Special Education Directors' Corner

What's New

Policy Statement: Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs

On November 28, 2023, the US Department of Education and the US Department of Health and Human Services released an updated policy statement on inclusion to reiterate the expectation of inclusion in high-quality early childhood programs. All young children with disabilities should have access to high-quality inclusive early childhood programs that provide individualized and appropriate support so they can fully participate alongside their peers without disabilities, meet high expectations, and achieve their full potential.

Colorado excels in providing access to high quality inclusive programs for preschoolers with disabilities. AUs currently report that 92% of preschool children with disabilities in Colorado are served in classrooms with a majority of non-disabled peers and most services delivered inside the classroom. This policy statement reinforces our work and will guide our continuous improvement.

Please take time to read the statement, share it with your networks, and consider local actions to continue to make high quality inclusive settings available for preschoolers with disabilities. CDE believes the updated policy statement supports the continued use of our existing guidance Making Least Restrictive Environment Placement Decisions for Preschool Children, Ages 3 through 5, which offers considerations and discussion points to guide IEP team conversations on early childhood educational environments when determining the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) where the child will receive special education services.

 As always, please reach out to a member of our early childhood special education team for assistance or support.

Update on Educational Surrogate Parent and Counsel for Youth Fact Sheet (PDF)

This memo updates and replaces guidance issued by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) in March of 2023 to address the impact of HB22-1038 on the responsibility of Administrative Units (AU) to assign an Educational Surrogate Parent (ESP) to any IDEA-eligible student who needs one.