Letter # 1 Planning Interview Meeting
SCHOOL LETTERHEAD
Date _____________________
TO: Parent/Student
Re: ________________________________________
Name of Student
Dear _________________________________:
It is important that every effort is made to assist your child in completing his/her education. A planning interview conference has been scheduled for you and your child because:
— Your child has been absent for 20 or more days.
— Your child has expressed an interest in leaving school.
— Your child’s records indicate that he/she might benefit from a discussion about other educational options.
The meeting has been scheduled for you and your child as follows:
Date: ________________________________
Time: ________________________________
Room: _______________________________
If this time and date are not convenient for you, please call ___________________________ at
_______________________________ to arrange for another appointment.
Please be informed that it is very important for you to attend this meeting and that if we do not hear from you, the school will follow up with a home visit, a telephone call or further correspondence.
Attached is a notice of your rights. Please review this notice before the scheduled meeting.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Principal
Important Information About Student Rights
The Department of Education encourages students to remain in or re-enroll in school and will support all students in their efforts to earn a high school diploma. This notice contains important information about student rights, which you should read carefully.
General Information about a Student’s Right to Attend School
If you reside in New York City, are under 21 years of age, and have not received a high school diploma:
• You are entitled to attend a full-time high school or high school program run by the New York City Department
of Education until the end of the school year in which you turn 21.
• You have the right to re-enroll in high school at any time.
• You have the right to refuse to be involuntarily transferred from a high school to a part-time education program, such as a GED program or any alternative program that does not provide the opportunity to earn credits toward a high school diploma.
Moreover, you have these rights even if you:
• voluntarily dropped out, or
• are currently enrolled in a GED program, or
• already have a GED or IEP diploma.
If you are 21 years of age or younger:
• You have the right to receive notice of a suspension or involuntary transfer and an opportunity for a hearing or
conference before being suspended or transferred to another school if you don’t want to be transferred. For a complete description of your rights and the applicable procedures, please refer to Chancellor’s Regulations A-240, A-443 and A-450. Copies of these regulations are available at your school and on the internet at
http://schools.nyc.gov .
• You may not be barred from attending classes solely due to age (unless you are over 21 years old), lack of
credits, poor grades, truancy, irregular attendance, or failure to pass Regents or RCT examinations.
• If you are transferring to a GED program or another school you have the right to attend your current school until registered or enrolled at the new school or program.
• Every student who has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) has a right to prior written notice of a transfer or discharge and an opportunity to request a Committee on Special Education (CSE) review meeting, mediation or a hearing to contest the transfer or discharge.
If you turned 21 after June 30 of any school year and are enrolled in school, you are entitled to
remain in school until the end of that school year.
For Students Aged 17 and Under
Information about Your Right to Educational Services
• Every student who has been determined to be an English Language Learner is entitled to bilingual education
or English as a Second Language classes.
• If you are having difficulty in school, you may be eligible to receive special instruction and/or services to help
you stay in school and succeed. Such services and instruction include academic intervention services, student support services, guidance services and/or educationally related support services. Ask your guidance counselor to tell you about such services.
• Every student or parent has the right to request, at any time, an evaluation to determine whether the student
has a learning disability or other disability. Ask your guidance counselor how to request an evaluation or make a request for an evaluation by writing directly to the Committee on Special Education in your area. The
contact information can be found by looking on the Department of Education website, http://schools.nyc.gov.
• Students with a disability, who have been determined to be in need of special education and/or related services, is entitled to a free appropriate public education until they receive a regular high school diploma or finish the school year in which they turn 21, whichever comes first.
Information about Earning a GED Diploma
• Students who have completed the school year in which they turn 17 may transfer to a non-DOE part-time GED program. Students who are 18 years of age or who have completed the school year in which they turn 17 years of age and have fewer than 17 high school credits and provide written consent from a parent/guardian; or students who have completed the school year in which they turn 17 years of age who are emancipated minors, parents or employed on a full time basis may attend a DOE part-time or full-time GED program. Part-time GED programs meet at least 12 hours per week.
• GED programs include instruction in reading, mathematics, written and oral communication, as well as GED test preparation.
• The GED examination is a battery of 5 tests. You may take any or all of the 5 tests in the battery in the same
administration series. Only your best score on each test counts.
• The 5 tests are social studies, science, mathematics, language arts–reading, and language arts–writing.
• The GED examination is administered in English, Spanish and French.
• In order to be allowed to take the GED examination, the student must meet at least one of the following criteria.
– the student is over 19 years of age; or
– the student is at least 17 years of age and either:
1) has not attended full-time high school in the past 12 months; or 2) is a member of a high school class that has already graduated; or 3) has been accepted into the U.S. military; or
4) has been accepted into a college, university, or accredited post secondary institution, such as through a college early admission program; or
5) is an adjudicated youth under the direction of a prison, jail, detention center, or parole or probation officer; or
Letter # 2 For General Education Students – Planning Interview Meeting
SCHOOL LETTERHEAD
Date: _______________________
TO: Parent/Student
Re: ________________________________________
Name of Student
Dear _________________________________:
A letter was sent to your home, scheduling a meeting to discuss your child’s progress in school. You and your child did not attend the meeting nor have you contacted the school to arrange for another meeting.
It is extremely important that you contact __________________________________________
at ( ____ )__________________ in order discuss you child’s educational options.
Please be informed that if you do not contact the school by ______________________________________in
regard to your child’s education and your child continues to be absent from school he/she will be discharged.
A Planning Interview Packet providing information about your child’s rights and future educational options has been enclosed for your information together with a Planning Interview Form with information about your child’s course requirements for the completion of school.
Note* Students have the right to attend school until the end of the school year in which they turn 21 years of age. Please refer to the enclosed Planning Interview Packet for contact information about re-entry into school.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Principal c: file
Letter # 2 For Students Receiving Special Education Services – Planning
Interview Meeting
SCHOOL LETTERHEAD
Date: __________________
TO: Parent/Student
Re: ________________________________________
Name of Student
Dear _________________________________:
A letter was sent to your home, scheduling a meeting to discuss your child’s progress in school. You and your child did ____ did not ____ (please check one) attend the meeting. If you were unable to attend the meeting, it is extremely important that you contact ___________________________________________
at ( ____ ) _________________ in order to discuss you child’s educational options.
As a result of the meeting a decision was made that your child will be discharged from school. This decision was based upon the information obtained at the planning meeting. A copy of the Planning Interview Form with information about your child’s course requirements for the completion of school and Planning Interview Packet providing information about your child’s rights and future educational options are attached.
Please be informed that if you do not contact the school by ______________________________________ in regard to your child’s education and your child continues to be absent from school, he/she will be discharged.
If you agree with the decision to discharge your child, then you need not do anything. Should you wish to discuss this matter further please call the person indicated above.
Should your child remain enrolled, he/she may receive his/her recommended special education services at a local high school program until the end of the school year in which s/he turns 21 years of age or until his/her receipt of a high school diploma.
As a student, or parent of a student, eligible for special education services you have certain protections under the law and you may request a copy of the Procedural Safeguards Notice, Rights for Parents of Children with
Disabilities, Age 3-21. This notice and other information are available on our website, http://schools.nyc.gov.
Sincerely,
Principal c: file
