Special Education Desk Review

The intent of the Special Education Desk Review is to assist educational agencies in building the foundation to ensure compliance and continuous improvement within the educational agency’s special education program and services. During the desk review process, educational agencies are asked to make data-based determinations of their effectiveness in meeting the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The educational agency will review its special education policies, procedures, and practices, three-year special education data trends, student performance outcomes, and special education records to identify priority areas of concern and root causes. This will assist the educational agency in making objective, data-based decisions to develop goals and strategies that will be integrated into the educational agency’s ED STEPS One Plan.

The Department's Supports and Monitoring Team will identify educational agencies for a Special Education Desk Review through the EDSTEPS Cohort List, avoiding multiple adjustments to the One Plan. Each educational agency must complete this review every six years and may be monitored through other processes concurrently. Below is a chart showing the breakdown of the cohorts ensuring that educational agencies complete this process once every six years:

Cohort	Pilot	Cohort 1a (A-L)	Cohort 2a  (A-L)	Cohort 3a  (A-L)	Cohort 1b  (M-Z)	Cohort 2b   (M-Z)	Cohort 3b  (M-Z)
School Year	2025-26	2026-27	2027-28	2028-29	2029-30	2030-31	2031-32

Click here to access the cohort assignments for completion of the desk review process.

The educational agency will upload all requested documents to the Special Education Desk Review program within the Monitoring app in the OH|ID portal.  

The Supports and Monitoring Team holds monthly information sessions offering technical assistance and addressing frequently asked questions regarding compliance. There will be sessions specific to the Special Education Desk Review during each phase of the process.  Click here to access the Supports and Monitoring Information Session webpage for specific dates and link to these sessions.

Resources and templates to complete the review process:

• 2025 Special Education Desk Review Guide
• Staff List template
• Learning Management System (LMS) Information Sheet for Desk Reviews
• LMS Completion Verification Form
• Internal Monitoring and Review Process Organizational Tool 
• 2025 Record Review Guide
• 2025 Record Review Comment Form
• 2025 Record Review Tally
• Special Education Assessment Report Templates:
  • For City, Local, Exempted Village, and Community Schools
  • For Educational Service Centers (ESCs)
  • For County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (CBDDs)
• One Plan Implementation Assurance Form

Last Modified: 10/6/2025 3:12:27 PM

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