California
California special education hub
Starter orientation for California families and staff. Our Texas section is deeper today. Everything here points to official California Department of Education and federal sources.
Overview
Special education in California runs on the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) plus state rules administered by the California Department of Education. Local districts deliver the services.
California uses the federal vocabulary. The team that writes the plan is the IEP team, and the plan is the IEP. Texas terms such as ARD are Texas specific and do not describe California practice, so we do not use them on these pages.
We do not publish California day counts or deadline numbers. Timelines have exceptions and they are updated by rule. Confirm anything time sensitive with California Department of Education materials and with your district in writing.
Seven regional PTIs in California. Use CPIR Find Your Center: https://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/
Pages in this hub
- IEP meetings in California
Who is on the team, what the meeting covers, and how parents take part.
- Asking for an evaluation
How evaluation requests usually start, and where to confirm current California timelines and forms.
- Parent rights and safeguards
An orientation to the procedural safeguards notice. It is an overview, not a replacement for the notice itself.
For parents in California
Follow the parent journey, then see For Parents. New to the vocabulary? Read the glossary terms IEP, FAPE, LRE, and procedural safeguards. National companions live in Guides.
For California schools
District and building leaders can start with For Schools, then use California Department of Education guidance and your regional support system for state specific training.
Official starting points
- California Department of Education
- IDEA (U.S. Department of Education)
- Find your parent center: use the national directory to reach the center serving California.
- Disability Rights California: the protection and advocacy agency for California.
- Center for Parent Information and Resources
Looking for another state? See all state sections.
Not legal advice. Not medical advice.