Education: Your Rights Under State and Federal Law

State and federal laws guarantee Michigan children with disabilities the right to attend school with the services and supports necessary to help them learn and grow. Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, Inc (MPAS) has resources that explain the laws and how to get the services the law requires. 

Special Education: An Advocate's Manual

Sample Letters from Special Education: An Advocate's Manual

Michigan Merit Curriculum

Private School Placement by Parents

The Individualized Education Program Team (IEPT) takes information from evaluations, assessments, and observations and decides whether or not a student is eligible for special education, and creates an Individual Education Program (IEP) for each student in special education.

The Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education (OSE) provides information to students, families and districts about the Individualized Education Program (IEP), including documents about the process. 

Information on their website  includes:

• Forms including IEP Model Form and the IEP Amendment Model Form
• Quick Reference Guides
• Podcasts
• IEP Model Form Question and Answer

Michigan Department of Education - Request for Complaint Investigation form

More information about the IEP is in Chapter 6 of Special Education: An Advocate's Manual

The Michigan State Board of Education (SBE) Model Anti-Bullying Policy was adopted by the Board in 2006. The policy is not legally binding but intended to be a model to be adopted as policy in local school districts. The most recent version was updated and approved by the SBE on November 10, 2010.

Michigan State Board of Education Model Anti-Bullying Policy

Michigan State Board of Education Statement on Bullying

Chapter  15 of Special Education: An Advocate's Manual has more information on the rights of students facing harassment because of their disability

Read the MPAS priority Ensure the Right to High Quality Education and how our Information & Referral & Education Team may be able to assist you.

Check back often; we will be updating and adding additional information.

These links are accurate at the time they are posted and reviewed at least once a year.