December 4, 2009

Maine Department of Education Letter to Appropriations & Education Committee About Proposed Changes to Special Education

Maine Department of Education proposed changes to ensure more statewide uniformity for special education services and to possibly reduce costs. The changes are expected to improve and standardize the process of identifying students needing special education services and bring greater uniformity to the provision of services. In addition, the department seeks to provide services that match federal requirements; some of the state's services exceeded the minimum required by the federal Department of Education. The proposed changes provide clear and consistent guidelines for school districts so that children needing services will be identified consistently and served across the state.