MT Special Education Guidance

Montana Special Education Guide – Ongoing Updates

The Special Education Division of the OPI is in the process of updating the Montana Special Education Guide to ensure all information is accurate and aligned with current policies and practices. Updates will be made on a rolling basis as each section is reviewed and revised. Completed sections will be listed below as they become available.

We appreciate your patience and commitment to staying informed.


Montana Special Education Guidance (August 2024)

Federal Requirements

Montana State Plan

Advisory Panel

Upcoming Meetings

The next Advisory Panel meeting will be held Thursday-Friday, September 25-26, 2025 at the Montana School Board Association, 863 Great Northern Blvd, Helena, MT

The meetings are open to the public. The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. If you need an accommodation, require an alternate format of a document, or have questions concerning accessibility, please contact the Special Education Unit, 406-444-2504, TDD 800-253-4091.

Meeting Minutes

Advisory Panel Membership
Annual Report
SEAP Bylaws - Adopted March 6, 2025

 

Annual Performance Report

Annual Performance Report

The Annual Performance Report (APR) is a report to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) submitted each February.  The report consists of 18 indicators and a State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP).  The indicators include graduation data, dropout data, assessment data, behavior data, least restrictive environment data, preschool outcome measures, parent involvement, disproportionality, 60-day evaluation timeline data, Part C to Part B transition data, secondary transition data, post-school outcome data, and dispute resolution data. 

The FFY2023 APR, submitted in February 2025, contains data from the 2023-2024 school year, and for some indicators, from the 2022-2023 school year.  Click on the links below to look at specific indicators.

 

Annual Determination

On June 20, 2025, Montana received its Determination letter from OSEP.  The OSEP determined that Montana Needs Assistance in meeting the requirements of the IDEA.  This determination is based on the data submitted in the APR, data submitted through the EdFacts data submission system at the Dept. of Education, Part B Compliance Matrix, and data from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP).  For further information on how the determination was made, please read the How the Department Made Determinations document. 

Montana continues to work towards Meeting the Requirements of the IDEA through work with OSEP and the Technical Assistance centers funded by OSEP.  The Special Education Division also works collaboratively with other divisions of the OPI and our district and coop partners.

Prior Year Annual Performance Reports

School Improvement

For more information, please contact John Gorton, 406-459-4281

Forms and Guides

Special Education Guidance

 

Special Education Forms  

** NOTE:  The forms below are for informational purposes only **

504

Section 504 refers to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act which specifies that no one with a disability can be excluded from participating in federally funded programs or activities, including elementary, secondary or postsecondary schooling.

Section 504 is administered by the Office of Civil Rights, not by the Special Education Division.  Please see the document below, published by the U.S. Department of Education, and the OPI Civil Rights & Legal Topics Page for more information and resources.

Parent and Educator Resource Guide to Section 504 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools

 

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