Special Education Services

Dear Special Education Families and Caregivers,

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year at SFUSD! We are so excited to have our students and families back for another year of learning and growing together. Our team of professionals is ready to provide your children with the support and inclusive classrooms they need to succeed. We remain dedicated to our district values and will work hard to follow every student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) carefully.

Special education is instruction specifically designed to address the educational and related developmental needs of children with disabilities. This includes early intervention services for infants and toddlers, pre-school for students starting at age three, services for school-age children in grades K-12, and transition services for eligible students up to age 22. For students with Individual Education Plans, instruction is based on the core curriculum. The IEP team documents accommodations and/or modifications and/or accommodations/ adaptations, teaching strategies, as well as other support systems to support a student in meeting IEP goals. that may help the student.

Special Education Services is a flexible system of leadership and support that mobilizes resources and services to enable schools, families, and community to assist children and young adults in experiencing success.

The San Francisco Unified School District is dedicated to identify, locate and assess all students within the district from birth to 22 years of age who may have disabilities, as well as provide appropriate support and/or related services to those students as determined by an educational evaluation.

Our commitment is to provide eligible students with disabilities a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) consistent in the least restrictive environment (LRE) with federal and state laws.  

We are delighted to share our updated SFUSD Special Education Family Handbook! This document contains information about navigating the special education and IEP process. Inside you will find information about meetings, timelines, how to request an IEP, what to expect in an IEP meeting, community resources and much more.

Below are resources from the High Quality IEP Parent Toolkit: 

Designed to support parents as valued members of the IEP team, this free toolkit provides practical, easy-to-use resources that help parents feel informed, prepared, and confident throughout the entire IEP journey.

Explore the Parent Toolkit here:
https://highqualityieps.net/iep-journey/resources-for-families

Highlights include:

• A Place to Begin—an introduction for parents who are new to the IEP process.
• Resources organized Before, During, and After the IEP Meeting, so parents know what to expect every step of the way.

Are you facing a dilemma related to your student's IEP? Contact the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Team for support and thought partnership:

Julia Martin, Special Education Ombudsperson & ADR Manager
adr@sfusd.edu
Make an appointment or complete the ADR Request Form
 

To help every child succeed, the SFUSD Board of Education established policies to ensure the use of effective practices to support students receiving special education services. 

Inclusive education is not a separate education initiative; rather it is a basic characteristic of school organizing to improve student performance. It recognizes that students requiring special education services are, first and foremost, general education students who require additional services and support to succeed in school. 

Inclusive practices recognize that decisions about student services are based on individual students’ specific needs, and require increased expectations for students with disabilities and a shared responsibility for the success of each and every student.

The Department of Developmental Services, with input from the community, has just published a new guide for people who want to learn more about California’s regional center system.

This new guide has information about the Lanterman Services Act and its services for individuals, parents and caregivers of children or adults over 3 years old who may have, or are at risk of having, developmental delays or disabilities. It is also for people who want to learn more about the regional center system, resources, rights and how to qualify for services.