Our resources are intended to help educators and administrators in Vermont understand and navigate legal expectations, access best practices and tips, and become more informed on current topics and issues in special education.
Technical Assistance and Professional Development
The Agency offers extensive Technical Assistance and Professional Development for Special Educators.
Act 173
Act 173 of 2018 is an act relating to enhancing the effectiveness, availability and equity of services provided to students who require additional support. The Agency of Education is integrating procedures and processes in order to support the field to adapt and adopt the systemic changes necessary to respond to the act. Learn more on the Agency of Education Act 173 webpage.
Act 173 also required a revision to the special education rules scheduled to take effect in July of 2022. For a calendar of events, guidance, tools, and other supports for the implementation of the rule changes please visit the Special Education Rule Changes page.
Adverse Effect
Historically determining whether a disability has an adverse effect on the child’s educational performance has been inconsistent and confusing to special education staff throughout the state. Criteria were developed through a collaboration of stakeholders, and the Agency of Education has developed training materials to represent those guidelines.
- Chart of Measures
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Training Materials
- Training Materials are available as a PowerPoint presentation. To request these materials please email aoe.specialed@vermont.gov.
Agency of Education Co-teaching Application
An approved plan is necessary in order to comply with Vermont state special education rules and regulations to receive special education reimbursement for a co-teaching arrangement. Please direct inquiries to cassie.santo@vermont.gov.
Alternate Assessments
All publicly funded Students With Significant Disabilities (SWSD) enrolled in grades 3 through 9 are required to participate in a statewide assessment for reading and math. All publicly funded students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are assessed in science. Students who cannot participate in the general assessment with accommodations may be eligible to take an alternate assessment.
The BEST Project
Building Effective Supports for Teaching (BEST) has provided training, coaching and technical assistance to supervisory unions and supervisory districts for several decades. The project provides support for educators to offer better support to students experiencing emotional or behavioral challenges. BEST provides support to schools based on a strategic plan and annual training calendar, with a goal to build statewide, regional and local capacity.
Determination of Eligibility: Specific Learning Disability
- Listening Comprehension Worksheet
- Mathematics Worksheet
- Oral Expression Worksheet
- Reading Worksheet
- Written Expression Worksheet
Essential Special Education Resources
The Essential Special Education Resources document is designed to provide a basic suite of resources: laws, processes in the form of webinars, and documents in the Special Education Process.
Forms for Special Education
Programs that opt to use Vermont's special education forms will be evaluating children age three through 21 years of age to determine their eligibility for special education services. Users will also use the individualized education program (IEP) form to develop a document of appropriate services, if the child is eligible.
Functional Skills
Case Study - Wesley
- Meet Wesley
- Form 1 - Notice of Meeting, Eligibility
- Form 1 - Notice of Meeting, EPT
- Form 2 - Special Education Evaluation Plan
- Form 2 - Special Education Evaluation Report
- Form 3 - Prior Written Notice for Special Education Evaluation
- Form 3a - Consent for a Special Education Evaluation
- Form 5 - Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Form 6 - Consent for Initial Provision of Special Education Services
Grant Funded Statewide Agencies
- Vermont's Interdisciplinary Team (I-Team) provides technical assistance for teams working with students ages 3 – 22 with complex support needs. The I-Team also provides training to school district personnel, family members, community service providers and general community members on a variety of topics related to the education of students with complex support needs. For more information, please visit I-Team's website or contact the VT I-Team Director, Darren McIntyre, darren.mcintyre@uvm.edu.
- Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI) is the only private agency to offer training, services, and support to visually impaired Vermonters. VABVI’s mission is to enable Vermonters who are blind or visually impaired, to be more independent, cultivate adaptive skills and improve their quality of life. For more information, please visit VABVI's website or contact the Director, Stephanie Bissonette, sbissonette@vabvi.org.
- The Vermont Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind Partnership, includes University of Vermont Center on Disability and Community Inclusion CARES (UVM CDCI CARES) and University of Vermont Medical Center Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind Educational Services Program (UVMMC DHHDB ESP). The partnership provides the following services under our partnership; Consultation, ASL/Bilingual, Educational Audiology, Direct Instruction by Teachers of the Deaf, Speech and Language evaluations and ongoing instruction, Evaluation and Technical Assistance. For more information, please contact Ileene Therrien from UVMMC DHHDB Educational Services Program, Ileene.Therrien@uvmhealth.org; or Valerie LeClair at UVM CDCI CARES, Valerie.LeClair@uvm.edu.
