Special Education Terms in Washington D.C.
What special education terms does Washington D.C. use?
Washington D.C. uses standard federal IDEA terminology for most special education concepts, with some DC-specific terms defined in DC Official Code §§ 38-2561.01 and 38-2571.02. Key DC-specific terms include: OSSE (Office of the State Superintendent of Education) = DC's SEA; LEA = either DCPS or a public charter school group operating under a single charter; SHO (Student Hearing Office) = the office within OSSE that administers due process hearings; ODR (Office of Dispute Resolution) = OSSE unit that handles mediation and state complaints; aversive intervention = DC's specific prohibition term for harmful behavioral strategies; Blackman-Jones = the landmark DC consent decree shaping compliance history; certificate of approval = DC term for nonpublic special education school authorization; and service location = DC's specific term for the physical address where special education instruction or services occur (not limited to a classroom).
What Washington D.C. Requires
OSSE (Office of the State Superintendent of Education) = DC's SEA; responsible for special education oversight, compliance monitoring, and dispute resolution (DC Official Code § 38-2571.02).
LEA in DC = either DCPS or 'the group of charter schools that operate under a single charter'—each charter school group has full LEA obligations (DC Official Code § 38-2571.02).
Aversive intervention = DC-specific prohibition: behavioral strategies using painful stimuli, noxious sprays, electric shock, pinches, withholding basic necessities, or chemical restraints; prohibited in all DC-funded placements (DC Official Code § 38-2561.01).
Service location = 'the location specified in an IEP or IFSP as the site at which instruction or special education services are to be provided'—a DC-specific term for the physical address, not a specific classroom (DC Official Code § 38-2571.02).
Certificate of Approval = the SEA document issued to authorize a nonpublic special education school or program to serve DC-funded students with disabilities; valid for up to 3 years (DC Official Code § 38-2561.07).
ODR (Office of Dispute Resolution) = OSSE unit that administers mediation and state complaints; due process hearings are administered by OSSE but conducted by independent hearing officers.
Blackman-Jones = landmark DC special education consent decree (Blackman v. District of Columbia, filed 1980; consent decree 2006; closed 2020) that established DC's current compliance infrastructure and parent rights framework.