Distribution of the Special Education Report Cardsby School Districts

Districts must take responsibility for ensuring that the Special Education Report Cards reach the parents of allchildren with IEPs enrolled in Oregon public schools. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004), each parent of a child with an IEP must receive a copy of the report card.

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) requires distributionno later thanMay20 of each year. The distribution procedures are left to the discretion of the district, in accordance with the following rules adopted by the State Board of Education at its December 2012 meeting.

School districts shall make a copy of the Special Education Report Card available to the parent(s) or guardian(s) of each student with an IEP who is enrolled in a public school in the school districtby doing one or more of the following:

  • Mailing a paper copy,
  • Electronically sending a copy, or
  • Providing a link to a state or districtweb site containing the reports and also making paper copies available in local schools, libraries, parent centers, community centers, or other public locations easily accessible to parents and others.

Each district is required to distribute the report cards in their entirety, exactly as they are received from the Oregon Department of Education. Districts may not cut and paste, delete, or rearrange portions of the official report cards. The only exception is the design of the information presented by districts within the Local Information panel.

Local Information Panel

The Local Informationpanel is provided for the district to communicate local information that is not available statewide. This information might include additional data or honors particular to a district, improvement plans, or a letter from a superintendent focusing on successes and progress by a district. Local Information does not appear on the report cards displayed on the ODE website.

Boxes Marked for Department of Education Notes

Many districts have special circumstances that may not apply to all districts but which affect their data. To provide additional information about the circumstances particular to a district, ODE uses note boxes to reference explanations and clarifications with an asterisk or a superscripted number. The note boxes may not be altered by districts, even though the boxes shown on the report card may be blank. Many districts will have nothing printed in the boxes.

Guidelines for Reproducing the Report Cards, if Distributing Paper Copies

The 2010-2011 Special Education Report Cards and supporting documents are available for download from the Oregon Department of Education websitebeginning April 4, 2012. If a district is mailing paper copies or distributing paper copies in public locations, districts are requested to copy all official report cards on 8.5 x 14 legal-size paper.Districts are not obligated to reproduce and distribute any documents except the actual report cards.