Exceptional Student Education/IDEA

Note: Adobe Reader is required to view the PDF documents and may be downloaded free from Adobe.

Technical Assistance Papers (TAPS)
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Taking the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) (FY 2007-04)
Counseling as a Related Service (DPS: 2011-134) (October 7, 2011)
"EBD Rule" — Guidelines for Implementation of the Revised Rule for Exceptional Student Education Eligibility for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities (DPS: 2011-142) (October 4, 2011)
"ID Rule" — Questions and Answers: Rule 6A-6.03011, Florida Administrative Code (FAC.), Exceptional Student Eligibility for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (DPS: 2009-014) (February 12, 2009)
"SLD Rule" — Questions and Answers: State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.03018, Florida Administrative Code, Exceptional Student Education Eligibility for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (DPS: 2009-177) (November 12, 2009)
  • Example Coversheet for the Written Summary of the Group’s Analysis of Data for SLD Eligibility Decisions (MS Word) — This Word document is provided as a visual example. Viewers may download and manipulate it for their individual needs.
Statewide Assessment for Students with Disabilities (DPS: 2010-92) (July 15, 2010)
Florida DOE Memos
Best Practices for Appropriate Evaluation and Identification of Students with Disabilities (Click here for detailed information.)
Other Resources
Accommodations: Assisting Students with Disabilities, Revised 2010 (PDF Download) — Published by the Florida Department of education, this document is written to assist school district personnel and parents when making decisions about the use of accommodations by students with disabilities in instructional situations.
Accommodations and Modifications for Students with Disabilities in Career Education and Adult General Education, Revised 2011— Published by the Florida Department of education, this document presents an explanation of different types of accommodations and related student characteristics in typical instruction and assessment situations and in learning and work environments.
Florida's Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Programs/Classifications
Florida Statutes and State Board of Education Rules: Excerpts Related to Exceptional Student Education, Revised 2011 — provides a compilation of Florida statutes and rules pertaining to exceptional student education, student services, and juvenile justice education programs.
Guide to Accommodations for Computer-Based FCAT, FCAT 2.0, and EOC Assessments, Revised Spring 2012 (PDF Download) — published by the Florida Department of Education, this document is written to assist school district personnel and parents when making decisions about the use of accommodations by students with disabilities on statewide computer-based assessments.
Guide to FCAT and FCAT 2.0: Accommodations for Students with Disabilities, Second Edition, 2010 (PDF Download) — Published by the Florida Department of Education, this manual updates and replaces The IEP Team’s Guide to FCAT Accommodations published by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) in 2003.
IDEA 2004 — US. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP’s) IDEA website is a "one-stop shop" for resources related to IDEA and its implementing regulations.
National Association of School Psychologists' IDEA 2004 Information — Regularly updated resources related to IDEA.
RtI-Based SLD Identification Toolkit — The RtI Action Network has developed (in partnership with CASE, NASDSE, and NASP) this online toolkit. It is a detailed resource that summarizes what the law requires and provides a clear vision of best practice related to an RTI-based SLD Identification process.
Web-based Evaluation Resource — Produced by the Student Support Services project, this web-based guide is a resource for Florida districts to facilitate the identification and selection of instruments for conducting diagnostic assessments, comprehensive evaluations, and for screening and progress monitoring students in a multi-tiered system of supports.

What Is Special about Special Education? Specially Designed Instruction for Students with Disabilities within a Multi-tiered System of Supports (PDF Download) —This document was developed to clarify the relationship between specially designed instruction, Tier 1 instruction, and interventions within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) for educators developing, improving, and maintaining systems of support for all students.