Special Education Terms in New York

What special education terms does New York use?

New York uses several state-specific terms in its special education system that differ from or supplement standard federal IDEA terminology. The Committee on Special Education (CSE) is the multidisciplinary team established under Education Law Section 4402 that develops IEPs for school-age students (ages 5-21); this is the NY equivalent of the federal 'IEP Team' (8 NYCRR Section 200.1(e)). The Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) is the parallel body for preschool-age children (ages 3-5), established under Education Law Section 4410 (8 NYCRR Section 200.1(d)). The Subcommittee on Special Education (SCSE) is a smaller body authorized to make certain changes to an existing IEP for program modifications without convening the full CSE (8 NYCRR Section 200.3(c)). The Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) is a regional public organization created by the NY Legislature in 1948 to provide shared educational programs and services to component school districts, including special education classes and related services. An Impartial Hearing Officer (IHO) is a trained, certified independent adjudicator who presides over due process hearings at the local level; IHOs are certified by NYSED and randomly selected from a NYSED-maintained list upon request -- a unique appointment process distinguishing NY from states where districts appoint hearing officers (Education Law Section 4404(1)(a); 8 NYCRR Section 200.21). The State Review Officer (SRO) is a NYSED official who reviews IHO decisions on appeal, forming the second tier of NY's unique two-tier administrative review system under Education Law Section 4404 -- a critical distinction from the single-tier systems used by most states. The Special Education Training and Resource Centers (SETRCs), now restructured as Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Centers (RSE-TASCs), are BOCES-based entities providing coaching and technical assistance to school districts. NYSED refers to the New York State Education Department, the state educational agency (SEA). The Individualized Education Services Program (IESP) is a NY-specific term for the services plan developed for parentally-placed students with disabilities enrolled in nonpublic schools within the district of location; an IESP documents the services the district of location must provide at public expense and replaces the IEP for such students (Education Law Section 3602-c; 8 NYCRR Section 200.1(gg-1)). NY uses the term '12-month services' or '12-month special services and programs' (8 NYCRR Section 200.6(k)) rather than the federal term 'extended school year' (ESY), though they serve the same purpose of preventing substantial regression. 'Declassification support services' (8 NYCRR Section 200.4(d)(2)(xi)) are transitional services unique to NY that must be provided for up to one year after a student is declassified from special education, including psychological services, social work services, speech and language services, non-career counseling, and other support services. NY uses 'related services' consistent with federal usage but also recognizes 'supplementary aids and services' and 'supplementary school personnel' (paraprofessionals) as distinct categories (8 NYCRR Section 200.1(hh)).