Updates and News
Independent Schools Serving Special Education Students
Learn about independent schools serving special education students, including an application and a list of approved schools.
Indicator 11 Webinar
Levels of Evidence and Research Based Practices
The Levels of Evidence and Research-Based Practices guidance document is to support teams in considering the strength of evidence for particular practices being used in instruction and intervention, and to clarify the expectations related to research-based practices and special education eligibility.
Multilingual Learners
Case Study - Mateo
- Meet Mateo
- Form 1 - Notice of Meeting, Eligibility
- Form 1 - Notice of Meeting, EPT
- Form 2 - Special Education Evaluation Plan
- Form 2 - Special Education Evaluation Report
- Form 3 - Prior Written Notice for Special Education Evaluation
- Form 3a - Consent for a Special Education Evaluation
- Form 5 - Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Form 6 - Consent for Initial Provision of Special Education Services
- Form 12 - Parental Input Page
Restraint and Seclusion (Rule 4500)
The use of restraint and seclusion in schools is governed by Vermont State Board of Education Rule 4500. The purpose of State Board Rule 4500 is to create and maintain a positive and safe learning environment in schools, promote positive behavioral interventions and supports in schools, and ensure that students are not subjected to inapprporiate use of restraint or seclusion. The Agency of Education provides Rule 4500 guidance, reporting forms and Q&A.
Secondary Transition
- Writing Quality Secondary Transition IEPs that Include the Required Elements of Indicator 13
- A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities
- Continuation of Special Education Services: Provision for Students Turning 22
- Transition Assessment Planning Form is a tool which helps IEP teams determine what assessments will be done and when.
- Secondary Transition Planning in the IEP with Kat Pfannenstiel (January 10, 2023): Office Hour: The 8 Elements of Indicator 13
- Indicator 13 Training: Spotlight on Transition Assessments (September 28, 2021): This session goes in depth into the world of transition assessments. It covers the many different types available for measuring a student's strengths, needs, preferences and interests in order to create a legitimate transition plan.
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Transition Goals Training (October 19, 2021): This training covers postsecondary goals, annual IEP transition goals, and transition services. Each of these three different aspects of an IEP transition plan are defined and examples are given for each so the participant can make distinctions between these three items.
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Graduation Readiness Tool: The Vermont Graduation Readiness Tool is designed to address a long standing challenge for IEP teams in VT, which is, how to determine the graduation date for students with disabilities particularly students with developmental disabilities.
- Implementing Transition Services During Remote Learning is a resource document which provides recommendations for the local-level provision of transition services during remote learning, with the goal of ensuring continued quality implementation of special education.
- Indicator 13: Secondary Transition Training (Video): This training is a recording of the Indicator 13 training that VT AOE provided on October 20, 2020. This training provides a complete overview of Vermont's new IEP Post-Secondary Transition Plan Form and the suite of new tools designed to help Special Educators be in compliance with Indicator 13.
- Secondary Transition Best Practices Self-Assessment - This video reviews a new tool available to LEAs. The tool helps LEAs self assess their own internal systems as they relate to the secondary transition. The tool lets LEAs see what areas they can address to improve their secondary transition systems.
- Secondary Transition Best Practices Self Assessment Tool
- Transition Plan Improvement Training (Indicator 13) Using Fictional Transition Plans (Video): This highly requested training was done on January 12, 2021 and goes through actual transition plans (fictional or names redacted) and checks them against the Indicator 13 checklist. John Spinney goes through and explains why items in these plans passed or didn’t pass (in terms of meeting Indicator 13 compliance). Please follow along and have the Indicator 13 checklist special educator edition pulled up.
- 2022 Course of Study Training - The 8th Element of Indicator 13 - Full overview of the Course of Study Element of Indicator 13.
- IDEA Summary of Performance Training - Full overview of the IDEA required Summary of Performance.
- Participation in Graduation Activities for Students Eligible for Special Education
- Personalized Learning and Transition Planning Module Series, a professional learning opportunity presented by Lee Ann Jung and Lead Inclusion - In this five module series participants will identify and explore the implications for students with disabilities accessing personalized learning plans and proficiency-based graduation requirements. This module series is a companion to the VT AOE Case Study Learning Project. These modules were created by Lee Ann Jung, a nationally recognized expert on disability, inclusion, personalization and proficiency based learning.
