Academics · Subject Resources

Find the school that
teaches the way they learn

Every school says it supports learning differences. Ask each one the same questions, rate what you hear on instruction, accommodations, plans, staff training and family contact, and enter the minutes of help a week so the difference is in numbers.

Start a comparisonWhat you get

Comparisons

The worked example is made up: three elementary schools for a child with dyslexia, where help ranges from 60 to 300 minutes a week, and two middle schools for a 504 plan. Use initials or a code for the child.

Loading the comparison form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Academics · Subject ResourcesFree

What you finish with
A saved comparison per decision: how much instruction, accommodations, plans, staff training and family contact matter; each school rated 1 to 5 with minutes of help a week and group size; seven questions marked answered or still to ask; and a next step. The flags rank the schools, call out a must-have rated 2 or lower, turn weekly minutes into minutes a day and flag large groups. A side-by-side table prints.
Who it is for
Parents and guardians of a child with a learning difference, with or without an IEP or a 504 plan, and students old enough to weigh in.
Format
Browser tool with a saved record per decision. Prints a side-by-side table with the scores, the full record, every comparison in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Subject Resources space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Weigh what the child needs most.
  2. Ask each school to describe a week of help.
  3. Enter the minutes and the group size.
  4. Rate each school.
  5. Print the side-by-side table.

Start a comparison

From a concern to a plan

How a public school gets to an IEP1Ask in writingRequest an evaluation, dated,to the principal or special2ConsentThe school asks your writtenpermission to evaluate.3EvaluationWithin 60 days of consentunder IDEA, or the state4EligibilityA team meeting decides whetherthe child qualifies.5The planAn IEP, or a 504 plan if thechild does not qualify for an6ProgressReports at least as often asreport cards.How a public school gets to an IEP1Ask in writingRequest an evaluation, dated, to theprincipal or special education office.2ConsentThe school asks your written permissionto evaluate.3EvaluationWithin 60 days of consent under IDEA, orthe state timeline.4EligibilityA team meeting decides whether the childqualifies.5The planAn IEP, or a 504 plan if the child doesnot qualify for an IEP.6ProgressReports at least as often as reportcards.
This path applies at public and charter schools. At a private school the family chooses, the district still evaluates, but services are limited.

What the law covers where

Public and charter schools must find, evaluate and serve children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and give a free appropriate public education. Section 504 covers any school that receives federal money, and the Americans with Disabilities Act covers most private schools, though not religious ones. A private school chosen by the family does not have to write or follow an IEP.

Minutes tell you more than labels

Ask how many minutes a week of specialized instruction a student like yours would get, from whom and in what size group. Thirty minutes a day in a group of three with a trained teacher is a different offer from an hour a week in a group of ten.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Education. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B, including 34 CFR 300.301 (initial evaluations) and 300.320 (IEP content) (sites.ed.gov/idea).
  2. U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. Protecting Students with Disabilities: Section 504 FAQ (ed.gov/ocr).
  3. U.S. Department of Justice. ADA Title III: Public Accommodations, including private schools (ada.gov).
  4. National Center for Learning Disabilities. The State of Learning Disabilities (ncld.org).

The worked example and its schools are made up. The steps describe federal law in general terms; states set their own timelines and some add protections. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.