North Dakota Proposes Amendments to Accreditation and Special Education Standards

The North Dakota Legislature's Administrative Rules Committee convened on September 2, 2025, to discuss significant amendments to educational accreditation and special education regulations. The proposed changes aim to enhance the accreditation process for public schools and update definitions related to special education.

The first major focus was on amending Article 60719, which pertains to school accreditation. This amendment is a direct implementation of Senate Bill 2362, recently passed by the legislature. The bill allows the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to contract with an accreditation organization, providing schools with an optional accreditation process at no cost. Schools can also select from a state-approved list of organizations, although they would bear the costs if they choose an alternative provider.

Key aspects of the proposed rules include establishing criteria for accreditation organizations, which must be nationally recognized and demonstrate measurable outcomes in areas such as student achievement and educator qualifications. The DPI will periodically review these organizations to ensure compliance, with the superintendent holding the authority to remove any that do not meet the established standards.

The committee also reviewed amendments to Article 60723, which updates definitions related to special education. These changes align with House Bill 1164, which revised terminology to be more inclusive and specific, such as replacing "hearing impairment" with "Deaf and hard of hearing." The updates aim to reflect current practices and standards in North Dakota's educational framework.

Both sets of proposed amendments were met with no public opposition during the comment periods, and they are expected to have no financial impact on the state or local school districts. The committee's discussions underscore a commitment to improving educational standards and ensuring that North Dakota's schools meet evolving needs in accreditation and special education.