Special Education Services

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.

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.

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.