Information on Michigan academic standards and instructional resources.
Responsible for providing final decisions in administrative appeals to MDE.
Learn more about the MDE office responsible for providing leadership in curriculum and instruction that provides students with greater choices to prepare for success.
Early learning and development program resources for all children, birth to age eight, especially those in highest need.
Resources for educator certification, recognition programs, evaluation, and workforce research.
Resources related to financial and pupil accounting and auditing.
Options available for Michigan students that provide unique learning opportunities.
Food & Nutrition Programs
Resources for programs and initiatives that support school improvement efforts.
Resources for supporting special education in Michigan.
Michigan has an innovative and comprehensive system of assessments to measure student achievement in learning our state content standards.
MDE Annual Review
Archive of News Items
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Family Matters provides parents and families with information about special education and other resources.
The Family Matters information flyer provides an overview of the resources posted to this page.
Stay up-to-date with the news from OSE that matters to parents. Sign-up to receive notification when new information is available.
Our fact sheets explain special education laws and practices. The documents are easy to read and give links to more in-depth resources. Family Matters fact sheets are intended to enhance public understanding of Michigan's special education system and are not a substitute for official laws and regulations.
Shares the definition, overview, and purpose of ABA which uses methods to change behavior and teach student skills.
Explains BIPs and how they are based on results of an FBA and used to improve student behavior.
Explains the difference between completing the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) and earning a high school diploma, with or without a personal curriculum (PC), versus earning a certificate of completion.
Provides an overview of FBA assessment strategies used to collect data to help determine functions of behavior for the development of a BIP.
Defines MTSS and explains how a collection of research-based strategies designed within a framework meets a range of individual student needs.
Shares information on how PCs assist students with IEPs by modifying certain MMC requirements for a high school diploma.
Shares resources and ideas to implement PBIS at home; promotes collaboration with school.
Shares resources to promote PBIS school-wide for students with and without disabilities.
Defines charter schools and explains how special education services are provided.
Describes special education team members and their roles. Includes information regarding different types of special education meetings.
Describes parental rights when there is disagreement with the results of a school educational evaluation. Includes information regarding who conducts and pays for an IEE.
Explains the process for determining if a student meets eligibility for special education services. Discusses consent, how and why evaluations are done, and how evaluation results are used.
Defines the differences between public and nonpublic schools and explains the special education services available at each.
Explains the transfer of rights from parents or guardians to the student when the student turns 18. Students have the right to make their own educational decisions when they reach the age of majority (18 years old).
Defines transition planning (planning for life after a student completes high school) and explains legal requirements related to transition.
Explains the Child Find process and the requirement of schools to identify, locate, and evaluate all children who have disabilities and may be entitled to special education and related services.
Explains how career goals and plans are developed for all students before entering high school. Differentiates between EDPs and IEPs. Includes timelines and elements of an EDP.
Explains how students with IEPs must join their general education peers to the greatest extent possible. Includes educational placement information and parental rights if disagreement occurs.
Explains how schools must provide students who are eligible for special education services with a FAPE and how schools are accountable for providing all programs and services documented in the IEP.
Defines an IEP as a written document of special education services provided to students as required by law. Includes information regarding IEP topics, timelines, and team members.
Explains the federal special education law which protects the rights of children meeting special education eligibility and their parents.
Explains how FERPA protects the privacy of student records. Includes information on record sharing, reaching age of majority (18 years), and private versus public school protections.
Explains protections for students and parents under the IDEA.
Outlines standards for the emergency use of seclusion and restraint in Michigan public schools and shares MDE policy resources.
Defines Section 504 as a federal civil rights law created to stop discrimination against students with disabilities. Explains accommodations and supports that may be available for some students.
Defines the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) and outlines its mission, membership, and functions. Includes a link to the SEAC visitor registration form for those wishing to attend a meeting.
Explains the role of SEAC members, including how members are selected and the composition of the committee.
Shares how to advocate for your child and develop advocacy skills; provides resources to support parent advocacy.
Defines applied behavior analysis therapy and explains how schools and insurance providers may coordinate services to eligible students.
Defines the importance of collaborative school and parent problem solving and explains facilitation versus mediation (free services) and the benefits of collaboration.
Defines facilitated special education meetings and explains how neutral, trained facilitators guide the meeting process during conflict. Facilitators are available at no cost to parents and schools.
Outlines the Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education's grant funded initiatives and explains their purpose and services available.
Explains how parents and schools actively work together with a neutral, qualified mediator free of charge in this voluntary problem-solving process.
Provides strategies to reduce student anxiety during time away from school.
Defines PACs, including roles and activities, as required by the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE) for each intermediate school district (ISD). Membership includes parents of children with disabilities.
Provides options for addressing special education concerns. Includes resolutions options listed within in the IDEA: facilitation, mediation, state complaints, and due process complaints.
Explains the special education process including the steps from evaluation to eligibility, program, specialized instruction, and placement.
