60D Comment Response

1820-0678 Report of Dispute Resolution Under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Response to 60-day Comments

General

Comment: Two commenters expressed overall support for this data collections and expressed how the collection provides feedback regarding the functions of the U.S. Department of Education.

Discussion: The Department appreciates the commenters’ support for the Department to collect the Report of Dispute Resolution Under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and agree that these collections are necessary to the proper functions of the Department.

Changes: None.

Impact of the COVID-19 national emergency

Comment: Both commenters submitted concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 national emergency. Commenters expressed concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health emergency may impact the burden of collecting this data and the timelines. One commenter stressed the importance of continuing to collect data on Dispute resolution, even during the public health emergency, in order to ensure adherence to procedural safeguards for families receiving Part C services. Another commenter does not suggest any changes to the data collections due to COVID-19 but rather expresses concern that many state lead agencies and local programs are experiencing service and data disruptions that are likely to continue and be reflected in federal data for at least several years.

Discussion: The Department appreciates the commenters’ feedback regarding the impact of the COVID-19 national emergency on the data collections. Since these data collections span across three years, the Department does not believe it is necessary to add new data elements to capture contextual values for a portion of that time period. However, the Department does agree that the service and data disruptions that are likely to continue and be reflected in federal data for at least several years and OSEP will continue to work with state and local leaders to identify any additional areas where it can provide information to support stakeholders in their important work.

Changes: None.