U.S. Department of Education Closes IDEA Monitoring of Alaska

Six years after it started monitoring Alaska, U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs issues close-out letter.

September 25, 2023, U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) issued a Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) report for Alaska. The report identified 11 findings of non‑compliance with IDEA across five major areas (monitoring and improvement, early childhood transition, fiscal management, dispute resolution and State Advisory Panel) and was based on interviews OSEP conducted during December 2020, January 2021, and February 2022 through May 2022, and then an on-site visit on June 4–10, 2022.

The report set specific deadlines for Alaska to address the noncompliance. Policies had to be submitted within 90 days of the monitoring report (deadline=December 24, 2023) and evidence of implementation was due as soon as possible, but not later than one year from the date of the monitoring report. within one year of the report (deadline=September 25, 2024). Yet the follow‑up submissions stretched beyond the deadlines. OSEP ultimately issued a close‑out letter February 18, 2026, indicating that all findings were resolved.