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Senate debate over special education paperwork: proposal to drop short‑term objectives and delay transition planning laid over
Summary
Senate file 2078 proposes to reduce special education paperwork by removing the short‑term‑objectives requirement for most IEPs and allowing delay of formal transition planning to age 16 with parental consent. Administrators, teachers and parent advocates disagreed on the measure; the committee laid the bill over for further stakeholder work.
Senate file 2078, introduced by Senator Farnsworth, aims to reduce special education paperwork by aligning Minnesota rules more closely with federal requirements. The proposal would (1) remove the statewide requirement that every measurable annual goal in an IEP include short‑term objectives or benchmarks (a federal requirement only for students taking alternate assessments), and (2) allow transition planning to begin up to age 16 by parental consent instead of requiring transition evaluation at ninth grade or age 14 in all cases. The committee heard extensive testimony and laid the bill over for additional stakeholder negotiation.
Supporters, including Nicole Woodward, executive director of the St. Croix River Education District speaking for the Minnesota Administrators for…
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