Project Intersect:
Studying Special Education in Charter Schools

The Institute for the Study of Exceptional Children and Youth, University of Maryland (UM), in collaboration with the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) and Lange Consultants, is conducting a federally funded study of the intersection of special education and charter schools. Building upon the findings from Project SEARCH, (www.NASDSE.org) this study, Project Intersect: How Special Education and Charter Schools Coexist, updates and expands the knowledge base regarding access and delivery of special education and related services to students with disabilities in charter schools. Analytical Model: Project Intersect will examine the relationship among three sets of variables and charter schools special education procedures and practices. The three sets of variables include 1) features of the charter school law, 2) characteristics of charter schools, and 3) nature and type of special education technical assistance and infrastructures. Special Education Infrastructure: a local education agency, special education or charter school cooperative, or other service delivery structure (e.g., local non-profit, risk pooling arrangement, or education management organization) that provides a charter school with technical assistance, a financial safety net, and the multiple specialized instructional personnel charter schools require to deliver appropriate special education programs.