Policy Memos & Advisories

• Administrative Advisories
• Technical Assistance Advisories
• Additional Guidance

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Additional Guidance

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2025-2026 — 5
  The purpose of this memo is to provide special education leaders and other interested parties with information on the newly released guidance on the Implementation of Regulatory Amendments to 603 CMR 46.00 and 603 CMR 18.00. DESE encourages all districts, schools, collaboratives, and programs to review this guidance and begin planning for implementation well in advance of the effective date of August 17, 2026.
  • Guidance on Time Out Practices

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2025-2026 — 4
  The purpose of this memorandum is to remind local educational agencies (LEAs) of some of their responsibilities to students with disabilities placed in a special education private school by an LEA. It also describes some key enhancements to the monitoring of such placements by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2025-2026 — 3
  The purpose of this memo is to provide school districts and other interested parties with information related to the Department's Out of District Monitoring Form. The Department has developed a standard Out of District Monitoring Form to assist school districts with implementing the requirements in 603 CMR 28.06.
  • Out of District Monitoring Form
• Special Education Policy Memo SY2025-2026 — 2
  The purpose of this Memorandum is to clarify:
  • The issuance of a high school diploma to students with IEPs consistent with applicable federal and state law;
  • The impact of the passage of Question 2 in November 2024 and the May 2025 amendments to the state Competency Determination (CD) requirements in 603 CMR 30.00 on awarding a diploma to students with IEPs;
  • Considerations for Massachusetts students who are receiving a publicly funded education in an out-of-district day or residential school, having been placed in the school by a Massachusetts school district under the special education law; and
  • Best practices for schools, students, and parents in planning secondary transition services and student graduation, and reducing the potential for disputes.
• Special Education Policy Memo SY2025-2026 — 1
  The purpose of this Memorandum is to notify you of the recent amendments to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) regulations at 603 CMR 46.00 and 603 CMR 18.00 related to the use of time-out practices approved by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) at its June 24, 2025, meeting. This memo outlines the key regulatory changes adopted during that meeting and information related to the implementation of the requirements.
  • 603 CMR 46.00: Prevention of Physical Restraint and Requirements-strikethrough showing changes
  • 603 CMR 18.00: Program and Safety Standards for Approved Public or Private Day and Residential Special Education School Programs-strikethrough showing changes

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2024-2025 — 7
  The purpose of this policy memo is to clarify school district's responsibilities under federal and state special education laws and regulations for providing a publicly funded independent educational evaluation (IEE) for a student. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B regulation relating to IEEs is found at 34 C.F.R. § 300.502 . The additional state standard, which exceeds the minimum requirements set by IDEA and provides parents with a separate, entirely voluntary option is described at M.G.L. c. 71B, § 3 ¶ 10 and 603 CMR 28.04(5).

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2024-2025 — 6
  DESE seeks to clarify districts' obligations under 603 CMR 28.05(7). Schools must provide two copies of the proposed IEP, proposed placement, and required notice to parents/guardians immediately following the development of the IEP.

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2024-2025 — 5
  Requirements for the 2025-2026 Conditions of Assistance: IDEA Part B Funding This memo is to inform Special Education Administrators regarding submitting assurances that the LEA is providing for the education of children with disabilities within its jurisdiction, have in effect policies, procedures, and programs that are consistent with the state policies and procedures established under §300.101 through 300.163, and §300.165 through 300.174.2

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2024-2025 — 4
  2024-2025 Determinations of Need for Special Education Technical Assistance or Intervention

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2024-2025 — 3
  The purpose of this memorandum is to inform special education administrators, school business managers, and other interested parties that the IDEA Equitable Services Annual Child Count Application for the 2024-2025 school year count and 2023-2024 equitable services record keeping are now open.

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2024-2025 — 2
  This memo is to provide an update to Administrators of Special Education and Early Childhood Coordinators on mandatory data collection for Indicator 7 Preschool Outcomes

• Special Education Policy Memo SY 2024-2025 — 1
  This memo provides an update to districts collecting State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) Indicator data on the data collection timelines for all Indicators. This memo replaces a previously released memo on September 8, 2023, regarding data collection activities.

• Special Education Policy and Procedure Memo SY 2023-2024 — 3: IDEA Equitable Services Child Count Reporting Requirements.
  This memo is to inform Special Education Administrators regarding the reporting requirements for the IDEA Equitable Services Annual Child Count. Child Count data will be collected via the Child Count Application as described below. The goal of this application is to increase the timeliness and accuracy of the Child Count data.

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2023-2024 — 1 Clarification: Conditions of Assistance submission
  Starting this year, the completed Conditions of Assistance: IDEA Part B Funding Certifications should be uploaded into the Grants for Education Management System (GEMS) with the IDEA application (240/262 grant application). The Conditions of Assistance has been updated this year, please make sure that the signatures are on the newest version and upload the full document.

• Memorandum on Reducing or Eliminating the Use of Time-out Room
  This memo provides school districts with guidance about Reducing or Eliminating the Use of Time-out Rooms. Although this memo refers to the 2021-2022 school year, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education advises schools and districts in the Commonwealth to continue concerted efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of time-out rooms.

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2022-2023 — 4: Advance Notice of Update to the Web Based Monitoring System (WBMS) for State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) Indicators 11 and 12 Data Collection

• Special Education Policy Memo SY2022-2023 — 1: Mileage Reimbursement for Parents under 603 CMR 28.07(6)

• Discipline: Statutory Language & Flow Chart

• Dear Colleague Letter on Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE):
  Policy guidance that clarifies that individualized education programs (IEP) for children with disabilities must be aligned with state academic content standards for the grade in which a child is enrolled.

• Dear Colleague Letter on Dyslexia:
  Policy guidance that clarifies that there is nothing in the IDEA that would prohibit the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia in IDEA evaluation, eligibility determinations or IEP documents.

• Guidance on Appointment of Special Education Surrogate Parents

• Memorandum on Requirements for Registration of Sign Language Interpreters Who Work in Educational Settings

• Guidance on 603 CMR 28.07(7)

• Memorandum on Procedures Lite

• Memorandum on New Requirements for Registration of Sign Language Interpreters Who Work in Educational Settings

• Memorandum on the Implementation of 603 CMR 28.05(7): Parent response to proposed IEP and proposed placement — Rescinded June 2025

• National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) Additional Assurance Required for IDEA Part B Grant

• Question and Answer Guide on the Implementation of Educational Services in the Home or Hospital 603 CMR 28.03(3)(c) and 28.04(4)

• Extended School Year Q & A (2019)

• Access to School Meals in Publicly Funded Out-of-District Programs (2013)

Last Updated: February 5, 2026