Testimony: Out of School Time Special Education Inclusion and Standards Amendment Act of 2023
Children’s Law Center policy analyst Danielle Robinette testified before the DC Council’s Committee of the Whole to share our support for the Out of School Time Special Education Inclusion and Standards Amendment Act of 2023, which we believe will expand access for students with disabilities and addresses a critical gap in DC Out-of-School-Time programming. Our recommendations include efforts to attract and retain OST providers who can
support students with disabilities and ensuring access to OST programs are equitable. The development of standards and training should lead to the creation of OST programming that meaningfully includes children with disabilities.
Our Impact on Children’s Education
Too often the District’s schools fail to provide students with physical, learning or emotional disabilities or children living in poverty with the right supports they need to succeed. We work with parents and schools to get a child’s education back on track – from ensuring testing for learning disabilities at a young age to making sure students with disabilities have an appropriate plan that meets their learning needs.