For Immediate Release: December 6, 2024
Contact: communications@doe.virginia.gov
Todd.Reid@doe.virginia.gov
Richmond, Va. – The Virginia Department of Education today announced it has received a final monitoring closure letter from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), officially closing out the corrective actions process that began in 2020 with a clear update and positive closure status report.
“Since day one, Governor Youngkin has prioritized the success of students with disabilities and I am pleased that the U.S. Department of Education has recognized the hard work VDOE has done to improve our work for Virginia’s children with disabilities,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons. “The Department has made changes to strengthen our firm commitment to provide supports and services for every child, their families, and Virginia’s educators. Our nationally recognized improvement efforts and practices serve as a model for others as we continue to strive to best serve all children throughout the Commonwealth.”
"The most critical role of a state education agency in special education is to provide support, resources, and accountability for the important work happening in classrooms across the Commonwealth," said Associate Superintendent of Special Populations and Board Operations Dr. Samantha Marsh Hollins. "The VDOE is pleased to have benefitted from close collaboration with the OSEP to ensure that the state system in Virginia has a best-in-class approach to this work."
Virginia also received a “Meets Requirements” designation, the highest rating for improving outcomes for students with disabilities and for compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), for the annual state determinations from OSEP under the U.S. Department of Education’s Differentiated Monitoring and Support system for special education. The “Meets Requirements” rating reflects student outcomes and compliance data from the 2022-2023 school year — the most recent data available under the federal special education reporting system.
On March 13, 2024, VDOE received a targeted monitoring letter from OSEP, outlining required corrective actions for the Department to conclude the corrective actions process first begun in 2020. Responses to this letter included significant communication and presentation of evidence submission across the 2023-2024 school year between VDOE and OSEP to address prior communications as well as request further guidance. OSEP and VDOE met in October 2024 to finalize work and officially end documentation on the required corrective actions.
In their final monitoring closure letter, OSEP applauded the work of the Department:
“OSEP appreciates the State’s continued efforts to improve the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B and the development and implementation of a reasonably designed general supervision system which ensures compliance and improving results for students with disabilities. OSEP notes that having a consistent and transparent system for identifying and correcting noncompliance, particularly noncompliance that impacts the delivery of early intervention services, in accordance with individualized education programs (IEPs), and dispute resolution systems that protect the rights of parents, are essential elements to ensuring improved results for children and youth with disabilities.”
VDOE staff worked to not only be responsive throughout the targeted monitoring process which began in 2020 but have also served as a state exemplar in best practices related to monitoring and dispute resolution, undertaking a comprehensive review of the state special education regulations to update and ensure alignment to federal requirements and guidance.
“At Goochland County Public Schools, we are deeply committed to maximizing the potential of all learners, especially our students with disabilities. The special education monitoring process provided us with valuable technical assistance to refine and enhance our practices. This collaboration underscores the importance of a strong state and local partnership in ensuring every student has access to the support and opportunities they need to succeed,” said Dr. Jennifer Waggener, Assistant Superintendent of Administration for Goochland County Public Schools.
Concurrently, VDOE managed a record number of dispute resolution calls, inquiries, and filings, while maintaining compliance, creating resources, and supporting the area of special education to the field. These supports include the Learning Library of Resources for Dispute Resolution, which provides training, videos, and other resources to aid in understanding special education laws and regulations as well as encouraging effective collaboration between parents and educators. VDOE staff were also recently invited to present alongside CADRE, the National Center on Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education, to share best practices in dispute resolution and data driven decisions to improved policies, practices and procedures at the state education agency level.
The VDOE has made improving special education programming a priority for the Department under the Governor Youngkin Administration, with Dr. Coons commissioning two national leading experts to conduct a comprehensive, external evaluation of Virginia’s programs. From those evaluations, the Department worked closely with its Special Education Work Group named in October 2023 and comprised of parents, educators, and support organizations to develop its Roadmap for Special Education. Additionally, Coons reorganized VDOE’s Department of Special Populations during the 2023-2024 school year, including an expanded focus on comprehensive cyclical monitoring of local school divisions as well as collaboration across offices to address credible allegations of non-compliance received by the Department.
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