Questions and Answers Addressing the Needs of Children with Disabilities and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s (IDEA’s) Discipline Provisions (PDF) 

This document updates and supersedes the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services’ (OSERS) guidance titled Questions and Answers on Discipline Procedures
issued in June 2009 and includes additional questions and answers that address topics 
that have arisen as the field continues to carry out the discipline provisions of IDEA and 
its implementing regulations. Key topics include removing a child with a disability from 
their current educational placement and the responsibilities of individualized education 
program (IEP) teams to address the behavioral needs of children with disabilities through 
the evaluation, reevaluation, and IEP development process to ensure the provision of a 
free appropriate public education (FAPE). 

Citation/Source

Office of Special Education Rehabilitative Services. 2022. Questions and Answers Addressing the Needs of Children with Disabilities and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act's (IDEA's) Discipline Provisions https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/qa-addressing-the-needs-of-children-with-disabilities-and-idea-discipline-provisions.pdf (accessed September 16, 2022).

Publication Date  2024

The Data Center for Addressing Significant Disproportionality

The Data Center for Addressing Significant Disproportionality (pronounced DEE-KAS-DEE) is a U.S. Department of Education-supported center dedicated to working with state and local education agencies to help build their capacity to identify and address significant disproportionality by more accurately collecting, reporting, analyzing, and using their IDEA data.

Citation/Source

The Data Center for Addressing Significant Disproportionality (pronounced DEE-KAS-DEE) is a U.S. Department of Education-supported center dedicated to working with state and local education agencies to help build their capacity to identify and address significant disproportionality by more accurately collecting, reporting, analyzing, and using their IDEA data.

Publication Date  2024

Addressing Disproportionality: Hard Work and Heart Work

The editorial delves into the Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS), mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to address disparities in the treatment of students of color within local educational agencies (LEAs). When LEAs disproportionately identify students of color in certain categories or discipline them, they are labeled "disproportionate" or "significantly disproportionate."  

The California Department of Education (CDE) State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Project (SPP-TAP) supports LEAs in CCEIS work by guiding them through data analysis, root cause identification, improvement planning, and implementation monitoring. Despite initial overwhelm, educators appreciate the structured approach provided by SPP-TAP TA Facilitators. 

The editorial provides examples of successful strategies in districts like Evergreen Elementary Alameda Unified, and Pittsburg Unified such as engaging families through community liaisons and personalized learning plans for "focal scholars." It discusses efforts to address racism, cultural disconnect, and implicit bias through staff training and community outreach. There’s also a focus on empathy and inclusion, alongside efforts to dissolve traditional disciplinary methods and address cultural biases, exemplifies a commitment to equity. 

Citation/Source

Citation: California Department of Education. 2024 Addressing Disproportionality: Hard Work and Heart Work 2024, www.sipinclusion.org/2024/03/11/the-special-edge-newsletter-winter-2023/. Accessed 14 May 2024.

Publication Date  2024

The State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Project is a program of the Napa County Office of Education.

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Funding Information

California Department of Education, Special Education Division’s special project, State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Project (SPP-TAP) is funded through a contract with the Napa County Office of Education. SPP-TAP is funded from federal funds, (State Grants #H027A080116) provided from the U.S. Department of Education Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the U.S. Department of Education.

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