Teacher of the Year Ceremony
Due to inclement weather, the Teacher of the Year Ceremony has been postponed to December 16, 2025 from 5-7pm. Doors will open at 4pm. The Ceremony will take place at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, and the order of events will remain the same.

New Haven 25-0337

Complaint Summary

Date Findings Report Sent:

March 7, 2025

Case Number:

25-0337

Grade Level:

Elementary

Person filing complaint:

Parent

School District:

New Haven Public Schools (single student)

Allegation(s):

  • Failure to provide special education and related services in conformity with an IEP (34 CFR § 300.17(d))
  • Failure to provide a special education teacher that has obtained full State certification as a special education teacher or to provide a paraeducator with State-approved certification to carry out the purposes of IDEA Part B (Section 612(a)(14) of IDEA and 34 CFR § 300.156)

Conclusion(s):

  • The District is in violation of 34 CFR § 300.17(d). The Student’s IEP states that the Student must be provided with structured literacy services 1x for 150 minutes in site 2a. The District indicated that the structured literacy services were provided 5x per week for 30 minutes. The Student’s IEP lists a special education teacher as the Responsible Staff and special education teacher/paraeducator as Service Implementer for the structured literacy services. The District indicated that the special education teacher was absent from October 30, 2024, to December 9, 2024, during which time the paraeducator provided the structured literacy services. A special education teacher was unavailable to act as the Responsible Staff for the structured literacy services during the time the special education teacher was absent. Corrective action is required.
  • The District is not in violation of Section 612(a)(14) of IDEA or 34 CFR § 300.156. The District indicated that the special education teacher providing the structured literacy services is a certified teacher in the State of Connecticut in Special Education, General Education K-6, and Administration. The paraeducator has a bachelor’s degree, which meets the Title 1 requirements for paraeducators. The special education teacher and paraeducator that provided the structured literacy services meet the appropriate qualifications based on the requirements for the State of Connecticut.

Corrective Action(s):

  • The District must develop a compensatory service plan to provide the Student with 13 hours of structured literacy services with a certified special education teacher as the Responsible Staff and a certified special education teacher or paraeducator as the Service Implementer in site 2a.
  • The District must send a copy of the compensatory service plan to the investigator at the BSE.