IEPs

Preschool teacher Melissa Mowbray works with AI on her laptop at Academic Magnet High School during the Charleston County School District Charleston Educator Symposium on July 22, 2026 in North Charleston, S.C.
Preschool teacher Melissa Mowbray works with artificial intelligence on her laptop at Academic Magnet High School during the Charleston County School District's Charleston Educator Symposium on July 22, 2026 in North Charleston, S.C. Some school districts are employing AI to help craft special education students' individualized education programs, but experts warn that doing so could run afoul of student privacy laws without the proper guardrails.
Mic Smith/AP
Special Education How AI Tools Halved This District's IEP Prep Time
Using AI in special education requires thoughtful training and privacy protections, experts say.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, October 28, 2026
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8 min read
Wed., October 28, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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Special education costs and risks are rising. Learn how stronger IEP and Medicaid processes help districts protect funding and compliance.
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A paraprofessional assists a student in a special education program fill out a ballot during an Election Day lesson at Watkins Elementary on Nov. 4, 2025, in Wylie, Texas.
A paraprofessional assists a student in a special education program in filling out a ballot during an Election Day lesson at Watkins Elementary on Nov. 4, 2025, in Wylie, Texas. Determining the supports students with disabilities need to succeed in school starts with deciding whether they will be best served by an individualized education program or a 504 plan.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News via TNS
Special Education Download How Is an IEP Different From a 504 Plan? At-a-Glance Guide
The support plans are crucial for students with disabilities to access the same curriculum, educational experiences as their peers
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Gina Tomko, August 20, 2026
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1 min read
IEP 504
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week + Canva
Special Education Explainer The Differences Between IEPs and 504 Plans: A Special Education Explainer
What educators need to know about the special education plans.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, August 13, 2026
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8 min read
Thu., June 04, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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When provider vacancies hit, students feel it first. Hear what district leaders are doing to keep IEP-related services on track.
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Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Special Education Letter to the Editor AI Isn’t the Real Threat to Special Education
Educators must leverage the tool to improve the field, writes an advocate.
February 27, 2026
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1 min read
Female student retrieving an IEP document from a giant laptop equipped with artificial intelligence.
iStock/Getty Images + Vanessa Solis/Education Week
Special Education Teachers Are Using AI to Help Write IEPs. Advocates Have Concerns
Experts call for guardrails around the ethical, legal, and instructional concerns.
Evie Blad, October 29, 2025
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9 min read
Thu., October 03, 2024, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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Special Education Webinar How Early Adopters of Remote Therapy are Improving IEPs
Learn how schools are using remote therapy to improve IEP compliance & scalability while delivering outcomes comparable to onsite providers.
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Instructor working with adult special needs student.
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Special Education Many Students Can Get Special Ed. Until Age 22. What Districts Should Do
School districts' responsibilities under federal special education law aren't always clear-cut.
Mark Lieberman, June 27, 2024
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4 min read
Thu., June 20, 2024, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
Special Education K-12 Essentials Forum Innovative Approaches to Special Education
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June 20, 2024
Glossary abstract concept open book with special education iconography
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty Images
Special Education Explainer A Guide to Special Education Terms
The number of students in special education has increased steadily in the last four decades. Here are some of the common terms used.
Brooke Schultz, May 21, 2024
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7 min read
Student being assisted by AI
Nicole Xu for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence The Pros and Cons of AI in Special Education
AI can make special educators' jobs easier by handling paperwork and serving as an adaptive tool. But there are privacy and other concerns.
Alyson Klein, May 13, 2024
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9 min read
North Carolina Wesleyan University professor Patricia Brewer gives education major Makaela Stokes a hug after a tutoring session at the school in Rocky Mount, N.C., on March 18, 2024.
North Carolina Wesleyan University professor Patricia Brewer gives education major Makaela Stokes a hug after a tutoring session at the school in Rocky Mount, N.C., on March 18, 2024. For the past nine years, Brewer has hosted an after-school program for local families of students with disabilities where students receive tutoring from special education teacher candidates while Brewer teaches their parents to advocate for their kids.
Alex Boerner for Education Week
Families & the Community Should Working With Families Be a Core Skill for Teachers?
Just half of educator preparation programs offer a course on parent and family engagement.
Libby Stanford, April 25, 2024
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12 min read
Waist-up view of early 30s teacher sitting with 11 year old Hispanic student at library round table and holding book as she pronounces the words.
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English Learners How Special Ed. and English-Learner Teachers Can Collaborate: A Guide
School and district leaders share how they got two departments to more deeply collaborate to support their students.
Ileana Najarro, October 19, 2023
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4 min read