OSEP Releases Updated General Supervision Policy Guidance

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) released updated policy guidance, effective immediately, to strengthen the rights guaranteed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The new guidance addresses the requirement that states monitor local educational agencies and early intervention providers as required by law. OESP’s updated guidance provides states with accessible and actionable information to identify and rectify noncompliance issues, helps guarantee that rights are protected, and reiterates expectations across states to ensure consistent implementation of IDEA. OSEP Director Valerie Williams explained the necessity for guidance by saying, “While the federal government provides grants to states under IDEA, it is the state’s responsibility to educate students with disabilities in accordance with the law. This guidance underscores each state’s general supervision responsibility to meet the purpose of IDEA and ensure that all school-age children, regardless of the nature or severity of their disability, can access FAPE in the least restrictive environment and that infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families receive appropriate early intervention services to the maximum extent appropriate.”

Read the announcement here.