U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights FOIA Responses - Special Education Action

For Students, Virginia’s “Bridging the Gap” Program is a Bridge too Late & to Nowhere

Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia’s largest school district—and one of the largest school districts in the nation—has spent merely 5% of the $188.7 million from the American Rescue Plan. This number was reported today in Linda Jacobson’s article for “The 74”, “Facing Pandemic Learning Crisis, Districts Spend Relief Funds at a Snail’s Pace”.

FCPS’s ARP funding failed to address the needs of students from the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022, who graduated or dropped out of school before funding could benefit them. Recent announcements from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Virginia Department of Education, and Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office indicate that this trend will continue.

In Virginia’s case, this follows a downward trend in academic performance that started before COVID.

Accommodation Breakdown: Testing to Completion

“Testing to Completion”.

Seems like a straightforward accommodation, right?

Student is given the test.

Student is given as much time as is needed to complete the test.

How could it possibly be interpreted any other way?

What could possibly go wrong?

It’s the Law: Confidentiality and Access of Student Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the confidentiality of student records and provides rights to parents and students to access those records.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) there are additional confidentiality and access protections.

This article includes a few examples of noncompliance, with which you might not be familiar, as well as your go-to regulations should you need them.

The Language of IEPs & 504s: Just When You Thought You Knew the Definition of “Assessment”, Wrong Again

In my world, an assessment is any kind of quiz, test, evaluation, etc., whether it is graded or not graded.

In IEP and 504 Plan worlds, assessments are interpreted as differently as a person might interpret a piece of poetry. Whereas one person might interpret Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” to be about being an individual choosing a different path, marching to a different drummer, and so on, there are others who point to this understanding as nonsense, as the incorrect interpretation.

Who knew assessments could be the same way?

Fairfax County Public Schools Withheld Records from Office of Civil Rights; FCPS Didn’t Provide Full Response to OCR’s Investigation Data Request

Fairfax County Public Schools failed to provide the United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights a full response to OCR’s request for data.

January 12, 2021, OCR launched an investigation into FCPS, for civil rights violations related to the COVID pandemic.

May 4, 2021, OCR submitted an “Initial Data Request Letter” to Superintendent Scott Brabrand, which has a focus on “what the Division has done to address any denial of free appropriate public education (FAPE) that has occurred for students with disabilities while the Division has offered remote learning in response to the pandemic.

FCPS failed to provide a full response.

UPDATE: Fairfax County Public Schools FOIA’d Parents’ Communications with Office of Civil Rights

Fairfax County Public Schools submitted an expedited FOIA request for parents’ communication with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, just a week after OCR sent FCPS clarifying information about its investigation of FCPS.

Accommodation Breakdown: Flash Pass

The flash pass accommodation is a life saver. Unfortunately, it wasn’t on my radar until middle school. It’s an accommodation I’d recommend for both older and younger ages.

What is a Flash Pass?

A Flash Pass allows a student to leave class without having to 1) ask permission or 2) provide an explanation.

Fairfax County Public Schools Provided Recovery Services to Less Than 1% of Students

As of February 2022, less than 1% of Fairfax County Public Schools students had been provided recovery services or had “recovery services indicated on their IEP in some form.”

FOIA Response: More Internal Emails Provided, More Proof FCPS is Aware of Problems with Independent Educational Evaluation Rates and Other Issues

July 26, 2022, Fairfax County Public Schools provided its response to another FOIA request, this one focused on staff correspondence over a few days in May 2022.

For the limited time covered, the FOIA response includes significant information related to the hot-button issue of FCPS’s below-market Independent Educational Evaluation rates.

Although numerous parents through the years have complained to FCPS and/or have filed state complaints about the rates, FCPS has refused to change the rates.

Yet . . . It looks like FCPS has known for years that the rates are a problem.

FOIA Response: Records FCPS Provided to Office of Civil Rights for OCR’s COVID Investigation

January 2021, the United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights launched an investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools, for civil rights violations related to the COVID pandemic.

A FOIA request was made for all of the records FCPS provided to OCR for the investigation. In response to the request, FCPS refused to provide the records within the mandated timeline, filed a lawsuit related to the request, and to date has refused to respond to subsequent requests for records and to questions about records responsive to the request.

Over a period of about a month, FCPS provided the records published here.

Sample State Complaint: Noncompliance of Evaluation Timeline and FAPE

The is a complaint that was submitted to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE).

VDOE found Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in noncompliance.

VDOE’s Letter of Findings, in which it stated FCPS’s noncompliance is included, following the complaint.

It’s the Law: Assistive Technology Devices and Services

Both IDEA and Section 504 guarantee a Free Appropriate Education (FAPE).

This includes assistive technology devices and services. Examples include:

* A laptop that 1) scans worksheets, which the student can then type on (because typing might be easier than writing), and 2) can be used to take pictures of the front board, notes, or any other information the child needs.

* A computer with a screen reader, to help with literacy

* Access to Learning Ally and other sources for audiobooks

* Noise-cancelling head-phones

*Voice-recognition software
If your child needs assistive technology devices or services, under both IDEA and Section 504, your child has the right to be provided them.