All school districts and cooperative agreements in Illinois have been required to provide official written notice to parents of suspected and eligible special education students regarding a broad range of topics since the advent of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) in 1975. Use of these forms, court decisions, and amendments to federal and state statutes has resulted in the need to revise the notice requirements and forms over time. The information enclosed contains instructions concerning the purpose of each form and its use, and additional information.
In 1985, Public Act 84-463 (which became Article 14-8.02(g) of the School Code of Illinois (ILCS)) required the development of uniform notices within special education to be used by all school districts. The forms in this manual have been developed to obtain required informed consent from parent(s)/guardian(s) as well as provide proper parent/guardian notification of specific types of proposed or refused actions for a child being considered for or receiving special education and related services. The forms and procedures incorporate various requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and 23 Illinois Administrative Code (IAC) 226. When completed according to the instructions, these forms provide consistency and assist school districts in providing parent(s)/guardian(s) proper notification and required explanations of proposed actions including written explanation of parent rights.
