In efforts to address barriers for students with disabilities, fix outdated language and align with civil rights laws the US Department of Education (USDE) is expected to publish a proposed Section 504 rule update in August 2023. According to a Spring 2023 announcement, the update is aimed at bringing clarity to…
Thursday, August 17, 2023, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET Interested Pupil Services professionals are invited to join CMS and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) on Thursday, August 17, 2023, at 3:00 to 4:00 PM ET for the first in a series of free webinars to assist State Medicaid…
On August 7, 2023 the U.S. Department of Eduction (USDE), in partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), released the K-12 Digital Infrastructure Brief: Defensible and Resilient to highlight cybersecurity recommendations and promising practices from states and school districts across the country. According to CISA Director Jen Easterly,…
A federal judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit against Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools and the Virginia Department of Education that claimed the district and state violated civil rights protections for students with disabilities and their families. Specifically, the lawsuit said hearing officers presiding over disputes between districts and parents…
Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and John Cornyn (R-TX) recently reintroduced the Partnering Aspiring Teachers with High-Need Schools to Tutor Act alongside co-sponsors Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Chris Murphy (D-CT). The bill would provide $500 million in grants for teacher preparation programs to collaborate with K-12 schools, other higher education institutions,…
On July 27, 2023, the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a 26-2 vote, agreed to a bipartisan FY2024 bill that provides the US Department of Education (USDE) with a $175 million increase for Title I-A grants and a $175 million increase for pre-K-12 special education state grants under the Individuals with…
According to results from the National Health Interview Survey released on July 20, 2023 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five children in families with incomes up to double the federal poverty level had experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) in 2021. In…
OSEP Releases a DCL and Revised Guidance on Sp Ed Noncompliance On July 24, 2023 Valerie Williams, Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) disseminated updated policy guidance and a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) which are aimed at helping states with timely identification and correction of a school district’s noncompliance with…
Title I funding for schools educating students from low-income families would face a severe 80% cut under a proposal for fiscal year 2024 by the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee. On July 13, 2023, Republicans on the committee said in a statement that the decrease is justified because of unspent federal…
During the week of July 10th, special education professionals visited congressional offices in Washington, D.C. to advocate for more funding to support services for students with disabilities, address special educator shortages, and build positive school climates. The visits to Capitol Hill were part of the annual Special Education Legislative Summit…
