The Colorado Department of Education

Offices | Staff Contacts | Colorado.gov

Special Education Information

  • Acronyms
    A list of acronyms commonly used by the Colorado Department of Education.
  • Child Find
    Every school district or Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) have professionals who are trained to evaluate children in a variety of areas, including cognitive functioning, physical functioning, hearing and vision, speech and language and social and emotional development.
  • Fast Facts
    Find helpful information about Special Education topics.
  • Individualized Education Program (IEP)
    Find the Colorado IEP forms, an overview of the special education process and an IEP video for families and educators.
  • Special Education Directors
    List of the Special Education Directors for Administration Units (Districts) across Colorado.
  • Specific Disabilities
    Find specific information on the various disability categories as well as information about physical or health conditions that may have a significant impact on a student's ability to learn and result in an educational disability.
  • Transition Services - Parent Resources
    CDE is committed to supporting comprehensive systems that ensure positive post-school outcomes for all learners to be successful in their adult lives.

Resources

  • 2012-2013 Colorado Accommodations Manual
    (Click on link, then scroll down. Note: The printable version of the manual is 182 pages.)
    The Colorado Accommodations Manual presents a five-step process for Education Teams, Individualized Educational Program (IEP) Teams, 504 plan committees, general and special education teachers, administrators, and other educational teams to use in the selection, implementation, and an evaluation of instructional and assessment accommodations.
  • Extended School Year (ESY) Services Guidance Manual (PDF), (51 pages)
    Read an overview of Extended School Year Services for some Colorado children and youth with disabilities.
  • Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) English to Spanish Translation Glossary
    This glossary was developed by the Region 1 Parent Technical Assistance Center (SPAN) to ensure that educational terms related to the implementation of IDEA, used in documents to promote parents' authentic participation, are translated in a uniform and comprehensible way, across states, geographical regions and communities of Spanish speakers.
  • Responsibility List (PDF), January 2012