They are responsible for compliance monitoring to assure that identified non-compliance items are corrected.
SELPAs are service areas covered by a special education local plan and the governance structure created under any of the planning options of CA Ed Code Sections 56205, 56206, 56208, 56211, 56213, 56241, 56243, 56244, & 56245 of the Education Code.
Special Education Local Plan Areas: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/as/caselpas.asp
Each SELPA is required to have a Community Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC serves in an advisory capacity to the SELPA and to the governing Board. CACs have the authority to fulfill the responsibilities that are defined for it in the local plan and Education Code. The responsibilities shall include, but need not be limited to, all the following:
(a) Advising the policy and administrative entity of the special education local plan area regarding the development, amendment, and review of the local plan. The entity shall review and consider comments from the community advisory committee.
(b) Recommending annual priorities to be addressed by the plan.
(c) Assisting in parent education and in recruiting parents and other volunteers who may contribute to the implementation of the plan.
(d) Encouraging community involvement in the development and review of the local plan.
(e) Supporting activities on behalf of individuals with exceptional needs. (f) Assisting in parent awareness of the importance of regular school attendance.