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The webinars in this series highlight important and emerging special education policies and how to apply them within Iowa schools. Participants will also have opportunities to ask questions with team members from the Department's Division of Special Education.
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Join the webinars on Zoom using passcode 431127. No registration is required. The link remains the same each session.
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The time for all webinars in the Policy & Practice Webinar Series is 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
- Feb. 11, 2026: Connecting Alternate Assessment (DLM) to Instruction & Licensure - An overview of key considerations when making instructional and assessment decisions for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Participants will review the policy on instructional licensure, examine practices related to determining when a student needs to participate in the alternate assessment and implications for instruction. Lastly, administrators will learn more about their role in monitoring implementation and student outcomes.
- March 11, 2026: Extended School Year (ESY)
Extended School Year (ESY) This webinar provides an overview of Extended School Year Services (ESYS), including decision-making considerations, legal requirements, and best practices for planning and implementation. The session will also address common misunderstandings about ESYS and provide strategies for administrators to ensure compliant decisions and implementation are occurring.
- April 8, 2026: FAPE - Special Requests
- May 13, 2026: Dispute Resolution
- June 10, 2026: End of Year Program Evaluation (ACHIEVE) and Year-to-Year Data Comparison
Previous Webinar Recordings & Materials
- Jan. 14, 2026: Behavior and Discipline - In coordination with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, all districts in Iowa are required to complete Department training on discipline procedures for students with disabilities. At least one school administrator from each district in Iowa is required to participate, but all school district administrators are welcome. At the end of the session, the district’s superintendent will receive an email requesting a list of who participated in the Policy and Practice webinar.
- Dec. 10, 2025: Unique Placements (Out-of-State and Residential, PMIC) - Provides an overview of the IEP Team’s obligations toward students served in unique placements, including placements initiated by other State agencies. The recording addresses how teams identify and document learner needs and ensure FAPE in these settings, including placements outside Iowa.
- Nov. 12, 2025: Secondary Transition (with Work-based Learning content) and Four Plus Programming - Explore how administrators can strengthen compliance with IDEA transition requirements while improving postsecondary outcomes for students with IEPs. The recording highlights strategies that connect existing school infrastructure with high-quality transition services and proven predictors of postschool success. By aligning compliance efforts with student-centered practices, administrators can help ensure students leave high school prepared for success as lifelong learners, colleagues and community members.
- Oct. 8, 2025: Accessible Educational Materials and Assistive Technology on the IEP - Provides an overview of assistive technology (AT) and accessible educational materials (AEM) in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. Participants will gain an understanding of the concepts, policy and case law that shape the use of AT and AEM in schools. The session highlights essential components to include in the IEP, offers practical examples across disciplines and emphasizes accurate documentation to support student success. The webinar is organized into three sections: access and participation, policy guidance, and practical guidance for AT and AEM within ACHIEVE, with opportunities for participant questions.
- Sept. 10, 2025: ACHIEVE and General Supervision - Provides a reminder of how the state ensures the implementation of IDEA through its general supervision responsibilities, including duties to prevent, inform, inspect, detect, and correct. Describes the ACHIEVE reports the state regularly pulls as part of general supervision. Also shares information about Prior Written Notice (PWN) and its role in supporting an effective general supervision system. Oct. 1 note: The slides for this webinar have been updated with minor revisions. Refer to the linked slides for the most up to date version. We are also updating the ACHIEVE "Overdue IEP" report to reflect IEPs being overdue when the meeting roll call has not been finalized before the end of the previous IEP, not when the IEP is finalized (as discussed on the webinar). This note will be updated once the change to the report has been made.
- May 14, 2025: Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) - Learn about the meaning of a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), especially digging into the concept of appropriate. We will identify the things to look for and to consider when determining what is a FAPE for a learner. Connections will also be made between prior webinar content and the concept of FAPE.
- April 9, 2025: Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) - Explores policies and practices related to LRE in special education. The presentation will focus on gaining an understanding of what is meant by LRE, discuss common misunderstandings, share strategies for administrators for monitoring and implementing LRE, and relevant case law examples.
- Feb. 12, 2025: Designing Behavior Instruction and Supports for Learners with Disabilities - Provides information on the updated OSEP guidance on using FBAs to create supportive learning environments. Information on reintegration plans will be provided as a follow-up from participant questions in the May 14 session. Panelists shared considerations for leadership when creating a reintegration plan with respect to the IEP and current behaviors.
- Jan. 15, 2025: General Supervision
- General Supervision PowerPoint
- General Supervision Quick Reference for Administrators - Contains examples of general supervision duties for building administrators.
- Dec. 11, 2024: Shortened School Days: Smart Use in Special Education
- Oct. 30, 2024: Considerations for Exiting - One Data Point is not Enough