On May 14, 2014, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released new guidance confirming that the same federal civil rights laws that apply to other public schools apply equally to public charter schools.

This summary from NYSED provides a list of New York State laws and regulations that differ from those required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and federal regulations in effect as of May 2014. Items are included in the list where there are no comparable federal requirements because the federal statute and regulations are silent on the subject (e.g., provisions governing rate setting or the payment of State excess cost aid) as well as where NYS requirements go beyond federal requirements.  

On May 8, 2014, the Department of Justice and the Department of Education issued an updated set of guidance documents to all public school districts reminding them of their obligation under federal law to provide equal educational opportunities to all children residing in their districts, and to offer assistance to ensure they are complying with the law.