The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has supplemented its Initial Fall Reopening Guidance with special considerations and guidance for services and instruction for students who qualify for special education. While DESE has asked all districts to develop plans that prioritize in-person learning, this new specialized guidance suggests that the focus on in-person is [...]
Guidance regarding Massachusetts Summer Services for Students with Disabilities
US DOE issues supplemental guidance regarding distance learning and providing FAPE to students with disabilities
With the start of the new school year, DESE has reviewed and revised the “Home and Hospital” form, a physician’s order for the implementation of educational services in a home or hospital setting. The updates and changes to the form are intended to: improve the physician’s authorization process by narrowing the scope of orders to comply [...]
A common scenario facing many school districts this time of year is how to address situations where special education students are deemed ineligible for Extended School Year (ESY) Services by the team, but are then enrolled in summer school by their parents. Where the student meets the criteria for summer school and the family is [...]
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) recently issued a decision in Champa v. Town of Weston Public Schools, which vacates a prior decision of the superior court and balances the public’s right of access to government records with a student’s right to individual privacy and the confidentiality of student records. 2015 WL 6394201 (Oct. 23, [...]
In December, 2014, the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted proposed amendments to the state’s Physical Restraint Regulations (603 CMR 46.00). A central theme of the amended regulations is that physical restraint should only be used in an emergency and as a last resort, except when a student’s behavior poses a threat of [...]
The Board of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) recently approved amendments to the Department's Physical Restraint Regulations (603 CMR 46.00) and to the Program and Safety Standards for Approved Public or Private Day and Residential Special Education School Programs (603 CMR 18.00). The amended regulations do not take effect until January [...]
U.S. Department of Education provides Dear Colleague letter warning that a school district’s failure to properly address bulling of students with disabilities could result in a denial of FAPE.
DSM Update