Special Education Action: New England and Mid-Atlantic States

U.S Department of Education Finds Maine Department of Education at Fault for 14 Counts of Noncompliance with IDEA

Callie Oettinger — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:07:53 GMT

Maine Department of Education (MDOE) was cited for 14 violations of Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) Part C. U.S. Department of Education’s Office (ED) of Special Education Programs (OSEP) spelled out the violations in a February 19, 2026, letter and report.

The issues include monitoring and improvement, data including the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report, fiscal management, and dispute resolution.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at Fault for Multiple Counts of Noncompliance with IDEA

Callie Oettinger — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 20:01:32 GMT

U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP) found Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MDOESE) at fault for multiple counts of noncompliance with Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). Although OSEP’s letter of finding cites “ten identified findings of noncompliance with IDEA req…

U.S. Department of Justice Secures Agreement with Maine; Agreement Marks "New Milestone" in DOJ's Enforcement of ADA’s Integration Mandate

Callie Oettinger — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 18:12:00 GMT

November 26, 2024, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced an agreement with Maine to address the lawsuit it filed against the state September 9, 2024, for "unnecessarily segregating children with behavioral health disabilities in hospitals, residential facilities, and a state-operated juvenile detention facility," in violation of Americans with Disa…

U.S. Dept. of Justice Files Suit Against Maine

Callie Oettinger — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 11:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against the state of Maine Monday, September 9th, alleging that the state "is unnecessarily segregating children with behavioral health disabilities in hospitals, residential facilities, and a state-operated juvenile detention facility."

DOJ claims "Maine administers its behavioral health service syste…

Office for Civil Rights Finds Colonial School District Failed to Provide Equal Access to High Rigor Coursework to Students with Disabilities; Discrepancy in Data Reporting Identified

Callie Oettinger — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 11:00:00 GMT

July 18, 2024, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released the findings of its investigation into Colonial School District (CSD) in Delaware. OCR identified failures to provide equal access to high rigor coursework such as Advanced Placement (AP) classes to students who have disabilities. In addition, OCR identified discrepancies between the data reported by…

U.S. Dept. of Education Issues Differentiated Monitoring and Support Letter to New York

Callie Oettinger — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:36:00 GMT

New York

December 21, 2023, United States Department of Education (USDOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) issued a Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) status letter to New York State Education Department (NYSED).

Differentiated Monitoring and Support Status Letter and Chart

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December 21, 2023, USDOE OSEP issued a DMS status letter to NYSED.

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OSEP Director Valerie Williams states that the purpose of the letter is “to provide an update on the status of the findings …

U.S. Dept. of Education Issues Differentiated Monitoring and Support Letter to New Jersey

Callie Oettinger — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

New Jersey

October 20, 2023, U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) issued a Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) status letter to New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). OSEP director Valerie Williams states in the letter that it 1) “summarizes the current status of the findings” regarding OSEP’s May …