Special Education Terms in California
What special education terms does California use?
California uses several state-specific terms and organizational structures that differ from federal IDEA terminology. Understanding these terms is essential for navigating the California special education system. Key California-specific terminology includes: DIS (Designated Instruction and Services) — California's term for related services under IDEA; encompasses all supportive services a child needs to benefit from special education (EC 56363). SELPA (Special Education Local Plan Area) — the regional entity responsible for coordinating special education services; California has approximately 130 SELPAs, which may be single districts, multi-district consortia, or county-operated (EC 56195-56208). NPS/NPA (Nonpublic School/Nonpublic Agency) — CDE-certified private schools and agencies that provide services when the public school district cannot meet the student's needs (EC 56365-56366). ITP (Individual Transition Plan) — the transition component of the IEP required for students beginning their high school experience (EC 56345(a)(8)). LEA (Local Educational Agency) — the school district responsible for the student. CDE — California Department of Education, the state education agency. OAH (Office of Administrative Hearings) — the state agency that conducts due process hearings in California (EC 56501). FAPE — Free Appropriate Public Education. LRE — Least Restrictive Environment. CAA (California Alternate Assessment) — the alternate statewide assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) — the statewide assessment system. SDC (Special Day Class) — a self-contained special education classroom. RSP (Resource Specialist Program) — pull-out or push-in support with a resource specialist (EC 56362).
What California Requires
DIS (Designated Instruction and Services) is California's term for 'related services' under IDEA—any reference to 'related services' in federal law maps to 'DIS' in California practice (EC 56363).
The SELPA (Special Education Local Plan Area) is the organizational unit for special education service delivery—parents should know their SELPA because policies, procedures, and service availability may vary by SELPA (EC 56195-56208).
NPS (Nonpublic School) and NPA (Nonpublic Agency) are CDE-certified entities that provide services when the LEA cannot; placement in NPS/NPA is an IEP team decision and must be at no cost to parents (EC 56365-56366).
RSP (Resource Specialist Program) provides instruction and services by a resource specialist for students assigned to regular classroom teachers for a majority of the school day. The resource specialist provides specialized instruction, typically as pull-out support (EC 56362).
SDC (Special Day Class) is a self-contained special education classroom where the student spends the majority of the school day; this is a more restrictive placement on the LRE continuum.