Exceptional Student Education
The Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services administers programs for students with disabilities. Additionally, the bureau coordinates student services throughout the state and participates in multiple inter-agency efforts designed to strengthen the quality and variety of services available to eligible students with disabilities.
Topics of Special Interest
- Annual State Application for IDEA, Part B - FY 2023 (PDF)
- In order to receive a grant under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states must submit an application annually. States are required to make the Part B Application available to the public for a period of 60 days, and accept comments for a period of at least 30 days. Florida’s Part B Application will be available to the public through May 24, 2023. Comments will be accepted between March 24, 2023 and April 24, 2023.
- Comments may be submitted in writing to the IDEA Program Manager, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services, 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 614, Tallahassee, Florida 32399; via email to the IDEA grant mailbox IDEAGrant@fldoe.org; or via fax at (850) 245-0953.
- English Language Arts and Mathematics Access Points-Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AP-AAAS) aligned with the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards: https://www.cpalms.org/public/search/AccessPoint.
- The 2022-2023 ESE Parent Survey is open beginning March 22, 2023, and will close on June 30, 2023. The survey can be completed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ESEParentSurvey.
- 2022 FDOE 1% Waiver Extension Request (PDF)
- Pursuant to Title 34, section 200.6(c)(4), Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) is requesting a waiver extension from the alternate assessment 1% participation cap placed on the states under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA).
- Best Practices for Transition Services and Programs in Florida School Districts (PDF)
- The 2021 Florida Legislature passed, and Governor DeSantis signed into law, House Bill (HB) 173, requiring the Florida Department of Education in collaboration with the Project 10: Transition Education Network to review existing transition services and programs for students with disabilities to identify best practices. The deadline for completing this review and publishing the best practices was July 1, 2022. More information on HB 173 (2021) can be found at the following link: https://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-9224/dps-2021-91.pdf.
- Start with the End in Mind: An Infographic to Guide Decisions about Student Participation in the Alternate Assessment
- Center for Parent Information & Resources: A federally funded project for parents and parent centers serving families of children with disabilities with many free resources.
- OSEP Centers and Grants: The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) provides information on this site specific to its federally funded grants that provide technical assistance and services to families, schools, districts and States.
- Discretionary Projects Webinars for Parents and Educators
- Bureau Presentations