division of Special Education & Student Services
John Eisenberg – Assistant Superintendent
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The Division of Special Education and Student Services provides technical expertise and leadership in the areas of professional development, parental involvement, and the interpretation of federal and state initiatives, policies, regulations and guidelines. The division provides workshops and other training opportunities for educators and works collaboratively with public and private agencies, associations, foundations and consortia to address educational needs and concerns. The division provides technical assistance regarding laws and regulations, federal IDEA monitoring and accountability, due process procedures and hearings, interagency agreements (such as the Comprehensive Services Act), school health programs, Medicaid reporting and parent information programs.
Office of Dispute Resolution & Administrative Services
Patricia Haymes – Director
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The Office of Dispute Resolution and Administrative Services provides options for parents and school divisions to resolve special education disputes through the systems of complaints, mediation and due process. The office also manages the annual plan process for local school divisions and state-operated programs to comport with federal and state special education requirements. The office is also responsible for revision of the state special education regulations, addresses inquiries related to these regulatory provisions, and provides training to parents and school administrators and other consumers, on these requirements.
For information, programs and services offered by this office, see:
Office of Special Education Instructional Services
Dr. Patricia C. Abrams – Director
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Text users dial 711 (Relay)
The Office of Special Education Instructional Services provides overall leadership and technical assistance to programs for children and youth with high-incidence disabilities: emotional disabilities, learning disabilities, other health impairments including attention deficit disorder and speech-language impairments. Additionally, leadership is provided in the areas of early childhood, adolescent literacy, secondary transition and special education for youth incarcerated in local and regional jails. This Office manages the state's Training and Technical Assistance Center system (TTAC) and provides professional development for special education leaders.
For information, programs and services offered by this office, see:
Office of Special Education Program Improvement
Samantha M. Hollins – Director
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The Office of Special Education Program Improvement is responsible for providing training and technical assistance to local school divisions to aid in preparing students with disabilities to be college and career ready. This unit works collaboratively with the Office of School Improvement to support low-performing schools and school divisions to implement research-based effective practices for students with disabilities. Additionally, the office is responsible for coordinating all federal and state required special education data efforts.
For information, programs and services offered by this office, see:
Office of Student Services
Dr. Cynthia Cave – Director
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The Office of Student Services oversees a variety of programs that directly and indirectly support students in school and community settings. Some of the program areas are Safe and Drug Free Schools, school safety and student conduct, dropout and truancy prevention, child abuse and neglect, character education, family life education and homeless education. Also included in this office are school health services, parent Information/ombudsman services, school psychology, school social work, state operated programs for students with disabilities, and Instructional Support Team Initiatives (IST) in Virginia. Staff members also provide technical assistance for issues related to the Comprehensive Services Act, disproportionality, Medicaid reimbursement to local school divisions, school/community awareness of HIV/AIDS, school health advisory boards, Response to Intervention (RtI), and the Superintendents-Judges Liaison Committee.
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Office of Federal Program Monitoring
Dr. Sandra E. Ruffin – Director
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The Office of Federal Program Monitoring maintains the responsibility for adoption and use of effective methods to monitor compliance with the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act ( IDEA) and civil rights laws to ensure the correction of deficiencies in program operations. Additional responsibilities include administration of licensing private day and residential schools for children with disabilities and technical assistance to education agencies on the management of student scholastic records.
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Office of Financial & Data Services
Vacant – Director
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The Office of Financial and Data Services is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the VDOE's federal grant award under Part B of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This includes ensuring compliance with all federal and state requirements specific to the state Part B award and local school division Part B awards. In addition, the office is responsible for coordinating all aspects related to collecting and reporting data on students with disabilities from school divisions.
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