Special Education Directors' Corner

30th SPED December Count initial error-free due date and beginning of initial report review week before duplicates next week. Data changes can be made during this week to ensure accurate data before the duplicate process.

31st Federal Application Project Narrative Amendment Window #2 closes

31st SPED December Count complete error-free snapshot is due prior to the resolving of duplicates process next week.

Educational Surrogate Parent (ESP)

Interested in Serving as an ESP?

Contact Sherrell Bethel, Parent Training & Information Director (sbethel@peakparent.org).

Address Educational Surrogate Parent (ESP) questions to:

Katherine Rains
Rains_k@cde.state.co.us

Submit form via FAX to:

303-866-6767

Mail form to:

Colorado Dept. of Education
Office of Special Education
4th Floor
201 E. Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80203

New Special Education Director

Special Education Directors' Handbook (PDF)

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.

AU Director of Record & SPED Fiscal Contact Form

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.

ESSU Newsletter Sign-up

Archived ESSU Newsletters

What's New

Colorado State Board of Education (SBE) hearing for the Administration of the Exceptional Children's Educational Act (1 CCR 301-8).
During their November 13^th meeting, the Colorado State Board of Education (SBE) voted to conduct a hearing for proposed changes to rules for the Administration of the Exceptional Children’s Educational Act (1 CCR 301-8). The hearing will be conducted at the Board’s regularly scheduled January 2025 meeting. Attached, please find a redline version of the proposed rule amendments provided to the SBE . The amendments in the proposed rules reflect the following policy changes:

Added language regarding the state complaint procedures to board rule
Updated language regarding significant changes in placement
Updated definition of a public agency
New definitions and references to abbreviated school day policies per HB 24-1063
Updates to the process for applications for new or reorganized administrative units
Clarification on the requirements for paraprofessionals working with students with IEPs that are similar to provisions recently added to the Rules for the Operation, Maintenance, and Inspection of School Transportation Vehicles (1 CCR 301-26)

If you have feedback on the proposed rules that you wish to share before the January meeting, please send your feedback to ECEAStakeholderRules (eceastakeholderrules@cde.state.co.us) by Friday, January 3^rd.

Redline Version of the Proposed Rule Amendments

Memorandum Regarding State Complaint Procedures
On May 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) determined that the Colorado Department of Education’s (CDE) State Complaint Procedures required content for filing a written state complaint that exceeds the requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Until the revisions to the State’s ECEA Rules and the State Complaint Procedures are in effect, the CDE will follow IDEA content requirements for state complaints, as described in 34 C.F.R. § 300.153(b), and due process complaints, as described in 34 C.F.R § 300.508(b). Please see the attached memo for more information. For questions, please contact Brandon Edelman. Edelman_B@cde.state.co.us.

Memorandum Regarding State Complaint Procedures

10/17/24

Memos to AU and Special Education Directors

New or Reorganization Application & Checklist

*Applications for New or Reorganized AUs, dates for the 25/26 school year TBD.

Resources

Comprehensive Plan Documents:

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.

Supporting Displaced Students: Special Education

Dr. Paul Foster
Assistant Commissioner, ESSU
Email Paul Foster
Phone: 720-926-4033

Having trouble with this webpage?

If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at ESSU@cde.state.co.us. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.