Special Education Guidance
The MDE Office of Special Education (OSE) is committed to ensuring students with disabilities continue to receive special education and related services during this unprecedented time.
The information on this page is intended to support school districts by providing information and guidance in response to the impact of COVID-19 school closures on students with individualized education programs (IEPs).
- Guidance to Address Return to Learn for Students with IEPs (PDF)
Establishes special education priority topics for the 2020-2021 school year and provides answers to a series of questions MDE has received in a uniform and consistent manner. - Guidance for Compliance with IDEA and MARSE During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Version 2 (PDF)
This document provides answers to questions OSE has received during the state-ordered school-building closure. - Guidance to Address Foregone Learning for Students with IEPs as a Result of the COVID19 Pandemic (PDF)
Students with IEPs may benefit from recovery services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recovery services are supplemental to the offer of FAPE and are in response to foregone learning that may have occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent school building closures and the potential additional impact of the loss for a student with an IEP.
Give Us Your Feedback
The OSE would like to hear from you regarding COVID-19 related topics ISDs, districts, parents, and students are facing and experiencing out in the field. The best way to stay ahead of potential issues is to stay informed of the topics, which is why we are asking stakeholders to ask clarifying questions about existing COVID-19 related guidance and to provide suggestions for new topics for which you'd like to receive guidance about.
If you have questions about the current guidance or suggestions for future updates to the guidance, please complete our feedback form:
