Colorado PTA
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Special Education

Getting started with the special education process can be daunting, but the right resources and support can help make it a little easier. Families are children’s best advocates!

A young girl writing in her notebook at a table looks up at her father, who sits beside her.
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Understanding Federal Disability and Special Needs Policy

An overview of federal disability and special needs policies, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Locating Special Education Services in Your State

The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NDCCD)
Provides a way for parents to search for special education resources by state.
Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC)
PTICs help parents of children with disabilities to gain the knowledge and skills they need to be advocates for their children. The link will help you locate one in your state.
The Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers (the Alliance)
A partnership of one national and six regional parent technical assistance centers, each funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This system exists for the purpose of developing, assisting and coordinating parent training under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

IDEA Legal, Regulatory and Guidance Resources

Dispute Resources & Forms

Guides

Forms

Dispute Resolution Contacts

State Complaints Officers

State Dispute Resolution Coordinator

  • Supervisor for Dispute Resolution and PolicyWendy ArmstrongColorado Department of Education, Exceptional Student Leadership Unit1560 Broadway, Suite 1175, Denver, CO 80202303-866-6685armstrong_w@cde.state.co.usFax: 303-866-6767

State Mediation Coordinator

  • Mediation CoordinatorJennifer RodriguezColorado Department of Education, Exceptional Student Leadership Unit1560 Broadway, Suite 1175, Denver, CO 80202303-866-6889rodriguez_j@cde.state.co.usFax: 303-866-6767

Special education dispute resolution at the Colorado Department of Education (opens in a new tab)

Videos

Additional Parent Resources & Colorado Specific Links

What Is Giftedness?

Giftedness, intelligence, and talent are fluid concepts and may look different in different contexts and cultures. Even within schools, you will find a range of beliefs about the word “gifted,” which has become a term with multiple meanings and much nuance. Gifted children may develop asynchronously: their minds are often ahead of their physical growth, and specific cognitive and social-emotional functions can develop unevenly. Some gifted children with exceptional aptitude may not demonstrate outstanding levels of achievement due to environmental circumstances such as limited opportunities to learn as a result of poverty, discrimination, or cultural barriers; due to physical or learning disabilities; or due to motivational or emotional problems. This dichotomy between the potential for and demonstrated achievement has implications for schools as they design programs and services for gifted students.

Learn more about definitions of giftedness from the National Association for Gifted Children (opens in a new tab)

Common Core State Standards, National Science Standards and Gifted Education

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K-12 content standards, developed in Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Science, to illustrate the curriculum emphases needed for students to develop the skills and concepts required for the 21st century. The new standards are evidence-based, aligned with expectations for success in college and the workplace, and informed by the successes and failures of the current standards and international competition demands. The standards stress rigor, depth, clarity, and coherence, drawing from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Frameworks in Reading and Writing, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) report in Mathematics, and the National Research Council’s Framework for K-12 Science Education in Science. The adoption of the CCSS and NGSS has significant implications for teachers.

Learn more about the new standards and gifted education (opens in a new tab)

Gifted & Talented Resources

Resources, Programs and Services

National PTA Member Benefits

There’s always been a value to PTA membership. Whether it’s getting the skills you need to be a better parent, to help your children succeed academically, to learn ways to improve communication with teachers, to speak out about public school needs in your own town, or to keep your neighborhood safe, you have benefited by being a member. These benefits have helped enrich the lives of our nation’s children and adults for more than a century.

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Get Involved

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools.

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