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Special education in District of Columbia

What District of Columbia calls special education, how long each step takes, who to call, free help, paying for services, and how the state scores.

Special education in District of Columbia

Special education is called
Special Education (OSSE Division of Specialized Education)
The IEP meeting
IEP team meeting
Eligibility team
Multidisciplinary team (MDT)
Evaluation timeline
60 calendar days. Evaluation and eligibility within 60 days of consent; LEA has 30 days from referral to seek consent (D.C. Code 38-2561.02)
IEP timeline
30 days (federal)
Transition planning starts
14 (being checked)
Rights transfer to the student at
18
Developmental delay category
3 to 7 (child count)
Dyslexia law
yes: D.C. Law 23-191 Addressing Dyslexia and Other Reading Difficulties Amendment Act of 2020: K-2 screening at least twice yearly

Find your district and schools

71 districts and charter districts. 9 special education schools and 124 public charter schools.

Get your Hall PassSchools in District of ColumbiaServices for children in District of Columbia (on Disability Atlas)

The state office and your options when you disagree

State special education office
Procedural safeguards (your rights notice)
Mediation
State complaint
Due process
Ombudsman

Free help for families

Parent centers

Disability rights agency

Advocacy groups in District of Columbia

Paying for it

Medicaid for children
DC Medicaid
CHIP
DC Healthy Families (CHIP is part of DC Medicaid)
Apply
Medicaid for children with disabilities, whatever the family's income
yes: TEFRA/Katie Beckett option; name being checked in this pass
Schools bill Medicaid for health services
no
Autism insurance law
partial. habilitative services for children under 21; autism not named in statute
Scholarship or ESA for students with disabilities
general-limited: DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (federal voucher, income-limited)
Program page

How school, Medicaid and insurance fit together

How District of Columbia scores

First edition. These grades are new (November 2026) and the weights may still change. Texas graduation data is being confirmed with the state.

State of Schools

C-

Rank 42 of 51

State of Support

B-

Rank 18 of 51

Combined

C

Rank 24 of 51

PillarGrade
Following the lawF
Learning togetherC-
ResultsF
School fundingA
Family protectionsA-
Options and transitionC+

IDEA determination 2026: Needs Intervention. How we grade.

Sources for this page are listed in the SPED Atlas research tables (state terms, state help, paying for it). Items marked "being checked" are waiting on a primary source.

Last reviewed: November 2026. Rules, programs and phone numbers change. Check with the office named on this page. Report outdated or wrong information.