The results of an annual review by the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has yielded that Maine does not currently require any extra technical assistance from the federal government for its special education programming.
Maine’s Special Education Programing was highlighted recently for meeting federal requirements for serving the needs of children with disabilities. The newly released report is an extension of that review and further evaluates the work of Maine’s special education services and outcomes.
The annual review is based on data from the Maine Department of Education and local schools, in addition to an in-depth evaluation of state need. This is the first year that OSEP has not required that Maine receive specialized technical assistance, beyond what is offered to all states.
View the report (PDF)
The new federal status can be attributed to much of the work that has been underway for the past few years by education professionals around the state, including special education directors, teachers, education technicians, and school and district administrators, in addition to the work of the Maine Department of Education to identify areas of growth and provide additional support in those areas. Improvement can also be credited to the specialized technical assistance that has been provided by OSEP in previous years.
The Maine Department of Education would like to thank all of the education professionals in Maine, especially those who work in special education and have spent pain-staking amounts of time on the necessary paperwork, reports, meetings, and plans that help our state not only to meet these stringent requirements, but also for taking on the ever changing and important work of serving the special needs of children with disabilities. Your hard work and determination is vital to our education system and to our state.