Special Education Resolution Center

Join the Special Education Resolution Center (SERC) for a FREE, two-part evening series designed to give parents in the Edmond School District practical information, tools, and resources for navigating special education and partnering with your child’s school. The evening sessions will be held Thursday, October 29 and Thursday, November 12 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the Edmond Public School District Office, 1001 W. Danforth Rd. SERC is the state’s neutral agency for dispute resolution in partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE).

• Night One: Understanding Special Education - Learn about the key principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including free and appropriate public education, parent participation, evaluation and eligibility, the IEP, least restrictive environment, and procedural safeguards.
• Night Two: Communication, Collaboration, & Advocacy - Explore strategies for productive communication and collaboration, effective advocacy, and navigating information in today’s digital world (including the benefits and limitations of using AI), and accessing reputable, trustworthy resources.

To register for Let's Talk IEPs - A Parent Resource Series for Edmond Public Schools Parents, fill out the registration form at https://bit.ly/4AlRb96. Come with questions, leave with resources, and build the knowledge and tools to be an active partner in your child’s education.

If you’ve participated in a special education evaluation or eligibility meeting, you may have heard the term MEEGS. But what does that mean?

MEEGS stands for Multidisciplinary Evaluation and Eligibility Group Summary. The MEEGS brings together information from the evaluation process to help the group consider whether a student meets the requirements for eligibility for special education services.

The word multidisciplinary is important. Determining eligibility isn't based on a single test, score, observation, or perspective. Information from different sources is considered as the group develops a more complete understanding of the student and their educational needs.

During the eligibility process, the group reviews the evaluation information and considers whether the student meets the criteria for one or more of the disability categories under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). If they do meet the needs of one or more of the IDEA disability categories, special education and related services should be provided to the student. The MEEGS documents and summarizes that process and the group's eligibility determination.

Why does this matter? An eligibility decision is an important educational decision, and families and educators may bring different information and perspectives to the conversation. Looking at the information together can help the group develop a shared understanding of what the evaluation tells them about the student and how that information relates to eligibility.

Understanding the purpose of the MEEGS can help families and educators participate more meaningfully in eligibility conversations, ask questions about the information being considered, and share information they believe may help the group better understand the student. For more information, visit the OSDE-SES Policy and Procedures Manual at https://bit.ly/4xQcnSp starting at page 189.

We invite you to follow along each week and share your questions, experiences, and insights as we learn together.

Every quarter, check out the helpful resources put together by SERC staff for parents and educators in our SERC Scoop Newsletter! Together, we can work to resolve special education disputes at the earliest stage possible.

Sign up for our email list to get the Scoop directly to your inbox each quarter on the SERC Scoop Newsletter webpage, or read the September 2026 SERC Scoop on our website at https://bit.ly/4iUaa4v!

If you’ve participated in a special education evaluation or reevaluation, you may have heard the term RED. But what does that mean?

RED stands for "review of existing data." As part of an initial evaluation and/or reevaluation, the individualized education program (IEP) team and other qualified professionals review information already available about the student. This may include previous evaluations, information provided by parents, classroom assessments and observations, and information from teachers and other service providers.

Why review information the team already has? The purpose isn't simply to collect more data. The team considers what the existing information tells them about the student and whether additional information is needed to make important educational decisions.

For example, the review can help the team determine what additional data, if any, are needed to decide whether the student has or continues to have a disability and needs special education and related services, as well as to identify the student's educational needs.

Why does this matter? Families and educators often bring different information and perspectives about a student to the conversation. RED provides an opportunity to consider that information together and identify what the team already knows—and what it may still need to learn.

Understanding the purpose of the RED can help families and educators participate more meaningfully in evaluation and reevaluation conversations, ask questions about the information being considered, and share information they believe may help the team better understand the student. For more information, view the Oklahoma Department of Education - Special Education Services (OSDE-SES) Policy and Procedures Manual at https://bit.ly/4xQcnSp, starting on page 77.

We invite you to follow along each week and share your questions, experiences, and insights as we learn together.

If you’ve participated in an individualized education program (IEP) meeting, you may have heard the term FAPE used when discussing a student’s special education services. But what does that mean?

FAPE stands for Free Appropriate Public Education. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), eligible students with disabilities have the right to receive special education and related services that are provided at public expense and designed to meet their individual educational needs.

