Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, no formal flexibility has been granted to schools to deviate from State and federal special education requirements. However, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) gave the U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos the power to appeal to Congress if she believes that waivers should be made to provide flexibility regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Earlier this week, Secretary DeVos made her…

Just as remote learning has become the new normal, we turn to planning for ESY and the 2020-21 school year. While the timeline for returning to school buildings remains uncertain, the eligibility of some students with disabilities for support over the summer remains clear. How should schools think about ESY eligibility this school year? We recommend starting with the same standards that have long governed ESY eligibility. Under IDEA, the IEP team determines whether a…

And so it begins. While we have encouraged schools to focus on meeting student needs during the school closure and planning to meet student needs when we return to school buildings, we knew the temptation to jump ahead to compensatory education questions would be strong. Guidance documents from the U.S. Department of Education and ISBE have contributed to such concerns by stating that IEP teams will need to make individual compensatory education determinations for students…

In a previous post, we forecasted further guidance from ISBE and the U.S. Department of Education to provide additional clarity for schools in regard to how to best serve students with disabilities during school closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this week, ISBE posted an updated FAQ regarding providing special education during remote learning as Illinois schools remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. The 17-page document reviews current…

Last fall, in response to serious concerns raised about the use of isolated time out and physical restraint in schools, ISBE issued emergency rules to limit the use of those behavior management techniques. Emergency rules are effective for up to 150 days or until permanent rules are approved, and these emergency rules were due to expire on April 17, 2020.  On April 9, ISBE and JCAR (the bipartisan legislative oversight committee responsible for reviewing and approving agency rulemaking) passed permanent rules regarding isolated time out, time out, and…

After three weeks of being out of school buildings and one week of remote learning, we can all see that the IDEA was not written for pandemics and widespread school closures. While requests for IDEA flexibility have been made, the Department of Education has not indicated whether or when such requests might be granted. Federal and State guidance has been provided but continues to evolve. Educators, administrators, parents, attorneys, states, and the Department of Education…

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) recently issued a “Supplemental Fact Sheet” updating its earlier Questions & Answers and Fact Sheet on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and clarifying that schools should not refrain from providing distance learning out of fear that they cannot adequately serve students with disabilities. In the updated guidance, ED advises school districts that the delivery of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) remains required but may look different when…