US ED: Return to School Roadmap: Development and Implementation of Individualized Education Programs
What questions might one have about IEPs when it's time to return to school?
On 30 September, the US Department of Education published “Return to School Roadmap: Development and Implementation of Individualized Education Programs,” a set of questions and answers regarding development and implementation of Individualized Education Programs. The document, which is the seccond in a series, is designed to help states to complete activities required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Katherine Neas, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Offie of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, is quoted as saying,
“The pandemic didn't alter IDEA's guarantee of a free appropriate public education for children with disabilities…. As more and more students return to in-person learning, the Department emphasizes the critical role that IEP Teams, including parents, have in making individualized decisions about each child’s educational needs, including assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and safety considerations and on providing appropriate special education and related services.”
One may read the Q&A document or or download a PDF of it for free. Also, see an earlier post on SET about OSERS re-affirming legal requirements in the context of COVID-19.
I personally know many families who wish this guidance actually happened over the past 1.5 years... The setbacks for children are going to be difficult to measure and overcome.