This guide is designed as a reference for District and School personnel working with English learners (ELs). The content of the guide represents a compilation of information, examples, and resources. This guide is a living document and subject to frequent updates. It is recommended to review the document online rather than printing a hard copy.

This paper is designed to assist school district personnel in implementing revised Florida regulations concerning student performance standards and graduation requirements for Special Diplomas for certain exceptional students. The revised regulations call for provision of a diploma option based upon demonstrated employment and community…

This manual is designed to assist Minnesota school districts in implementing surrogate parent programs under federal law (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and federal and state regulations. An introduction notes that Minnesota special education rules expand on the federal law by clarifying what school districts must do, including…

This paper is intended to assist school districts in Florida in the implementation of the 1999 Sunshine State Standards for Special Diploma. First, the specific state rules related to student performance standards, course descriptions, and graduation requirements are cited. Twenty-five questions and answers present the guidelines, which address:…

This document is a compendium of Colorado special education administrative decisions issued in 1996 and 1997, including decisions of impartial hearing officers (IHOs), state level reviews, and federal complaints officers. An index is provided which lists the decisions by key topics. The full text of each decision is preceded by a case summary that…

These two technical assistance papers are designed to provide further clarification to Florida school districts regarding the completion of matrices for students with disabilities and on the documentation of the amount of services a student receives on an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The "Matrix of Services" is used to…

The purpose of this document is to assist Florida school districts in implementing the General Educational Development (GED) Exit Option Model for students at risk of not completing high school. Students must be at least 16 years of age and currently enrolled in high school to take the GED tests through the GED Exit Option Model. In addition, the…

This document explains complaint resolution procedures for individuals who file a complaint with the Florida Department of Education (DOE) on behalf of one or more students with disabilities, or one or more parents of students with disabilities, alleging a public agency has violated the educational rights of a student with disabilities under the…

This handbook is a compilation of fiscal procedures and instructions to assist Illinois local education agencies in claiming reimbursement for special education services for the 1998-99 school year. It contains: (1) general instructions for completing the Special Education Pupil Reimbursement form; (2) instructions for filling out sections…

These two technical assistance papers are designed to provide further clarification to Florida school districts regarding the evaluation procedures and determination of eligibility for children with disabilities in transition from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C, Infants and Toddlers Early Intervention Program to the…

This document is designed to provide guidance to Illinois school administrators on positive behavioral interventions with students with disabilities. It begins with a description of the Illinois statute addressing behavioral interventions and then provides information on district policy guidelines on establishing and maintaining a committee to…

This document presents the State of Michigan's administrative rules for special education including 1996 and 1997 revisions. The specific regulations are organized into 9 sections: (1) general provisions (definitions and determination standards); (2) evaluation, eligibility, student assignment, and due process procedures (e.g., individualized…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 provided a clear mandate to school administrators to provide additional training for professional and paraprofessional staff. With its requirement that school districts must ensure that all staff are "highly qualified" for the roles assigned to them, it leaves no room for excuses or…

This Illinois state memorandum to school district superintendents provides clarification of policies regarding discipline of students with disabilities, specifically the issue of multiple suspensions, which may in the aggregate total more than 10 school days per school year, and the amount of services required during disciplinary exclusions. The…