In the past few years, school districts have navigated extraordinary challenges, from COVID-19 shutdowns and students’ academic lags to politically charged parental involvement and a constantly shifting policy landscape. Inevitably, some of these issues that start at the schoolhouse make their way to the courthouse. According to K-12 Dive, these…
As reported at the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) annual conference, a survey by the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education shows 98% of local special education directors said most relationships with families are positive, and 95% reported that most IEP meetings…
In an August 6, 2024 Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) conference session, U.S. Department of Education (USDE) presenters recommended that local and state school systems replicate and scale evidence-based promising practices for students with disabilities, rather than use new and quick fixes. According to Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy…
In an effort to help destigmatize mental health challenges among students, a recently signed California law allows the term ”emotional disability″ to replace “emotional disturbance” for special education services. The measure, which takes effect January 1, 2024, does not change the definition of the term and does not alter school-based…
On August 1, 2024, the US Senate Appropriations Committee, by a bipartisan vote of 25-3, approved an $80 billion FY 2025 funding plan for the U.S. Department of Education. The funding boost is nearly $1 billion more than the current budget provides. Included in the budget proposal are increases to…
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that about 70% of surveyed schools experienced special education teacher vacancies in the 2023-24 school year. In fact, about half of special education teachers leave the profession within the first five years of teaching, according to officials from CEC and CASE at…
The number of high school seniors who completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid stalled this June, spawning fears of enrollment declines this fall, According to the latest analysis from the National College Attainment Network, as of June 28th some 46% of the high school class of 2024 had…
As reported by K-12 Dive, a July 5th regulatory update from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shows the Title IX athletics rule proposal has been moved to a “long-term action” without a rough deadline, meaning the agency doesn’t expect a regulatory action within at least the next year.…
On July 2, 2024, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Biden administration’s final Title IX rule from going into effect in Alaska, Kansas, Utah, and Wyoming raising o 14 the number of states where the controversial rule is now on hold by judicial order. In light of additional legislative challenges…
According to 2022 fiscal year data, 38 states, territories, and the District of Columbia were categorized as “needs assistance” with regard to implementing special education requirements and improving student outcomes for students ages 3-21 during the year evaluated or for two or more consecutive years. On June 21st, the U.S.…
