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Special Education Directors' Corner

OSEP Required Corrective Action Plan (CAP)


Assistance for Parents

Special Education
Beth Donahue, Parent Engagement Specialist
720-926-1453 or Parents_ESSUquestions@cde.state.co.us

Young Children (Birth to age 5) or Preschool
Heidi White, Director, Preschool Special Education
303-501-0837 or White_H@cde.state.co.us

Gifted Education
Rebecca McKinney, Director, Office of Gifted Education
720-774-0908 or McKinney_R@cde.state.co.us 


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Quick Links


Meetings and Conferences

2025 Spring Directors Meeting Information Coming Soon.


Important Dates Coming Up

Year-at-a-Glance for SY 2024-2025 (PDF)

December 2024

1st     December Count Date

1st     2023-24 High-Cost Reimbursement Application Window (targeted) Open 2025

2025

January 2025

1st     Federal Application Project Narrative Amendment Window #2 opens

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)

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
201 E. Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80203


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

Colorado State Board of Education (SBE) hearing for the Administration of the Exceptional Children's Educational Act (1 CCR 301-8).
During their November 13th 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 3rd.         

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



Resources


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.


Contact Us Icons

Dr. Paul Foster
Assistant Commissioner, ESSU

Email Paul Foster
Phone: 720-926-4033


Having trouble with this webpage?

Email

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.