Spotlight on Access is a monthly newsletter from the LACOE Division of Special Education bringing you the latest news, inclusive resources and professional learning opportunities to support educators and students across Los Angeles County.

Join a Collaborative!

Directors' Collaborative: Meetings are offered both in -person and virtually. Future dates include virtual sessions on November 10, January 19 and May 11 and a final in-person meeting on March 16, 2027.

Coordinators' Collaborative: This series is designed for special education coordinators, program specialists and teacher leaders. These virtual sessions are scheduled for October 6, December 8, February 9 and March 13.

Charter Collaborative: Geared toward special education directors, coordinators, program specialists and emerging leaders in charter schools. Virtual meetings will take place on October 13, December 1 and March 2.

Don't miss out on the incredible tools available to you! Dive into our Resource Guide for Inclusive Practices for a complete collection of special education resources.

Supporting Inclusive Practices Project Expansion (AB 2468) : The state budget provides a one-time $30 million increase for the Supporting Inclusive Practices Project. This funding offers direct financial support and resources to local educational agencies (LEAs) to help educators expand access to general education environments and improve functional outcomes for students with disabilities. Read the full text of AB 2468

Inclusive College Technical Assistance Center : The state has expanded funding to facilitate collaboration between LEAs and institutions of higher education.

This initiative expands inclusive college opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, helping them develop critical life skills in fully inclusive postsecondary communities.

Read the article: Read Governor Newsom's announcement of special education funding

Legislative and Policy Updates

Expanded Substitute Teaching Days (AB 2490) : Newly signed into law by Governor Newsom, AB 2490 provides crucial staffing flexibility by allowing career substitute permit holders to serve up to 70 cumulative days in a single classroom assignment—including special education classrooms. This law gives districts much-needed flexibility to maintain instructional continuity for students during extended staff leaves. Read more about AB 2490.

Inclusive Playgrounds (AB 2241) : When state or local grant funds are used for a school playground, projects must now go beyond standard ADA compliance. A new committee is coordinating with the Department of General Services to publish strict model guidelines for inclusive playgrounds and future grant funding will prioritize projects that meet these higher inclusive standards. Read the full text of AB 2241

Streamlined English Learner Reclassification (AB 2555) : Signed and taking effect immediately, Assembly Bill 2555 establishes meeting the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) criterion as the sole state criterion for English Learner (EL) reclassification. The new standard applies retroactively to Spring 2026 ELPAC scores. LEAs are advised to pause local reclassification decisions and await forthcoming guidance from the California Department of Education (CDE) regarding students who met the 2026 ELPAC criterion but have not yet been officially reclassified.

• CDE is hosting a reclassification webinar on Friday, October 2 from 9 – 10 a.m.
• Register for the CDE 2026–27 EL Reclassification Webinar

State Special Schools Notice in IEPs (SB 1381) : Beginning with IEPs developed or revised for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind, IEP teams must inform parents/guardians that enrollment in the California School for the Deaf or California School for the Blind is an available placement option. CDE will distribute official guidance and informational materials to LEAs by July 1, 2027, to support team discussions. Read the full text of SB 1381

State Complaints Are Spiking

Nationwide filings jumped nearly 46% last school year (from 7,907 to 11,523), with California right behind at 47%. Families are increasingly bypassing lengthy due process hearings and heading straight for state administrative complaints to get fast, mandatory action on service gaps.



What’s Driving the Spike?

• Unfulfilled IEP services : Missed therapy hours, unkept accommodations and staffing shortages are driving the majority of investigations.
• A push for faster results : Parents know state complaints are free, don't require lawyers and force immediate state intervention.

Strengthen IEP Fidelity and Family Trust

• Tighten service logging : Make sure staff document accommodations and services in real time. If it isn't logged, state investigators assume it didn't happen.
• Audit evaluation timelines : Set up internal alerts for annuals and triennials to catch delays before they turn into compliance violations.
• Proactive communication around service gaps : When staffing shortages lead to missed hours, early outreach to parents and collaborative discussions about compensatory plans consistently help resolve concerns locally before they turn into state filings.



