Special Education Services

Welcome to Special Education Services!

ATTENTION PARENTS

ORANGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Hello parents and guardians of students receiving special services,

I hope the school year is off to a smooth start for your family.

We completed our first year of the new Individual Education Plan (IEP) and 504 documents using CT-SEDS. During this transition, your child continued to receive services based on the Planning and Placement Team (PPT) proposed Individual Education Plan (IEP).

The new system, you may recall, is called CT-SEDS (CT Special Education Data Systems). The "new look” as of 2022-2023 school year can be found using the following link:

NEW LOOK IEP

NEW LOOK 504

Many districts refrained from using the Parent Portal last year as there were many issues using this portal along with many other aspects of the system. It is our hope, the Parent Portal will be activated this year. This portal will provide families access to their child’s IEP, 504, and other important information.

It is important that your school has your family's preferred language option selected in PowerSchool as these documents can be translated for PPT invitations and IEP documents to ensure that parents receive information in their native language in the following (10) languages Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Creole-Haitian, Mandarin, Albanian, Polish, Urdu, Bengali, & Vietnamese. The following documents are intended to guide families with the Parent Portal: Parent Portal Quick Guide and Parent Portal video

Your child's school-based team will assist you in understanding the system as your child's meetings are scheduled. We appreciate your patience as we continue to transition to this new system.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with copies of legal documents associated with special services plans: Notice of Parent Rights 2023

Regards,

Mary Edo

Director of Special Services

Title IX Coordinator

medo@orange-ed.org

Phone: (203) 891-8023

FAX: (203) 891-8025

Press Releases

07/21/2023

Connecticut State Department of Education Announces Launch of New Special Education Call Center

(Hartford, CT) - The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) today announced the opening of a new Special Education Call Center. The call center reflects a new partnership with the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC), Connecticut’s designated parent training and information group for children with disabilities.

The call center is a new communications structure supported by representatives who are trained to respond promptly to inquiries from families and the general public. Call center staff will provide callers with information and resources related to special education laws and the rights and protections of students receiving special education services.

The call center can be accessed in English and Spanish by dialing 860-713-6966. Regular business hours are Monday-Friday (excluding holidays) 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

"We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new Special Education Call Center, a testament to our commitment to serving families and communities,” said Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker. “This innovative partnership with the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center allows us to provide timely and comprehensive support to those seeking information and resources on special education. Through this new communication structure, we aim to enhance understanding, resolve issues, and ultimately improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities."

"CPAC is excited to partner with the CSDE Bureau of Special Education on a new Special Education Call Center for families and community members,” said Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center Executive Director Jane Hampton-Smith. This call center will provide another way for families to access accurate information about special education procedures and practices and better understand their procedural safeguard rights.

With the establishment of the call center, the CSDE has invested additional resources to better serve our families and communities to assist in their understanding of special education processes and provide support in resolving special education issues. Additionally, this investment signifies our commitment to supporting inquiries and providing guidance, aiming to improve the support for students with disabilities and their families. We are enthusiastic about the potential of this communication structure to better serve our entire education community.

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For Immediate Release: July 21, 2023

CT SEDS:

Current IEP side-by-side New IEP

https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Special-Education/New-IEP/IEP_SideBySide.pdf

CT-SEDS parent Log-in information

https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Special-Education/New-IEP/Parent-Portal-Quick-Start-Guide-for-Parents.pdf

Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center
Connecticut's Resource for Children with Disabilities;
Empowering and Educating Families