February is Black History Month
In recognition of Black History Month, OSPI’s Special Education team reaffirms our commitment to disrupting long-standing systems of disproportionality that continue to impact Black students with disabilities. We honor the leadership, resilience, and advocacy of Black families, educators, and communities while reflecting on our responsibility to create more inclusive, just educational systems. Through the Inclusionary Practices Technical Assistance Network (IPTN), we are partnering with districts, families, and community organizations to strengthen inclusive practices, reduce exclusionary outcomes, and advance shared accountability for meaningful change. This work is ongoing, and it is rooted in the belief that every student belongs and deserves access to high-quality, inclusive learning environments that are culturally affirming. To learn more about the work of the IPTN, visit our website at www.k12.wa.us/IPTN and/or send us an email at IPTN.k12.wa.us.
2026 Legislative Update
There are several important legislative session cutoff dates in February, including the house of origin Policy Committee Cutoff, which was February 4th. The last day to consider bills in the house of origin is February 17th. Stay tuned to the OSPI Special Education Bill Tracker for regular updates on the status of bills impacting special education. Bills with a grey background are not moving forward this session.
We are closely monitoring HB 2557 regarding parental access to special education evaluation reports. The current substitute bill requires that for any initial evaluation or reevaluation conducted to determine the eligibility or continuing eligibility of a student for special education services, a school district must provide the student's parent or legal guardian with a copy of the evaluation report no later than the 35th school day following consent to evaluate. The eligibility meeting to discuss the evaluation and determine eligibility must occur no later than the 40th school day, giving families five school days to review the evaluation report. The substitute bill also removes the requirement that the evaluation report be "finalized" prior to the eligibility meeting, as aligned with federal IDEA regulations.
We are also tracking HB 1795 regarding restraint and isolation of students. The current substitute bill narrows when restraint or isolation may be used, explicitly bans chemical, mechanical, and life-threatening physical restraint, prohibits isolation rooms, strengthens parent consent requirements, and expands OSPI data collection and publication responsibilities.
If you have questions about anything legislature-related, please contact OSPI Special Education with the subject line "Legislative Session".
Save the Date! 2026 Washington MTSS Integrated Conference
July 28–30, 2026 | Wenatchee, WA
Join educators from across Washington at the 2026 Integrated MTSS Conference in the newly remodeled Wenatchee Convention Center! This year’s theme – Aligning for Impact: Inclusive Systems That Work – brings together leaders, teachers, specialists, and support teams for two powerful days of learning, collaboration, and inspiration.
Kick off the experience with our July 28th Pre-conference, featuring role-specific learning for Special Education Directors, School Psychologists, and Threat Assessment teams.
The July 29th & 30th Conference will be filled with dynamic keynote speakers, including Priya Parker, who will spark meaningful reflection on leadership, systems, and gathering with purpose.
We are also seeking presenters who can inspire through the strands Innovate, Include, Inspire. Bring your best Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) practices, ideas, and success stories to educators statewide!
Come learn, connect, and elevate MTSS implementation across Washington!
Conference Schedule
Pre-Conference
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 | 7am–4pm
Main Conference
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 | 7:30am–4pm
Thursday, July 30, 2026 | 7:30am–12:30pm
Location
Wenatchee Convention Center
121 N. Wenatchee Ave.
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Additional details, including registration information and session highlights, will be shared as the conference approaches. We look forward to coming together to learn, connect, and advance integrated MTSS systems across Washington. Additional information and registration are available on the MTSS Conference website.
Welcoming New Staff to our Dispute Resolution Team
The Dispute Resolution Team is excited to welcome two new staff members to our team—Huma Zarif and Eleanor (Ellie) Bridge Jayaram! Huma and Ellie will support the investigation and resolution of special education community complaints and provide technical assistance related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Washington’s special education requirements.
Huma Zarif has a background in special education law and health policy. She graduated from UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) with a concentration in Health Law. Prior to law school, Huma worked as a social worker at Harborview and Swedish Medical Centers. She obtained both her Bachelor of Social Welfare and Master of Social Work from the University of Washington School of Social Work. Huma is excited to apply her special education background to her position as a complaint investigator at OSPI.
Outside of work Huma enjoys writing children’s books (and attempting to write screenplays!), volunteering, and mothering her two spunky children and sweet cat named Hugs.
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Ellie Bridge Jayaram joins OSPI after spending over six years at the League of Education Voters, a statewide education advocacy organization that worked on legislative policy reform, including within special education, partnered closely with students, families, educators, and district leaders to navigate complex systems, and created resources to help communities understand their rights and engage in public policy and rulemaking. Ellie has a Master's in Education and began her career as a middle school social studies teacher, an experience that laid the foundation for her work and continues to ground her in her dedication to students.
Ellie is thrilled to be joining OSPI’s Special Education Dispute Resolution team and is very motivated by work that advances student civil rights, promotes equity, and strengthens system accountability. Outside of work, she loves singing in her choir, exploring new kinds of art and music, and spending time outdoors, particularly the remotest parts of the North Cascades.
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Click here for this month’s Program Improvement updates on the following topics:
- IDEA Correction of Non-Compliance Workbook – due March 2nd
- New Special Education Parent Survey – Spring 2026 (updated)
- OSPI Special Education Data, Fiscal, and Program Office Hours
Click here for this month’s Fiscal & Data updates on the following topics:
- Excess Cost
- Safety Net Reminders
- Secondary Transition IEP Components (Indicator B-13) Application is Now Open
- Consent Received to Share Student Information with State Transition Agencies Application is Now Open
- OSPI Special Education Data, Fiscal, and Program Office Hours
- Notice of Public Comment Period for Annual State Application of Fiscal Year 2026 of the IDEA Federal Grant
Click here for this month’s ECSE updates on the following topics:
- New University of Washington Publications Advancing Early Childhood Special Education
- EHDI National Conference
- NAEYC Public Policy Forum for Early Childhood Educators
Question: What is the best way to represent “concurrent” services on an IEP?
Tip of the Month!
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