For School Sites:

CAA for Science Administration Opens in October

The testing window for the California Alternate Assessment (CAA) for Science opens in October! The CAA for Science consists of four embedded performance tasks (administered in grades 5, 8 and once in high school) that are designed to be completed one-on-one throughout the school year. To set students up for success, test examiners are encouraged to plan ahead and administer each performance task immediately after teaching the related science unit while concepts are fresh.

Access the CAASPP CAA for Science Administration Planning Guides

IEP Continuity for Transfers (AB 1412) : To prevent a lapse in services when a student moves, districts must immediately accept unofficial IEP copies and records. Upon enrollment, the new district has a strict 30-day deadline from the receipt of records to either adopt the previous IEP or develop and implement a new one. Read the full text of AB 1412

For Leaders:

CALPADS Fall Data Reporting (Update Flash #314) : As districts prepare for Fall 1 CALPADS certification, please remember that Field 23.16 ("Degree of Support") is now explicitly required on PLAN records. Accurate data here supports assignment monitoring to ensure teachers have the correct credentials for a student's support needs. Ensure case carriers are accurately logging this data ahead of the December 12 certification deadline, as this data will be used by the state to calculate district disproportionality risk ratios. Read CALPADS Flash #314

Out-of-State NPS Oversight & Pupil Procedural Safeguards (SB 373) : Expands safety oversight for students placed in out-of-state nonpublic schools through quarterly private check-ins and state monitoring visits. The law also mandates that LEAs provide a copy of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards to the student (in addition to their parents/guardians) at all statutory triggers. Ensure case carriers are providing safeguards to both pupils and parents during IEP meetings and annual distributions. Read the full text of SB 373

October

Awareness & Inclusion Spotlight

This month, we recognize several important observances that highlight accessibility, student wellness and inclusive practices across our school communities.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month! This month highlights the importance of inclusive hiring and workforce development. For Special Education leaders, NDEAM is a powerful reminder to strengthen secondary transition services, work-based learning opportunities and community partnerships that empower students with disabilities as they prepare for life after high school.

Throughout October, we recognize Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities Awareness Month. This is an ideal time for LEAs to highlight evidence-based structured literacy instruction, multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) and effective IEP accommodations that ensure students with learning differences can fully access core curriculum and thrive academically.

October is ADHD Awareness Month, shedding light on the strengths and needs of neurodiverse learners. By promoting positive behavior interventions, universal design for learning (UDL) and executive functioning strategies, LEAs can create supportive classroom environments where students with ADHD stay engaged and build lifelong self-regulation skills.

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month! We celebrate the abilities, achievements and self-advocacy of students with Down syndrome across Los Angeles County. This month encourages school sites to deepen their commitment to inclusive education, ensuring every student has access to general education peers, rigorous learning opportunities and authentic school belonging.

Early childhood education is where inclusive learning begins. Head Start Awareness Month recognizes the vital role early learning programs play in foundational development. For Special Education teams, Head Start partnerships are critical for Child Find efforts, early identification and seamless transitions into Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Because students with disabilities are statistically at a significantly higher risk of experiencing bullying, creating safe, empathetic and inclusive school cultures is essential. LEAs can use this month to reinforce peer mentorship, anti-bullying education and proactive social-emotional learning practices.

Mental health is integral to student learning and well-being. During Mental Health Awareness Week (Oct 5–11) and World Mental Health Day (Oct 10), we emphasize the importance of destigmatizing mental health, strengthening school-based behavioral health systems and ensuring students receiving special education services have robust social-emotional supports.

Celebrated on October 15, Disability Mentoring Day focuses on career exploration, hands-on learning and mentorship for students with disabilities. LEAs are encouraged to connect students with disability leaders and community mentors to spark career interests, enhance self-advocacy skills and inspire post-secondary goals.

Invisible Disabilities Week (Oct 19–25) raises awareness for non-apparent conditions, including chronic illness, internalizing mental health conditions and neurodivergent profiles. This week reminds us that equity in special education requires empathy, active listening and individualized supports that address needs beyond what meets the eye.

We Value Your Feedback!

The LACOE Division of Special Education is committed to strengthening communication and collaboration across Los Angeles County’s 80 school districts, SELPAs, and community partners as we support over 180,000 students with exceptional needs. If you have feedback about Spotlight on Access or would like to see specific topics covered in upcoming issues, please email the LACOE Division of Special Education team at Special_Education@lacoe.edu.