The MDE Office of Special Education is hiring. Check out our job openings by selecting the link below.
Do you have a question related to special education? Call 888-320-8384*
* Interpreter services in several languages are available.
Information about special education for parents and families.
Schools must provide notice to parents about the protections and rights for their
children with disabilities.
Proposals are due no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, June 20, 2025.
Michigan's 2025 performance data for students eligible for special education services who have an individualized education program (IEP) are now available, as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The data provide districts and the public an opportunity to see what is working well in special education for children and students from ages 3 through 21, and to identify what aspects need improvement. Reporting areas include graduation, dropout, statewide assessment, and parent involvement.
Guidance for the timeline for initial evaluations for students who are parentally placed in private schools.
Revisions to the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education became effective on June 27, 2024. The document Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE) With Related Federal Regulations has been updated to reflect the changes.
States are obligated under federal law to have a system of general supervision to monitor and support the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) in local education agencies (LEAs). The general supervision system is an accountability mechanism for improving educational results and functional outcomes for children and youth with disabilities while ensuring LEAs meet program requirements of IDEA.
States must have a reasonably designed general supervision system where each local education agency (LEA) intermediate school district (ISD) is monitored at least one time within a six-year cycle. To be able to effectively monitor all 56 ISDs and four State agencies, which are subrecipients of the IDEA federal flow-through grant, MDE OSE will monitor ISDs and state agencies in cohorts of 10 participants each year. The first cohort will be initiated in the fall of 2024.
Information, guidance, and resources to support students with disabilities during the COVID-19 crisis.
A list of all guidance documents released by the Office of Special Education.
Find ways for parents and schools to problem solve about special education issues.
Find information about determining a student’s eligibility for special education programs and services.
The MARSE are the Michigan rules to follow when implementing special education laws.
Michigan submits a State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) to the U.S. Department of Education each year. The SPP/APR shows Michigan’s progress on each federal special education indicator and outlines the plan for the future.
Many offices and organizations outside of the OSE support students with disabilities. Look through the different supports for students with disabilities for help from other sources.
The MI-SER is a database of federal and state special education law and policy information and resources.
Sign-up to receive email announcements from the Office of Special Education.