- Post-Secondary Education Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities
- Post Secondary Transition Planning Presentation 2020
- Proficiency-Based Graduation Requirements (PBGR) – Access Plan
- Proficiency-Based Graduation Requirements (PBGR) – Access Plan (Blank Template)
- Dual Enrollment: Implications for Special Education
- Dual Enrollment: Disability Services Contact Information
- Career and Technical Education Resources Related to Disability
- Vermont AOE Case Study Project
The Vermont AOE Case Study Project provides exemplars of the inter-relationship between a student’s personalized learning plan (PLP), IEP transition plan and the student’s pathway to meeting proficiency-based graduation requirements (PBGRs). - Vermont Indicator 13 Suite of Tools
- Individualized Education Program Post-Secondary Transition Plan Template (Fillable Form)
This is Vermont’s new post-secondary transition plan template of the IEP. This template has embedded technical assistance to improve Indicator 13 documentation- Individualized Education Program Post-Secondary Transition Plan Sample - Jodi (From the Case Study Project)
This is a sample IEP transition plan on the new form using a fictional student named Jodi from the VT AOE Case Study Project.
- Individualized Education Program Post-Secondary Transition Plan Sample - Jodi (From the Case Study Project)
- Vermont Indicator 13 Checklist – Self Assessment for Special Educators
This one page tool for high school special educators is designed to be a quick reference guide to the 8 elements of Indicator 13 as well as an easy way to self-assess for I-13 compliance. - Vermont Indicator 13 Technical Assistance Sheet
This is an in-depth technical assistance sheet for completing the Indicator 13 checklist.
- Individualized Education Program Post-Secondary Transition Plan Template (Fillable Form)
- Summary of Performance Exit Report
- Sample Summary of Performance Exit Report
- VT Summary of Performance (SOP) – Special Educator Self-Assessment
Parent Resources
- VT Family Network - Family Guide to Transition Services in Vermont
- VT Family Network - Transition to Adulthood Toolkit
Severe Learning Discrepancy
The Severe Learning Discrepancy (SLD) software is to be used by Evaluation Planning Teams to determine whether the cognitive and achievement test scores for students suspected of having a specific learning disability meet the regulatory requirement of a 1.5 standard deviation gap between expected achievement levels and actual achievement levels.
Please note: The Agency of Education is no longer supporting or updating this software.
Special Education Acronyms/Initialisms List
This is a list of acronyms of technical terms.
Vermont Alternate Assessment Selection Process and the Learner Characteristic Inventory
This training is designed as a high-level introduction on accessing the Learner Characteristic Inventory (LCI) and the test selection process. The LCI is the registration tool, and first step educators must take, in order to assign the VTAA to their student. This brief training is not intended to replace the comprehensive Alternate Test Administrator (ATA) certification course found on the Vermont Common Assessment Portal. All educators will need to complete the TA Certification Course to access the LCI and the ATA Certification Course to launch the VTAA.
Vermont Family Engagement Toolkit and Self-Assessment
The Vermont Family Engagement Toolkit and Self-Assessment was designed to be an easy-to-use, practical guide for educators seeking to develop and maintain growth of school, district, Supervisory Union (SU), or Supervisory District (SD) family engagement work, including for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The Toolkit provides researched-based information, proven strategies, a Self-Assessment to reflect on your own practice, and links to additional tools that can be customized to SU, district and school needs.
Family Engagement for Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team Members: Ensuring Meaningful Participation by Families: This resource provides strategies for Individualized Education Program Team members to consider to develop a more comprehensive approach to family engagement for families of children with disabilities. These strategies may also support school or district family engagement efforts. The strategies are organized by Family Engagement Core Principles and align with the Family Engagement Toolkit and Self-Assessment.
Waiver: Special Education/Independent School Waiver Request
LEA-placed students in independent schools MUST be approved for ALL disability categories in which the student has been identified. The Secretary may permit, in exceptional circumstances, a special education placement in an independent school that is not approved for ALL of a student’s disabilities. The LEA is required to complete the Special Education/Independent School Waiver Request for the Secretary consider approving a waiver request. A team of four (representing legal, interagency, independent schools and special education) review the waiver requests and provide recommendations to the Secretary of Education. Any approved waiver is only good for the current school year.