BOARD/COMMISSION:  Special Education Advisory Panel

SEAP is a federally mandated advisory group providing policy guidance with respect to special education and related services for children with disabilities in Minnesota. SEAP membership shall be representative of the state population and composed of individuals involved in or concerned with the education of children with disabilities. Applicants should be knowledgeable on issues, laws and policies pertaining to students with disabilities and their families.

SEAP members must represent one or more of the following groups:

•  parents of children with disabilities (age birth through 26)
• representatives of institutions of higher education that prepare special education and related services personnel
• representative of a vocational, community or business organization concerned with the provision of transition services to children with disabilities
• administrators of programs for children with disabilities
• a representative from the state child welfare agency responsible for foster care
• representatives of other state agencies involved in the financing or delivery of related services to children with disabilities
• representatives of private schools and public charter schools
• representatives from the state juvenile and adult correction agencies
• individuals with disabilities
• teachers
• state and local education officials, including officials who carry out activities under subtitle B of title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

Geographic balance and racial diversity are taken into account when selecting SEAP members.

 SEAP members participate in four to six meetings a year at MDE.

The state is required to establish and maintain an advisory panel for the purpose of providing policy guidance with respect to special education and related services for children with disabilities in the state.

Duties required by the Code of Federal Regulations 34 C.F.R. §.300.169 (1-5):

1.  Advise the State Education Agency (SEA) of unmet needs within the State in the education of children with disabilities;

2.  Comment publicly on any rules or regulations proposed by the State regarding the education of children with disabilities;

3.  Advise the SEA in developing evaluations and reporting on data to the Secretary under section 618 of the Act;

4.  Advise the SEA in developing corrective action plans to address findings identified in Federal monitoring reports under Part B of the Act;

5.  Advise the SEA in developing and implementing policies relating to the coordination of services for children with disabilities;

6.  The SEA, after deleting personally identifiable information must provide the SEAP with the due process hearing findings and decisions and make those findings and decisions available to the public. CFR 300.513(d) & 300.514(c)