ORS 343.041 Supervision of programs for children with disabilities by Superintendent of Public Instruction; rules; complaint procedure; staff training; public agency cooperative agreements

Pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be responsible for the general supervision of all special education programs for children with disabilities, early childhood special education and early intervention services for preschool children with disabilities within the state, including all such programs administered by any state agency or common or union high school district or education service district.

All special education programs for children with disabilities, early childhood special education and early intervention services for preschool children with disabilities within this state shall meet the standards and criteria established therefor by the State Board of Education.

The State Board of Education shall adopt by rule procedures whereby the superintendent investigates and resolves complaints that the Department of Education, a local education agency or an early intervention or early childhood special education contractor has violated a federal law or statute that applies to a special education or early childhood special education program. Complaint procedures must comply with the provisions of ORS 343.165.

The State Board of Education shall adopt rules relating to the establishment and maintenance of standards to ensure that personnel providing special education and early childhood special education and early intervention services are appropriately and adequately trained.

The Governor shall direct that agencies affected by this section enter into cooperative agreements to achieve necessary uniformity in meeting the standards and criteria established by the state board under subsection (2) of this section.

The Governor shall direct that each public agency obligated under federal or state law to provide or pay for any services that are also considered special education or related services necessary for ensuring a free appropriate public education to children with disabilities, including but not limited to the Department of Human Services, enter into cooperative agreements with the Department of Education concerning:

Allocation among agencies of financial responsibility for providing services;

Conditions, terms and procedures for reimbursement; and

Policies and procedures for coordinating timely and appropriate delivery of services.

All cooperative agreements entered into under subsections (5) and (6) of this section shall include procedures for resolving interagency disputes.