Guide to Special Education and Other Legal Information

The intended purpose of the guide is to provide special education information in an easy to understand manner.  The primary audience of this guide is parents, education advocates, self-advocates, and other legal decision-makers of students with exceptionalities.  Parents are to share in the responsibility for developing educational plans for their students.  This active role requires parents to have information about the special education process and requirements.

This guide has been written to help parents and other educational decision-makers understand the special education process.  Special education is not a place to which one or a group of students int a school goes; it is supportive services that are given to students so that they may progress in and be a part of the general education curriculum.  All students are general education students and all students benefit from their parents being involved in their education, not just the special education part of it.

Parent Guide to Special Education (KSDE) (PDF)
Parents Rights Document (Notices/Forms)
Kansas Special Education Process Handbook

Kansas Parent Information and Resource Centers

Disability Rights Center of Kansas (DRC)
DRC is an advocate for the civil and legal rights of Kansans with disabilities. DRC also educates policymakers on needed improvements to the law, programs and public policy.

Families Together, Inc.
Families Together, Inc. is a statewide organization that assists parents and children with disabilities. Each year, Families Together Inc. provides, without fees, direct support to more than 12,000 Kansas families.

Infinitec
The Mission of Infinitec is to advance independence and promote inclusive opportunities for children and adults with disabilities through technology.  The Infinitec staff helps people with disabilities find and get access to information, technology services, training, assistive equipment and specialists by creating partnerships that maximize resources.

Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC)
KPIRC promotes meaningful parent involvement at all levels of education and provides information and resources to help parents, educators and other organizations promote the educational success of every Kansas child.

Special Olympics Kansas
Dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports competitions, health and nutrition programs and leadership development. Offering year-round initiatives to children and adults with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics Kansas is a platform for acceptance and inclusion as well as one of the largest advocates for healthy lifestyles in the state – regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or cultural differences.

Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN)
provides technical assistance to support school districts’ systematic implementation of evidence-based practices.

Special Education Due Process Hearing Decisions

These are all of the decisions of Kansas special education due process hearing officers from 2010 to the present, including the decisions of state review officers in those cases in which an appeal was filed. Each decision has been redacted to remove the identification of the school district and any personally identifiable information of the student or the student’s parents. The initial file number represents the fiscal year in which the case was filed and the letters immediately following the initial file number represent the kind of hearing held. DP stands for due process hearing and EP stands for expedited due process hearing. Accordingly 10EP-001 signifies a 2010 expedited due process hearing and 11DP-001 signifies a 2011 due process hearing. The case citation of 10EP-001 Appeal Review signifies the decision of the state review officer for case number 10EP-001. All files are PDF.

10EP-001    10EP-001 Appeal Review
11DP-001    11DP-001 Appeal Review
11DP-002
12EP-001
14DP-001
14DP-002
14EP-001
15DP-001
16DP-001
16EP-001
16DP-002
16DP-003    16DP-003 Appeal Review
17DP-001    17DP-001 Appeal Review
17DP-002
17DP-003    17DP-003 Appeal Review
18DP-001    18DP-001 Appeal Review
18DP-002    18DP-002 Appeal Review
19DP-001    19DP-001 Appeal Review
21DP-001     21DP-001 Supplement     21DP-001 Appeal
21DP-002     21DP-002 Appeal
22DP-001
23EP-001

Special Education Formal Complaint Decisions

Each decision has been redacted to remove the identification of the school district and any personally identifiable information of the student or the student’s parents. The initial file number represents the fiscal year in which the case was filed and the letters immediately following the initial file number represent the kind of hearing held. Accordingly 16FC01 signifies the first Formal Complaint filed in the year 2016. The case citation of 16FC02 Appeal Review signifies the decision of the state review officer for case number 16FC02. All files are PDF.

Formal Complaints and Appeals for 2013-14
Formal Complaints and Appeals for 2014-15
Formal Complaints and Appeals for 2015-16
Formal Complaints and Appeals for 2016-17
Formal Complaints and Appeals for 2017-18
Formal Complaints and Appeals for 2018-19
Formal Complaints and Appeals for 2019-20
Formal Complaints and Appeals for 2020-21
Formal Complaints and Appeals for 2021-22
Formal Complaints and Appeals for 2022-23

24FC01    24FC01 Appeal Review
24FC02
24FC03
24FC04
24FC05
24FC06
24FC07    24FC07 Appeal Review
24FC08
24FC09
24FC10    24FC10 Appeal Review
24FC11
24FC12
24FC13
24FC14    24FC14 Appeal Review
24FC15
24FC16
24FC17
24FC18
24FC19
24FC20
24FC21
24FC22    24FC22 Appeal Review
24FC23
24FC24
24FC25
24FC26
24FC27
24FC28
24FC29
24FC30
24FC31
24FC32
24FC33 - numbering error
24FC34
24FC35 - numbering error
24FC36
24FC37
24FC38
24FC39
24FC40
24FC41    24FC42 Appeal Review
24FC42
24FC43
24FC44
24FC45
24FC46
24FC47
24FC48
24FC49


Special Education Legal Questions:

Mark Ward
mward@ksde.org

Ashley Niedzwiecki
aniedzwiecki@ksde.org

Crista Grimwood
cgrimwood@ksde.org

Brian Dempsey
Assistant Director
bdempsey@ksde.org

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