Placement Decisions Under the Microscope: What Directors Need to Know About Nonpublic Agencies
(Room 556 B)
11 Nov 26
4:00 PM
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5:00 PM
Tracks:
Legal Issues: Navigating Special Education
Across the country, districts are increasingly relying on Nonpublic Agency (NPA) placements for students with complex behavioral, mental health, and safety needs. Yet most placement decisions are made without standardized evaluation tools, consistent oversight frameworks, or clear alignment between educational, clinical, and regulatory requirements. This session provides Special Education Directors with a practical, legally defensible framework for making high-stakes placement decisions. Drawing on Washington State’s emerging Authorized Entity model and statewide NPA oversight redesign, participants will learn how to evaluate programs, assess student-program fit, document placement rationale, and reduce legal and fiscal risk while ensuring students receive appropriate educational benefit. Participants will leave with concrete tools, decision criteria, and governance structures they can adapt within their own states and districts.