IEP Service Delivery in Kansas
How are IEP services delivered in Kansas?
Kansas operates special education services through local school districts (Unified School Districts, or USDs) and cooperatives. Kansas has extensive special education cooperatives — regional entities serving multiple smaller districts — which are significant because many rural Kansas districts deliver services through these cooperatives. The IEP must specify the location of services (e.g., regular education classroom, resource room, separate setting, cooperative program), frequency (e.g., minutes per week), and duration of each service (K.A.R. 91-40-17(a)(7)). Kansas follows federal LRE requirements under K.A.R. 91-40-20 and uses the KSDE Special Education Data System (SEDS) for service tracking and reporting. Extended school year (ESY) services are available in Kansas when the IEP team determines the student's skills would significantly regress during a school break and recoupment would take longer than expected (K.A.R. 91-40-22). ESY eligibility is individualized and not limited to students with severe disabilities. Kansas state assessments include the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) with accommodations, and the Kansas Alternate Assessment (KAA) for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
What Kansas Requires
The IEP must specify the location, frequency, and duration of each special education and related service (K.A.R. 91-40-17(a)(7); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(7)).
Services may be delivered through local district programs or regional special education cooperatives that serve multiple districts (K.S.A. 72-3404; KSDE cooperative framework).
LRE requirements mandate consideration of the regular education classroom and supplementary aids before recommending a more restrictive placement (K.A.R. 91-40-20; 34 CFR 300.114).
Extended school year (ESY) services must be provided if the IEP team determines ESY is necessary to provide FAPE, based on regression and recoupment analysis (K.A.R. 91-40-22).
ESY eligibility is determined individually — no category of disability is automatically included or excluded from consideration for ESY (K.A.R. 91-40-22).
Kansas districts must maintain an approved continuum of placement options from regular class with supports through homebound/hospital instruction (K.A.R. 91-40-20).
Key Timelines
ESY eligibility determination should be made and documented in the IEP at least 30 days before summer ESY services are scheduled to begin.
LRE placement must be reviewed at least annually as part of the IEP review (K.A.R. 91-40-18(a)).
Services must begin on the projected start date in the IEP (K.A.R. 91-40-17(a)(7)).