STAY INFORMED: Visit CDE’s COVID-19 Resources for Schools page
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Special Education Directors' Corner
COVID-19 and Special Education
View information for educators and parents to support students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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New or Reorganization Application & Checklist
*Applications for New or Reorganized AUs are due Thursday, September 1, 2022, for districts seeking to begin operations for the 2023/2024 school year.
Answers to frequently asked questions such as Compensatory Services, Prior Written Notice, and Special Education Evaluations can be found in Special Education FAQ's.
CDE's Office of Special Education has gathered resources to help answer questions around the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to special education.
Supporting Displaced Special Education Students
There are many ways that children and families can be displaced. There are floods, fires, and other types of natural disasters that can destroy homes or make them uninhabitable for periods of time. Families can also experience hardships that result in major home life changes.
Quick Links
- Technical Assistance Documents
- Upcoming and Archived Trainings
- (Special Education under "Topics" on the left)
- View CDE Publications
Important Dates Coming Up
Year-at-a-Glance for SY 2021-2022 (PDF)
JUNE
1 Post-School Outcomes (2020-21SY) samples open in the DMS 6/1/2022 - 9/30/2022
1 2021-22 IEP Record Reviews completed for all age groups and Transition Tracker uploaded in the DMS
10 2022-23 Federal Application Narrative is due
30 2022-23 Federal Application Budget is due
30 2022-23 Special Education Assurances/Certifications are due
New Special Education Director
AU Special Education Director of Record and Fiscal Contact Information
ESSU must have current contact information for all state-level Special Education Directors and Special Education Fiscal Contacts. Our office communicates important updates and information through our listserv, please be sure that we have accurate, updated information. Communications from this listserv will come from CDE_SPED.
ESSU Newsletter
The ESSU e-newsletter is our office's primary form of communication with the field. It is published once a month and contains information from the Office of Gifted and Talented, Office of Facility Schools, and Office of Special Education.
What's New
Adoption of Extended Part C Option in Colorado
The CDE and the Colorado Department of Human Services Early Intervention Colorado have adopted a policy for an Extended Part C Option in Colorado. Colorado EI adopted this policy through changes in the EI Rules, and approval from the Office of Federal Education Programs (OSEP) on March 28th, 2022. This policy becomes effective in Colorado for children with third birthdays between May 1st and the end of August, 2022. This policy allows early intervention services, in defined instances, to continue after a child’s third birthday, until the beginning of the subsequent school year.
Please review this memo on our website to learn more about the policy and the criteria for qualifying children. A brief overview of this policy will be provided during the Early Childhood breakout session at the Spring Directors’ meeting on Friday, April 4th during the 3:15 p.m. breakout time. After reviewing the memo, please reach out to Heidi White, Preschool Director, or Mary Morin, Child Find Specialist, with questions or for more information.
Extended Part C Procedural Guidance for AUs
CDE, in partnership with Early Intervention, has developed an Extended Part C Procedural Guidance for AUs. It can be found with additional documents related to Extended Part C on our website. Please share this guidance with others in your organization including data staff, supervisors, and staff who conduct evaluations, eligibility meetings and/or initial IEP meetings for children transitioning from Part C to Part B.
After reviewing the guidance, please reach out to Mary Morin, Child Find Specialist, with questions or for more information.
Facility Schools Model Workgroup, Families, Parents, Guardians, Current/Former Students, as well as Educational Advocates Needed
The Senate Bill 21-274 Facility Schools Model Workgroup is looking for input from families, parents, guardians, current/former students, as well as educational advocates.
The Workgroup would like to hear about first-hand experiences- both positive and opportunities for growth- when educational needs exceeded what was available in a traditional classroom setting. These experiences could have taken place in a variety of placements including in-district or out-of-district and/or facility, program, service, or individual-based. The Workgroup is also looking for input based on experiences when appropriate services were not available either in or out of the district. If you are willing to provide input, please click on the link below to complete a short survey. The survey is available in English and Spanish – if you need this survey in another language, please utilize the Google Translate option found at the bottom of the webpage. If you need further assistance please contact the Office of Facility Schools at facility_schools@cde.state.co.us.
Parent, Student, and Advocate Survey
https://app.keysurvey.com/f/41614283/1b2f/
Padre, Estudiante, y Defensor Encuesta
https://app.keysurvey.com/f/41616363/1477/
Meetings and Conferences
2022 Directors of Special Education Spring Meeting - Moving Toward a Better Tomorrow
Thursday, April 7 & Friday, April 8, 2022
This two-day virtual meeting is designed to provide professional learning opportunities for Directors of Special Education. Day One (Thursday, April 7) will focus on EDI; Day Two (Friday, April 8) will focus on leadership practices and strategies such as accelerated learning and high impact tutoring for filling gaps in instruction as a result of the pandemic.
More information is available on the Spring Directors' Meeting webpage.
Registration is now closed for the 2022 Directors of Special Education Spring Meeting.
CDE’s 2022 Special Education Legal Conference
Save the Date - Friday, April 29, 2022
WHO: Designed for individuals involved in developing and supporting special education services for children with disabilities and their families.
WHAT: One-day conference covering current issues concerning the education of students with disabilities with updates on both the state and national levels.
WHERE: Virtual Event Platform and Mobile Application
For updates, visit https://www.cde.state.co.us/spedlaw/legalconf
(registration information coming soon).
New Directors’ Orientation (NDO)
Information and materials from past NDO meetings
Access the handouts from the 2021 New Directors Orientation (NDO) at the 2021 New Directors' Orientation Resources.
Access the recordings and handouts from the 2020 New Directors Orientation (NDO) at the 2020 NDO webpage.
For more information email Faye Gibson, Gibson_F@cde.state.co.us.
Memos to AU and Special Education Directors
- Adoption of Extended Part C Option for Colorado (PDF) - April 2022
- Early Intervention Evaluation Responsibilities Transfer to CDHS/Early Intervention (PDF)
- K - 12 Resources for Afghan Evacuees (PDF)
- Potential Impact of the Family First Prevention Services Act on Special Education Students (PDF)
- Questions and Answers On Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Evaluations, and Reevaluations (PDF)
- Letter to State Directors of Special Education (PDF)
- Non-Regulatory Guidance: Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care U.S. (PDF)
- Memo Notice of Change in Reporting Requirements and CDE Guidance for Measuring Indicator 13 Compliance (PDF)
- CMAS ELA Accommodation Policy Updated to Align with Colorado Academic Standards Expectations
- OSERS FAQ: The Rights of Students with Disabilities in Public Charter Schools under the IDEA (PDF)
- OCR FAQ: The Rights of Students with Disabilities in Public Charter Schools under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (PDF)
Resources
- Comprehensive Plan Documents:
- Uploading Documents for Review
- 2017 Conference - Expand Your Equity Toolkit
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If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact our web content coordinator Amanda Timmerman at Timmerman_A@cde.state.co.us. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.
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