On Tuesdays, we like to highlight the Toolbox—a full day training program designed to help you serve each student well, while maintaining safety.   After all, sometimes kids do things at school that may be dangerous. How to respond? What does the law require? What does it permit?   That’s what we talk about in the Toolbox training.

One issue involves the IAES—an Interim Alternative Educational Setting. The law authorizes campus administrators to send a student to an IAES when the student commits a “special circumstance” offense involving drugs, weapons or the infliction of serious bodily injury. The IAES is also employed when the student commits a serious violation of the Code of Conduct that is not a manifestation of disability.

Some of you are thinking: we send kids to DAEP in those circumstances.  And that’s probably just fine.  Your DAEP probably qualifies as an IAES.  The term IAES is not defined in federal law, so let’s just break it down word by word.

An IAES is “interim.” It’s not forever.  Neither is a placement in DAEP.

An IAES is “alternative.” It’s not the same as the regular school the student has been attending. Neither is your DAEP.

An IAES is an “educational setting.”  There is a teacher.  Instruction takes place. It’s school. So is your DAEP.

So we think that our Texas DAEPs qualify as an IAES. But one thing principals should be careful about—when a student is sent to an IAES it’s the ARD Committee that has to select the specific  IAES to be used. So principals should be careful to avoid saying things like “I’m assigning this student to the DAEP.”  You might be able to do that on a short term basis, but for a long term arrangement, the ARDC has to approve the selection of the IAES. So the careful principal would say: “I’m recommending your placement in an IAES. We will hold an ARDC meeting to determine the specifics of the placement.”

This comes up in the Toolbox when we talk about Tool #5 and Tool #6. Want to know more?  Let me hear from you!

DAWG BONE: DAEP=IAES, MOST OF THE TIME.

Tomorrow: Race for the school board turns nasty….