The Department of Special Education of the Cleveland School District offers a wide range of programs to meet the individual needs of qualifying special education students. Eligible students are served as young as three and up to twenty-one years of age. Our district offers a variety of programs to serve the specialized needs of all students with disabilities. A continuum of services are offered as outlined by MDE and IDEA guidelines. For qualifying students, specialized services can include speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and educational interpreter services. 

Students must meet eligibility criteria as outlined by MDE guidelines.  Student identification procedures, achievement testing, programming, instructions, and flexible scheduling require the participation of all school personnel. The Cleveland School District  Special Services Department strives to recognize and enhance the potential of all students with disabilities. It is necessary to coordinate and implement Child Find procedures to locate, identify, and meet the needs of potentially disabled students.  It is also vital to maintain program continuity and coordination with general education to identify students in order to provide appropriate instruction.

The goal of the Department of Special Education is to provide support to the students and the schools by working on levels of specialized instruction to enhance educational opportunities in the general curriculum. Specialized educational programs for eligible students with disabilities are implemented to keep the students in the least restrictive environment.