Report of Dispute Resolution Under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; P. L. 108-446) directs the Secretary of Education to obtain data on the dispute resolution process described in Section 615 of the law. Specific legislative authority in Section 618 of IDEA requires that: “(a) IN GENERAL- Each State that receives assistance under this part, and the Secretary of the Interior, shall provide data each year to the Secretary of Education and the public on the following: (1)(F) The number of due process complaints filed under section 615 and the number of hearings conducted. (H) The number of mediations held, and the number of settlement agreements reached through such mediations”. In addition to the specific data requirements described in Section 618, Section 616(a)(3)(B) of IDEA identifies the dispute resolution process as a monitoring priority. The law states specifically that: “(3) MONITORING PRIORITIES- The Secretary shall monitor the States, and shall require each State to monitor the local educational agencies located in the State (except the State exercise of general supervisory responsibility), using quantifiable indicators in each of the following priority areas, and using such qualitative indicators as are needed to adequately measure performance in the following priority areas: (B) State exercise of general supervisory authority, including child find, effective monitoring, the use of resolution sessions, mediation, voluntary binding arbitration, and a system of transition services as defined in sections 602(34) and 637(a)(9)”. The data collection form provides instructions and information for States when submitting their dispute resolution data. The form collects data on the number of written, signed complaints; mediation requests; and hearing requests and the status of these actions initiated during the reporting year with regards to children served under Part C of IDEA. The purposes of these data are to: (1) assess the progress, impact, and effectiveness of State and local efforts to implement the legislation and (2) provide Congress, the public, and Federal, State, and local educational agencies with relevant information. These data are used for monitoring activities, planning purposes, congressional reporting requirements, and dissemination to individuals and groups.

The latest form for Report of Dispute Resolution Under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act expires 2026-12-31 and can be found here.