Accommodations and Special Education

Special Education

Special Education Service Department for families and LEAs (Local Education Agencies) within the Utah State Board of Education.

Accessibility, Accommodations and Alternative Assessment Department wint the Utah State Board of Education provides informational resources on accommodations and assessment.

Assistive Technology in Education Utah Parent Center "A student’s need for Assistive Technology is based on a case-by-case decision made by the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. If your student is on an Individualized Education Program (IEP), then the IEP team MUST consider if assistive technology would benefit your student regardless of the student’s specific disability. Each IEP document has a designated section that MUST be marked as to whether or not AT was considered for your student."

Procedural Safeguards Notice 2023 for Parents and Students is a printable document that goes over required full explanations of procedural safeguards under IDEA and U.S. Department of Education regulations.

School Improvement Programs and Special Education Parent Engagement Resources

Susie Estrada, Phone: (385) 295-7891 | Email

Title I Part A: School Improvement Supports for school improvement where all Utah schools engage in the continuous improvement cycle.

Special Education Organizations and Partnerships (Indicator of Annual Performance Report)

Rules and Laws

Utah State Board of Education Special Education Rules, June 2023 Special Education specific board rules.

R277-104 Board Rule Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Complaint Procedure Establishes procedures for individuals to file complaints under the ADA and to provide appropriate classification of the records of complaints and appeals.

R277-626 Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Provides guidelines for contracted scholarship granting organizations and the Superintendent to implement the Carson Smith Opportunities Scholarship Program.

R277-750 Board Rule Education Programs for Students with Disabilities Specifies standards and procedures for special education programs.

R277-800 Utah Schools for Deaf and Blind Provides standards and procedures for the operation of the USDB and the USDB outreach programs and services.

R277-801 Services for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired and deaf-blind Establishes rules for LEAs (Local Education Agencies) and USDB (Utah School for the Deaf and Blind) to provide services to students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, and deaf-blind.

Utah Code Special Education (53E-7) This is the section of Utah Code that applies to Special Education, its general provisions as well as the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship.

504 Information

General 504 Information for Parents-Utah Parent Center "No qualified individual with disabilities, shall, solely by reason of her or his disability be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

Assistive Technology for 504-Utah Parent Center "Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Section 504 affects all programs that receive federal funds, including public schools. The law states that students with disabilities must be given the same opportunities to participate in educational programs and activities as students without disabilities, AND the use of assistive technology may be considered as an accommodation. Therefore, even if a child does not meet special education criteria, it is sometimes possible to acquire needed devices through a 504 plan."

ESEA Programs and Related State Initiatives

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV, Title VI, Title Section 504, Title IX, Title VI

"The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was originally signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 to provide Federal funding to assist schools that serve high numbers or high percentages of students from low-income families. Since then, ESEA has been reauthorized by Congress several times. In 2001, ESEA was reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In

December 2015, ESEA was reauthorized and signed into law as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESEA as amended by ESSA goes into effect beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

The ESEA provides federal funding for education programs including:

- - Title I, Part A: Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies
  - Title I, Part C: Migrant Education
  - Title I, Part D: Neglected and Delinquent
  - Title II, Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals
  - Title III, Services for English Learners
  - Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant
  - Title IV, Part B: 21st Century Community Learning Centers
  - Title VI, American Indian Education
  - Title VII, Part B: McKinney-Vento Homeless Education
  - Title IX: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, including state and local educational agencies."

Postsecondary Transition and Graduation for Students with Disabilities

Overview for transitioning to a postsecondary setting for students with disabilities. Includes regulation, college information, guidelines, IEPs, and other resources.

TransitionElevated.org A resource to help transition students with disabilities to improve post-school outcomes.

Religious Accommodations and Legislation

Utah Code Individual Freedom In Public Education (3) Ensures that public schools may not sponsor or deny the practice of prayer or religious devotionals.

Utah Code Waivers of participation based on religious belief (53G-10-205) Ensures that a student may refrain from participation in any aspect of school that violates a religious belief or right of conscience of the student.

Constitutional Law-Religious Liberty (Article I, Section 4) Ensures that the State shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962) Ensures that the state cannot hold prayers in public schools, even if it is not required and not tied to a particular religion.

Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN)

The mission of CSHCN is to improve the health and quality of life for children with special health care needs and their families through early screening and detection, data integration, care coordination, education, intervention, and life transitions. Services include:

Adult Autism Treatment, Children's Hearing Aid Program, Critical congenital heart disease, Down syndrome support, Early Hearing Detection, Fostering Healthy Children, Kurt Oscarson Children's Organ Transplant Fund, Transition to Adulthood, Utah Birth Defect Network, Utah Children's Care Coordination Network.

Other CSHCN Resources:

Health and Human Services Office of Children with Special Care Needs

Utah Parent Center Health and CSHCN

Other Resources

USBE Referral and Special Education Process Helping families with the steps to support on understanding the Special Education Process.

USBE Eligibility Requirements to Determine Eligibility Helping families determine if a student qualifies for special education services.

Inclusive Practices & Family Engagement A one sheet to help with families to feel included in the Special Education Process.

Special Education Quick Facts "Did You Know?" A brief overview of IDEA and 504

Parent Powered An evidence-based support to boost attendance, academics and resilience. Partners with parents for more effective communication.

Science of Reading A community engagement project to help strengthen early literacy to build meaningful connections between schools, families and communities.

Updated Dyslexia Handbook

The Special Education Department is excited to announce that USBE has released a revised Dyslexia Handbook entitled The Dyslexia Handbook: Guidance for Effective Literacy Instruction for General Education and Special Education to aid educators, parents, and administrators in providing effective literacy instruction for all students, particularly those struggling with dyslexia.

- - Purpose and Content of the Dyslexia Handbook: The handbook offers evidence-based guidance on literacy instruction, interventions, assessments, and resources for both general and special education, aiming to ensure robust educational instruction, interventions, and support to improve academic outcomes for students with dyslexia and other reading challenges.
  - Emphasis on Early and Evidence-Based Reading Instruction: The Utah State Board of Education recognizes that all students have the right to good reading instruction, which will help them feel a greater sense of belonging at school and increase their academic success, and acknowledges that early and evidence-based practices are crucial for better reading outcomes, especially for those with language-based learning challenges.

More Information: Ellen Bailey at Ellen.Bailey@schools.utah.gov

Rvsd. CH 04/27/26