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Office of Special Education
We administer both the state's Exceptional Children's Educational Act (ECEA) and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for children with disabilities. This website is a resource for teachers, administrators, and parents of students with exceptional educational needs due to disability, or learners who are culturally and/or linguistically diverse or have some other special need. We are one of three offices within the Exceptional Student Services Unit (along with the Office of Facility Schools and the Office of Gifted Education).
Quick Links
Colorado’s IDEA Part B Application for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2026
The Colorado Department of Education is making available for public review and comment the following proposed document: The State of Colorado’s Part B Application for grant funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2026 (which funds State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2027). Hard copies of the document may be downloaded and printed from the link below.
The Public Comment window will open on April 19, 2026, at which time the link to send the comment will be posted here.
The Public Comment Window will close at 5:00 pm on May 18, 2026.
IDEA Application for Federal Fiscal Year 2026 (PDF) (posted March 19, 2026)
The United States Department of Education has not yet released the IDEA state allocations for FFY 2026 and have therefore instructed states to post their budget from FFY 2025. The posted document will be updated when the allocations become available.
Keep Your Contact Info Up to Date
AU SPED Director of Record
and Fiscal Contact Information
We must have current contact information for all state-level Special Education Directors and Special Education Fiscal Contacts. We communicate important updates and information through our listserv, so please be sure that we have accurate, updated information. Communications from this listserv will come from CDE_SPED.
Online Free Professional Development Options for Colorado Educators
Educators and paraprofessionals play a critical role in supporting students with disabilities. Recent legislation in Colorado established new professional development requirements for both groups—licensed educators must complete training in special education and behavioral health, and paraprofessionals must receive role-specific training to ensure they can effectively support students.
This document highlights a selection of free online professional development opportunities that may help meet these new requirements. The list is not comprehensive and does not represent an endorsement of any program or provider; it is intended as a starting point to explore available options.
Having trouble with this webpage?
If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at ESSU@cde.state.co.us. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.