OSEP provides information and guidance to the field in a number of ways, including through OSEP Memos, Dear Colleague Letters and Policy Letters. These documents provide clarification regarding implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

In this section you will find OSEP Memos and Dear Colleague Letters from FY 2000 to the present. Policy Letters are listed chronologically starting with September 2011 to the present. If you wish a copy of an earlier OSEP Memo or Dear Colleague Letter please contact  Janet Scire@ed.gov. If you want a policy letter prior to September 2011, please go to www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea. There you will find IDEA section 607 reports for Quarter 3 for calendar year 2000 to the present.

Note: We have not included OSEP Memos related to grant applications, SPP/APRs or 618 State-Reported data as they are found elsewhere on this Web site.

OSEP Memos, Dear Colleague Letters and Policy Letters

Policy Letter to Kathleen Boundy, April 4, 2012
MS Word (32K) | PDF (69K)

OSEP Dear Colleague Letter on Preschool LRE, Feb. 29, 2012
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

OSEP 11-07 Response to Intervention (RTI) Memo, Jan. 21, 2011
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

OSEP 11-06 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Monitoring Announcement Memo, Dec. 6, 2010
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

OSEP 10-05 Maintenance of State Financial Support under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Dec. 2, 2009
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

OSEP 09-02 Reporting on Correction of Noncompliance, Oct. 17, 2008
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

OSEP 08-09 Coordinated Early Intervening Services, July 28, 2008
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

OSEP 07-10 Interpretation of 34 CFR §300.154(d)(2)(iv)(A), May 3, 2007
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

OSEP 07-09 Disproportionality of Racial and Ethnic Groups in Special Education, April 24, 2007
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

OSEP 05-09 Obligations of States and Local Educational Agencies to Parentally-placed Private School Children with Disabilities, June 27, 2005
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

OSEP 05-08 Educational Expenses for Children in Private Residential Facilities, March 17, 2005
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Cindy Chandler, April 26, 2012
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Michael Eig, April 23, 2012
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Ruben Reyes, April 11, 2012
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Robert Finch, April 10, 2012
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Individual (personally identifiable information redacted), April 9, 2012
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Individual (personally identifiable information redacted), March 28, 2012
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Brenda Cassellius, Feb. 16, 2012
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Amy Goetz and Atlee Reilly, Feb. 9, 2012
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Denise Koscielniak, Dec. 19, 2011
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Susan Luger and Lawrence Weinberg, Dec. 6, 2011
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Patricia Pierce, Dec. 2, 2011
MS Word (45K) | PDF (492K)

Policy Letter to Ronald Stern, Sep. 30, 2011
MS Word (22KB) | PDF (75KB)

Policy Letter to H. Douglas Cox, Sep. 26, 2011
MS Word (22KB) | PDF (75KB)

Policy Letter to Ronald Caplan, September 6, 2011
MS Word (22KB) | PDF (75KB)

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