Special Education Terms in North Carolina
What special education terms does North Carolina use?
North Carolina uses several terms in its special education system that differ from or supplement standard federal IDEA terminology. The state refers to special education services as Exceptional Children (EC) services, and the state agency division overseeing these services is the Exceptional Children Division within the NC Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI). The term 'IEP Team' is used in North Carolina consistent with federal IDEA (34 CFR 300.321), unlike some states that use alternative terms. North Carolina's overarching special education regulations are the Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities, organized into numbered sections (NC 1500 series): NC 1500 covers general provisions and definitions, NC 1501 covers child identification (Child Find), NC 1503 covers evaluation and IEP procedures, NC 1503-4 and NC 1503-5 cover IEP team procedures and IEP content, NC 1504 covers procedural safeguards, and NC 1505 covers monitoring and compliance. The state uses Prior Written Notice (PWN) as the term for formal notification to parents of proposed or refused actions regarding identification, evaluation, placement, or provision of FAPE (34 CFR 300.503). North Carolina uses ECATS (Exceptional Children Accountability and Tracking System) as the mandatory statewide electronic system for IEP development, documentation, and progress monitoring, required by NC DPI State Board of Education policy. ECATS replaced prior paper-based systems and is used by all LEAs and charter schools. The NC End-of-Grade (EOG) and End-of-Course (EOC) tests are the state assessments, with NCEXTEND1 as the alternate assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The NC Extended Content Standards are the alternate academic standards used for students who take NCEXTEND1. ECAC (Exceptional Children's Assistance Center) is North Carolina's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center (PTI). Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC) is the state's Protection and Advocacy (P&A) organization. The NC Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) conducts due process hearings, with Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) presiding.
What North Carolina Requires
Exceptional Children (EC) is the NC term for special education services; the Exceptional Children Division within NC DPI administers the program statewide
NC Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities (NC 1500 series) are the state administrative rules implementing IDEA: NC 1500 (general), NC 1501 (Child Find), NC 1503 (evaluation/IEP procedures), NC 1503-4/1503-5 (IEP team/content), NC 1504 (procedural safeguards), NC 1505 (monitoring and compliance)
ECATS (Exceptional Children Accountability and Tracking System) is the mandatory statewide electronic IEP system used by all NC LEAs and charter schools — required by NC DPI SBE policy
Prior Written Notice (PWN) is required for any proposal or refusal to initiate or change identification, evaluation, placement, or FAPE (34 CFR 300.503)
NCEXTEND1 is the alternate assessment; NC Extended Content Standards are the alternate academic standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities
ECAC (Exceptional Children's Assistance Center) is NC's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center (PTI)
Disability Rights NC (DRNC) is the state's Protection and Advocacy (P&A) organization
NC Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) conducts due process hearings with Administrative Law Judges (ALJs); as of November 2021, ALJ decisions appeal directly to state or federal court (Session Law 2021-180)
Key Timelines
IEP Team must meet at least annually to review the IEP (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1))
90 calendar days from written referral to evaluation, IEP development, and placement (NC 1503-2.3)
Prior Written Notice must be provided a reasonable time before the LEA proposes or refuses to initiate or change identification, evaluation, placement, or FAPE (34 CFR 300.503(a))