Staten Island, NY: 24% of students have I.E.P.s

July 12, 2017, Staten Island Live: Some special ed students not receiving needed services, report says http://www.silive.com/news/2017/07/report_doe_not_following_stude.html STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A high rate of New York City public school special education students are not receiving the services they need and are entitled to, according to a report released Wednesday by Public Advocate Letitia James. Under federal law, the Department of Education (DOE) must provide services -- such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and mental health counseling -- to students who are in need, depending on what is mandated via each special needs student's Individualized Education Plan, or IEP. On Staten Island, where 24 percent of students have an IEP, 27 percent of RSA vouchers went unused, according to the report issued by James' office. In the city public school system 19 percent of students -- or 200,000 children -- require an IEP.