Shortcomings in both the quality and oversight of special education in Virginia put the commonwealth at odds with federal law and make it difficult â if not impossible â to determine how well students with disabilities are supported by their local school systems.
Those findings by the stateâs Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, presented at a meeting Monday, buttress long-held concerns from parents and special education advocates across Virginia. The lengthy report also mirrors many of the failures outlined in a June letter from the U.S. Department of Education, which found serious deficiencies in how the Virginia Department of Education monitored and responded to special education complaints.Â