Special Education Law

IDEA. The Americans with Disabilities Act. Learn more about what laws govern special education and how they affect schools and students
Special education teacher Chris Simley, left, places a coffee order at a table staffed by student Jon Hahn, volunteer Phil Tegeler, student Brianna Dewater and student Mykala Robinson at Common Grounds coffee shop at Lincoln High in Lincoln, Neb., on Oct. 26, 2018. Down a hallway lined with Lincoln High School's signature red lockers, through the doors of Room 123, teachers can find a little early-morning salvation: a caffeine oasis open for business each Friday morning.
Special education teacher Chris Simley, left, places a coffee order at a table staffed by student Jon Hahn, volunteer Phil Tegeler, student Brianna Dewater, and student Mykala Robinson at Common Grounds coffee shop at Lincoln High in Lincoln, Neb., on Oct. 26, 2018. Policies regarding the maximum age at which students are eligible for special education services have changed quickly in recent years, providing a potential lifeline for families but a challenge for districts in keeping families abreast of the changes.
Gwyneth Roberts/Lincoln Journal Star via AP
Special Education Special Ed. Policies Can Change Fast. Districts Can Help Families Navigate Them
States have raised the maximum age of eligibility for special education services. But policies often change quickly.
Caitlynn Peetz, July 17, 2024
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4 min read
Instructor working with adult special needs student.
iStock
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
Teacher helping adult special-needs student with computer.
iStock
Special Education Who's Eligible for Special Education Services? Schools Struggle to Keep Up
Many states now require schools to offer special education services to students until they turn 22. Costs and logistics can be daunting.
Mark Lieberman & Caitlynn Peetz, June 18, 2024
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9 min read
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
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Special Education Letter to the Editor Schools Must Do Better to Meet IDEA Requirements
More states must follow through on this law.
September 19, 2023
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1 min read
Image of a classroom under a magnifying glass.
Tarras79 and iStock/Getty
Special Education Do More to Ensure Schools Meet Obligations to Students With Disabilities, Feds Tell States
States must have "robust" systems to ensure schools obey federal special education law, new guidance says.
Evie Blad, July 27, 2023
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4 min read
Special Education teacher Amy Kenyon goes over a reading assignment with her students at Harrison Elementary School in Twin Falls, Idaho, on March 8, 2018. All special education students follow individualized education programs, which are tailored to their special needs.
Special Education teacher Amy Kenyon goes over a reading assignment with her students at Harrison Elementary School in Twin Falls, Idaho, on March 8, 2018. All special education students follow individualized education programs, which are tailored to their special needs.
Pat Sutphin/The Times-News via AP
Special Education Explainer What Is an IEP? Individualized Education Programs, Explained
What IEPs are, what their purpose is, and which students are eligible.
Eesha Pendharkar, July 27, 2023
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1 min read
Image of a student working with a teacher.
Canva
Special Education Quiz How Does Special Education Funding Work? Test Your Knowledge
What is IDEA? How much can the federal government contribute to special education funding? Take our quiz.
Mark Lieberman, May 4, 2023
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1 min read
Illustration of a desk with a calculator and budget sheet.
vladwel/iStock/Getty
Special Education Explainer How Special Education Funding Actually Works
Special education is among the most complicated and misunderstood facets of America’s sprawling K-12 school landscape.
Mark Lieberman, April 27, 2023
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6 min read
Miguel Perez
Miguel Luna Perez, who is deaf, attended schools in Michigan's Sturgis Public School District from ages 9 through 20.
Photo courtesy of Luna Perez family
Law & Courts Supreme Court Rules Deaf Student Can Sue School District Over Alleged Failures
The justices rule that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act does not bar the student's suit for money damages.
Mark Walsh, March 21, 2023
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5 min read
Miguel Perez stands outside the Supreme Court after arguments in the case of Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools on Jan. 18, 2023 in Washington, D.C.
Miguel Perez, right, along with lawyer Roman Martinez, stands outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Wednesday after arguments in his case against his former school district in Sturgis, Mich.
Mark Walsh/Education Week
Special Education Supreme Court Seems in Favor of Deaf Student's Right to Sue School District Under the ADA
Miguel Luna Perez was there as the justices weighed issues in his case over his district allegedly failing to provide trained interpreters.
Mark Walsh, January 18, 2023
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7 min read
Miguel Perez
Miguel Luna Perez in a 2016 yearbook photo as a senior at Sturgis High School in Michigan. Luna Perez, who is deaf, went on to the Michigan School for the Deaf in a settlement with his district but is seeking to sue under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 for the district's alleged failures to provide him adequate assistance to communicate.
Photo courtesy of Luna Perez family
Special Education A Deaf Student Says His School District Failed Him. The Supreme Court Will Decide
Miguel Luna Perez received inadequate assistance for 12 years, his suit says. The high court will decide if he can pursue money damages.
Mark Walsh, January 17, 2023
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10 min read
Special education teacher assisting a diverse group of elementary students in art class.
E+/Getty
Special Education States Are Desperate for Special Ed. Teachers. But They Can't Cut Corners to Get Them
The Education Department warns states not to lower standards, even as districts frantically search for skilled special educators.
Madeline Will, October 25, 2022
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8 min read
A young woman wearing a pale purple headband and a matching t-shirt cuts a piece of pale blue paper into strips while she sits at a sunlit table.
Rebecca Newlon, 19, who has Down syndrome, participates in an internship job at her former elementary school in McHenry, Ill.
Taylor Glascock for Education Week
Special Education Older Students Face Time Crunch in Getting Crucial Special Education Services
Many students with disabilities missed out on key transition services during the pandemic. Advocates are pushing schools to make up for lost time.
Evie Blad, October 14, 2022
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10 min read
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