At least once per year, LEAs must provide parents of students with disabilities with a copy of a booklet published by the LDE entitled Special Education Processes & Procedural Safeguards.1 As a summary of Louisiana’s special education regulations in language designed to be understood by parents and other lay people, this document can also be a useful resource for advocates. The LDE website also contains additional guidance that may be helpful to parents and advocates.2 Beyond available LDE resources, educational advocates should become familiar with the policies and procedures of the individual school and charter organization or school district that the student for whom they are advocating attends. While federal and state laws and regulations provide a floor for rights and protections, local policies sometimes provide greater protections and generally include more specific details on the LEA’s procedures to implement statutory and regulatory requirements. Local policies and procedures are usually contained in parent and student handbooks or codes of conduct available on the school, school district, or charter organization website. Local handbooks should also contain details on local grievance procedures for resolving disputes related to 504 plans.
- 1La. Bulletin 1706, § 505(A). For the current publication, see La. Dep’t of Educ., Louisiana’s Educational Rights of Children with Disabilities: Special Education Processes + Procedural Safeguards (Jan. 2020).
- 2See La. Dep’t of Educ., Students with Disabilities.