115.762 Division for learning support.

(1) Appointment of administrator. The state superintendent shall appoint the administrator of the division.

(2) Staff. Subject to the approval of the state superintendent, the administrator of the division shall appoint qualified staff necessary to perform the duties required of the division.

(3) Division duties. The division is responsible for all of the following:

(a) Ensuring that all children with disabilities, including children who are not yet 3 years of age, who reside in this state and who are in need of special education and related services are identified, located and evaluated.

(am) Ensuring that a free appropriate public education is available to all children with disabilities who reside in this state, including such children who are suspended or expelled from school.

(b) Developing and implementing a practical method to determine which children with disabilities are receiving special education and related services.

(c) Complying with the requirements of this subchapter and applicable federal law, including 20 USC 1415 (k) and 42 USC 11431 to 11434a.

(d) Coordinating and supervising the provision of all publicly funded special education and related services for children with disabilities in this state and ensuring that such education and services meet the educational standards of the department, including any criteria established by the department relating to enrollment.

(e) Determining local educational agency eligibility for assistance, including determining whether a local educational agency is failing to comply with any of the requirements of the plan submitted to the division under s. 115.77 (4).

(g) Monitoring and enforcing local educational agency and residential care center for children and youth compliance with this subchapter and applicable federal law, including 20 USC 1415 (k) and 42 USC 11431 to 11434a.

(h) Developing and maintaining a performance plan in compliance with 20 USC 1416 (b).

(i) Establishing and maintaining qualifications to ensure that personnel necessary to carry out the requirements of this subchapter are appropriately and adequately prepared and trained, in compliance with 20 USC 1412 (a) (14), and requiring that local educational agencies take measurable steps to recruit, hire, train, and retain highly qualified personnel to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities under this subchapter.

(j) Examining data, including data disaggregated by race and ethnicity, to determine if significant discrepancies are occurring in the rate of long-term suspensions and expulsions of children with disabilities among local educational agencies or compared to such rates for nondisabled children within such agencies. If such discrepancies are occurring, the division shall review and, if appropriate, revise or require the affected local educational agency to revise its policies, procedures and practices relating to the development and implementation of individualized education programs, the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports and procedural safeguards to ensure that such policies, procedures and practices comply with this subchapter.

(4) Limitation. Nothing in this subchapter requires that special education and related services be provided to a child with a disability who is at least 18 years old and who, in the child's educational placement before his or her incarceration in a state prison, was not identified as a child with a disability or for whom an individualized education program was not developed.

History: 1997 a. 164; 1999 a. 161; 2001 a. 59; 2005 a. 258; 2011 a. 158.