Special Education Terms in Illinois

What special education terms does Illinois use?

Illinois uses several state-specific terms in its special education system that differ from federal IDEA language. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is the state education agency (SEA) responsible for administering special education programs, appointing due process hearing officers, issuing ISBE-prescribed forms, and overseeing compliance (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02a; 23 IAC 226.570). Illinois refers to the comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation as a 'case study evaluation,' which must be completed within 60 school days of parental consent (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02(b); 23 IAC 226.110). The term 'domain review' refers to the initial review conducted by the evaluation team to determine which assessment areas (domains) require evaluation; parental consent on the ISBE domain review form triggers the 60-school-day timeline (23 IAC 226.110(d)). Illinois school districts may form 'special education cooperatives' or enter into 'joint agreements' under 105 ILCS 5/14-4.01 — regional entities where multiple districts pool resources to provide special education services, hire specialized staff, and conduct evaluations collectively. Member districts of a joint agreement retain individual compliance obligations even when the cooperative administers programs on their behalf. Illinois uses a one-tier due process system: ISBE appoints an impartial due process hearing officer at the state level, and aggrieved parties appeal the hearing decision directly to state or federal court within 120 days — there is no intermediate state-level administrative review (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02a). Mediation is administered by ISBE at no cost and is voluntary; a parent's request for mediation triggers 'stay-put' protections for the student's current placement (23 IAC 226.560). The IEP team in Illinois, referred to simply as the 'IEP Team' (standard federal terminology), must include parents, at least one general education teacher, at least one special education teacher, a district representative qualified to commit district resources, and an individual who can interpret evaluation results (23 IAC 226.210). Illinois uses the term 'Professional Educator License (PEL)' for teacher and related service provider credentials, issued with specific endorsements by ISBE under 23 IAC Part 25. Special education teachers must hold a PEL with special education endorsement; related service providers hold a PEL with support service endorsement or applicable state professional license (23 IAC 226.800). Illinois uses 'ISTAR' (Illinois Student and Teacher Accountability Reporting) for annual special education data reporting to ISBE. Recording of IEP meetings: Illinois follows one-party consent under 720 ILCS 5/14-2, meaning a parent who is a party to the meeting may record without obtaining consent from other participants.