Specialized Education State Complaints

The State Complaint Office of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) investigates written complaints alleging violations of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) and local special education laws by public agencies. Any person or organization may file a complaint and the complaint can raise any issue covered by the IDEA including, but not limited to:

an evaluation of a child with a disability, or suspected of having a disability
disagreements about the eligibility of a child with a disability for special education
the educational placement and location of services of a child with disability
the provision of special education and related services to a child with a disability

Upon the completion of an investigation lasting no more than 60 days, a Letter of Decision (LOD) is issued explaining whether the public agency is in compliance with federal and local laws. If noncompliance is identified, the public agency is ordered to complete corrective actions described by the LOD.

Under IDEA regulations (34 CFR §§300.151 - 300.153), all states are required to adopt procedures for resolving any complaint that a public agency has not met the requirements of IDEA or local special education laws.