How to Find a School

Once you have made the decision to explore school options outside your child’s home school, there are a number of resources available to help you.

The most important advice we can give is to visit a school you are considering, while classes are in session, if possible.

The Committee on Special Education
Your CSE is responsible for recommending an appropriate setting for your child. If they agree that your home school is not the right place for your child’s education, they will suggest alternatives and put together the necessary application information to allow these alternative schools to consider your child for admission.

On the Web
The website Insideschools.org contains frequently updated reviews of New York City public schools at all grade levels. While not specifically geared to children with learning differences, it is an excellent starting point for parents who are looking to keep their child in a public school setting.

The New York State Education Department maintains a list of schools for students with special needs, organized by both geographical area and “classification” of students. This list, referred to as the “approved list” includes a number of excellent schools. You should be aware that the CSE is not permitted by law to consider any school that is not on this New York State list, so that their recommendations may not include the most suitable school for your child.

The New York State Association of Independent Schools, to which most private schools belong, has a website listing all of their member schools. These include some schools which are on the approved list and some that are not.

A New York Magazine article from June, 2003 about the lack of private special education schools in New York City includes a list of those schools which are available. It is somewhat dated in its precise numbers for students and tuition, but remains a useful resource.

Information on finding alternative public school settings can be found in our section on Public v. Private schools. And check our section on Older Students for information on colleges.