SED 502 - Legal & Policy Issues Affecting Special Ed Program Administrators

After a bill is adopted and becomes public law, it is translated into regulations. There are two primary documents in which you can find federal regulations:

• Regulations are first proposed in the Federal Register for a certain number of days (e.g. 60) of public comment.
• The final version of regulation is then posted in Federal Register and codified into the Code of Federal Regulations.
• As regulations are proposed, they can be viewed at https://www.regulations.gov/.

To find regulations pertaining to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), you can review the following:

• Regulations
  CFR, Title 34: Education, Subtitle B: Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education, Chapter III: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Part 300: Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities and Part 303:  Early Invention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities

On this website, you'll also find policy guidance. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) issues written guidance to support the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

• Policy Letters and Support Documents
  • Policy Guidance - see recent policy documents and search for more

To find Illinois-specific regulations, you can refer to Illinois State Board of Education resources:

• Special Education Laws, Regulations, and Guidance
• Effective Dispute Resolution
  • Due Process - "formal hearing that occurs if a parent (or occasionally a district) files a due process 'complaint' requesting a due process hearing."
    • Decisions (FY2008- present)
    • Decision Summaries (July 1997 - March 2010)

Wrightslaw has a wealth of information about special education law and advocacy. Use Topics A-Z to find a topic or identify keywords.