Children with disabilities; annual individualized education program planning process; dual enrollment courses; certain parental notification required.
Summary
HB1892 requires the Virginia Board of Education to create and distribute a model parental notice explaining the rights and obligations of students with disabilities who participate in dual enrollment courses. The notice must address how a student can receive services and accommodations both under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as a public high school student, and under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as a student taking courses at a comprehensive community college.
The bill also directs that, during the annual IEP planning process before a student with a disability enters 11th or 12th grade, the IEP team must provide the parent written notice consistent with the state model notice. The notice is intended to inform families in advance about dual enrollment opportunities and the process for ensuring appropriate educational supports across both the high school and college settings.
Impact
The bill adds a new section, 22.1-215.3, to the Code of Virginia and creates a new procedural notice requirement for local school divisions and IEP teams. It does not change eligibility standards for special education or dual enrollment, but it does require state-level guidance and local written notification to parents of students with disabilities approaching upper high school grades. The practical effect is to formalize communication about accommodations and responsibilities for students who may take college-level courses while still enrolled in public high school.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It advanced unanimously through a House subcommittee, the House Education Committee, the full House, the Senate Education and Health Committee, and the full Senate, with no recorded dissenting votes. The voting history suggests consensus around improving parent awareness and student access to dual enrollment for students with disabilities.
Contention
No significant opposition is reflected in the available record. The main policy emphasis is on ensuring that parents receive clear notice and that schools coordinate IDEA and ADA-related supports for dual enrollment students. Any potential concern would likely center on implementation burdens for school divisions and the need to align high school special education services with community college accommodation processes, but no such objections are documented in the provided materials.