On December 27, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) withdrew a proposed federal rule that supporters said would have made it easier for schools to be reimbursed for school-based Medicaid services. It was seen as a way to reduce schools’ paperwork burdens and increase reimbursements for the rendering of…
Citing legal challenges and searing public comment, along with the inauguration of a new president, on December 20, 2024 the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) withdrew its proposed rule that would have extended Title IX protections to transgender student athletes. The notice, published in the Federal Register, states the USDE…
At a December 13, 2024 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ listening session, those testifying lamented the adverse effects brought on by the highly qualified special education teacher shortage crisis. In his testimony, Aaron Parsons, public policy chair for the National Association of Private Special Education Centers, said that if the situation persists,…
In light of an expected mass deportation of undocumented immigrants by the incoming administration, many school districts are examining their policies and protocols. School districts are also stepping up efforts to help ensure that staff and the public are aware of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s policy designating schools…
The U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has released a new resource outlining 21 examples of how artificial intelligence (AI) could contribute to discrimination in schools and colleges based on race, color or natural origin, sex or disability. The resource clarifies for school leaders how existing…
Since President-elect Trump and some lawmakers in the incoming Republican-controlled Congress have vowed to limit federal involvement in K-12, including the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education, which oversees funding and programming for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), many are expressing their concerns as to what may…
On December 11, 2024, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that will require the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available by October 1 each year. The FAFSA Deadline Act will require the education secretary to update Congress on…
On December 4th, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) issued a new 37-page resource titled Planning Together: A Playbook for Student Personal Device Policies that urges schools, school districts, and states to adopt policies to guide student use of cellphones and other personal devices in collaboration with families, students and…
New guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) promotes the use of individualized behavioral assessments and support plans for students with and without disabilities to help schools address problem behaviors and reduce suspensions and expulsions. The 25-page, nonregulatory guidance issued last month calls for using ”functional behavioral assessments″ (FBAs)…
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold a live streamed virtual listening session on December 13th from 1-2 PM ET on the commission’s YouTube channel with a goal to hear from educators, parents, students, and community members about improving access to education for students with disabilities. The commission is…
