Special Education

NCHE Resources

Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness Who Have Disabilities: Federal Provisions to Increase Access and Success
This issue brief explains the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act that pertain to children and youth experiencing homelessness. Frequent issues and information to improve access and success are talked about.
Go to Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness Who Have Disabilities: Federal Provisions to Increase Access and Success.
Navigating the Intersections of IDEA and McKinney-Vento: A Problem-Solving Process
This brief was developed from a one-day web-based policy forum co-hosted by NCHE and Project Forum. This forum convened special education and homeless education administrators from Colorado, Texas, and Virginia, to develop a collaborative process and identify strategies to enable state and local IDEA and McKinney-Vento staff to think through complex issues that arise in applying these federal laws when educating homeless children with disabilities.
Go to Navigating the Intersections of IDEA and McKinney-Vento: A Problem-Solving Process.
School Help for Homeless Children with Disabilities: Information for Parents
This brief provides information about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and how it can help homeless children with special needs. It is designed for parents, guardians, and other people taking care of children and youth.
Go to School Help for Homeless Children with Disabilities: Information for Parents.

Other Resources

Homelessness and Students with Disabilities: Educational Rights and Challenges
This brief from Project Forum provides information on the educational rights of children and youth who are homeless and have disabilities. It discusses the prevalence of disabilities among children and youth experiencing homelessness and provides local- and state-level policy recommendations for addressing the needs of homeless students with disabilities.
Download Homelessness and Students with Disabilities: Educational Rights and Challenges.
Legal Center on Foster Care and Education Special Education
This webpage from the Legal Center on Foster Care and Education addresses the issues surrounding special education decision making for children in out-of-home care. The webpage includes issue briefs, and a series of role-specific factsheets for caseworkers, children’s attorneys, educators, foster parents, judges, and youth.
Letter to State Directors of Special Education on Ensuring a High-Quality Education for Highly Mobile Children, Nov. 10, 2022

This letter and list of resources provides guidance and describes several important principles that states, school districts, school staff, parents, families, and others may find helpful in ensuring that highly mobile children with disabilities receive required special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs in a timely manner. It provides clarity on expedited evaluation timelines, RTI/MTSS processes, the transfer of records, and comparable summer services for students experiencing homelessness.
View the Letter to State Directors of Special Education on Ensuring a High-Quality Education for Highly Mobile Children. 

National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)
NASDSE provides support to all states and territories in the delivery of quality education to children and youth with disabilities through training, technical assistance, research, policy development and powerful collaborative relationships with other organizations and all constituencies.
Visit the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) website.
National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
NCLD works to improve the lives of the 1 in 5 children and adults nationwide with learning and attention issues by empowering parents and young adults, transforming schools, and advocating for equal rights and opportunities. 
Visit the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) website.
Unlocking Potential: What Educators Need to Know About Homelessness and Special Education
This brief from Project HOPE provides school personnel with the information they need to enroll, promote the attendance, and ensure the success of students with disabilities who are experiencing homelessness.
Download Unlocking Potential: What Educators Need to Know About Homelessness and Special Education.
Unlocking Potential: What Families and Shelters Needs to Know About Homelessness and Special Education
This brief from Project HOPE provides families experiencing homelessness and service providers who work with these families an overview of the special education process. It includes a table outlining the steps in the special education eligibility process and what families and service providers can do to make the process easier, resources to assist families or youth when special education services are being pursued, and definitions of words commonly used by educators and local homeless education liaisons.
Download Unlocking Potential: What Families and Shelters Needs to Know About Homelessness and Special Education.
U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
OSEP is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and fina ncial support to assist states and local districts.
Visit the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services website.
View a list of IDEA Part B and Part C contacts by state.

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