During an IEP meeting, you may hear FAPE discussed when the team is considering the services, supports, accommodations, goals, or other components of a student's educational program. The IEP is an important part of how FAPE is provided to an eligible student.

Why does this matter? FAPE doesn't mean that every student receives the same educational program. The word appropriate is important. The IEP team considers the unique needs of the individual student and develops an educational program designed to provide the student with an appropriate education under IDEA.

Understanding what FAPE means can help everyone at the table better understand the purpose behind many of the conversations and decisions that take place during an IEP meeting. Shared understanding of the language can make it easier for team members to follow the conversation, ask questions, and participate fully in making important educational decisions for a student.

We invite you to follow along each week and share your questions, experiences, and insights as we learn together.

If you’ve participated in an individualized education program (IEP) meeting, you may have heard someone referred to as the LEA. But what does that mean?

LEA stands for Local Education Agency. In most situations, LEA refers to the local school district or other public agency responsible for providing special education and related services to eligible students.

During an IEP meeting, you may also hear someone referred to as the LEA representative. This is a member of the IEP team who represents the school district and meets specific requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Among other things, this person must be knowledgeable about the district’s resources and have the authority to commit those resources to support the student’s educational needs.

Why does this matter? The IEP team isn't simply discussing what a student needs. It’s making decisions about the special education services and supports that will be provided. Having an LEA representative at the table helps ensure that the team can have meaningful conversations and make decisions about the resources needed to implement the student's IEP.

Understanding the language used in an IEP meeting can make it easier for everyone at the table to follow the conversation, ask questions, and participate fully in making important educational decisions for a student.

We invite you to follow along each week and share your questions, experiences, and insights as we learn together.

Are your school meetings productive, collaborative, and solution-focused — or do they sometimes feel like they get stuck in the weeds? Whether you’re leading IEP meetings, staff discussions, or parent conferences, the ability to guide a group toward shared understanding is a game-changing skill.

Join SERC for our one-day facilitation training on September 14, 2026, designed for anyone in a leadership role within their district: counselors, principals, special education directors, and special education teachers. In this hands-on training, you’ll learn:
• Essential qualities and skills every great facilitator should have
• The facilitator’s role before, during, and after a meeting
• Practical strategies for keeping conversations on track, even when discussions get tough
• A full toolbox of techniques you can use immediately in your own meetings

This session is perfect for districts wanting to develop in-house facilitators for IEP meetings or for educators who want to sharpen their communication and conflict-resolution skills. You’ll leave with resources, strategies, and the confidence to lead any meeting, no matter how challenging.

To register for the September 2026 Facilitation Training opportunity, visit https://okserc.org/stakeholder-training/.

Today begins a new series highlighting ten of the most common special education acronyms used in individualized education program (IEP) meetings.

Language plays an important role in helping people communicate and work together effectively. School teams use special education acronyms every day, so these terms become second nature. For many parents, however, these acronyms may be unfamiliar, making it more difficult to follow the conversation and participate fully in the meeting.

Each week we'll highlight one acronym, explaining what it means, how it's commonly used, and why it's important when discussing the unique educational supports and services a student may need.

Our goal is simple: to help everyone at the table share a common understanding so that conversations can be more collaborative, meaningful, and productive.

We invite you to follow along each week and share your questions, experiences, and insights as we learn together.

Join SERC for Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue training offered in Tulsa on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue is a nationally recognized training that helps people have difficult conversations that they are afraid to have or that aren't going well. And the focus of the training is not just about communication - it's about helping people get the results they want and need.

Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue can help you in your conversations with:
• School administrators
• Staff and personnel, including general ed teachers
• Services resource providers
• IEP team members
• Parents and their advocates

The class takes place over two days from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM each day. The class is open to district administrators, special education directors/staff, and parent agencies.

To register for SERC's Fall 2026 Stakeholder Training opportunities, visit https://okserc.org/stakeholder-training/.

Be sure to explore everything SERC has to offer on our website. Registration is now open for our fall regional trainings on the Stakeholder Training webpage, including:
• Facilitation Meetings
• Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue

These regional training opportunities are available in both the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas.

If you hop over to our Wisdom Wednesday Monthly Webinar page at
https://okserc.org/wisdom-wednesdays-monthly-webinar/, you will see links to register for our upcoming webinars on a variety of different special education topics.

If you cannot attend live, don't worry! All of our previous webinars are archived for easy access.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for news, updates, and a behind-the-scenes look at SERC's work across Oklahoma! We look forward to connecting with you.