Guidance & Policy Letters
The US Department of Education occasionally issues “Dear Colleague” letters as guidance to clarify miscommunications and/or trends in special education that are causing numerous complaints or failure to follow the law as intended. A list of these letters is below:
NEW Guidance
Past Guidance Letters
- Access to Records – September 23, 2016
- Braille – June 19, 2013
- Bullying of Students with Disabilities – August 20, 2013
- Bullying of Students with Disabilities – October 26, 2010
- Bullying of Students with Disabilities – July 25, 2000
- Children with Disabilities Attending Virtual Schools – August 5, 2016
- Children with Disabilities residing in Nursing Home – April 26, 2016
- Children with Disabilities with High Cognition (Twice Exceptional) – April 17, 2015
- Children with Specific Learning Disabilities – October 23, 2015
- Communicating Needs of Students with Hearing, Vision, or Speech Disabilities – November 12, 2014
- Dispute Resolution Q & A – July 23, 2013
- Due Process After a Parent has Filed a State Complaint – April 15, 2015
- Due Process Hearing – Open to Public – August 4, 2016
- Education of Highly Mobile Children (i.e. Migrant, Military, Homeless) – July 19, 2013
- Endrew F. v Douglas County Schools – U.S. Supreme Court Decision Q & A – December 7, 2017
- Ensuring Equity and Providing Behavioral Supports to Students with Disabilities – August 1, 2016
- FAPE for All Children with Disabilities – November 16, 2015
- FAPE for Students with Disabilities in Correctional Facilities – December 5, 2014
- FAPE for Students with Disabilities in Residential Facilities – December 8, 2014
- Federal Pell Grant Eligibility for Students Confined – December 8, 2014
- IEP Team – Bringing an Attorney – February 17, 2016
- Independent Educational Evaluation – October 22, 2016
- Maintenance of Effort – July 27, 2015
- National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard – June 22, 2012
- Part C Evaluations (Birth to 3 years of age) – August 18, 2016
- Parental Rights Regarding Use of Public Benefits or Insurance – June 11, 2013
- Preschool Least Restrictive Environment – January 9, 2017
- Preschool Least Restrictive Environment – February 29, 2012
- Procedural Safeguards – Communication with Parent Attorney – December 27, 2016
- Racial Discrimination in Special Education – December 12, 2016
- Response to Intervention (RTI) – January 21, 2011
- Response to Intervention (RTI) for Preschool Special Education – April 29, 2016
- Restraint and Seclusion of Students with Disabilities Letter – December 28, 2016
- Speech and Language Services for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder – July 6, 2015
- Transportation for Students with Disabilities Privately Placed by Parent – December 27, 2016
- Visual Impairment Criteria – November 12, 2014
- Visual Impairment Follow-up from Visual Impairment Criteria on 11-12-14 – May 22, 2017
Updated 8/2/2023
