The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has ruled that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not give parents the right to be informed about the qualifications of individuals who provide services to their children, according to a report in the California Special Education Alert. The case name: Letter to Dickman, 37 IDELR 284 (OSEP 2002) states that while it may be appropriate for the child’s IEP to list specific training or expertise required, this does not mean that parents can demand to be informed about the qualifications of the individuals providing services.
The OSEP statement also suggests that under provisions of the No Child Left Behind legislation’s (NCLB) “parents right-to-know” regulation parents may have some rights but if the school IEP team determines the service provider requires specific training this should be requested in the IEP.
OSEP also noted that in some circumstances under NCLB parents are entitled, if they request such information, to receive information regarding their child’s classroom teacher’s training.
Letter to Dickman (PDF format - acrobat reader required)
Posted February 28, 2003.