Access is not just about placing a student in a classroom; it’s about inclusion, meaningful participation, and outcomes linked to standards. Equity is not just about resources; it’s about effective teachers, informed families, and strong Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams.
Progress is not just meeting the status quo. It’s about accelerating students’ advancement using the IEP process and specially-designed instruction — the earlier, the better.
The Division’s Access, Equity, and Progress Imperative gives school-age students with disabilities (age 3 to 21) equal access to both quality education and the ability to achieve in school. It provides them with effective and compassionate education services that reduce learning gaps between students with and without disabilities.
The focus of the DEI/SES is to narrow the gap between students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers by providing specially designed instruction meant to accelerate student progress and allow them to compete with nondisabled peers in the general education curriculum.
To achieve this vision and focus, the DEI/SES has organized itself around three action imperatives: early childhood; access, equity, and progress; and secondary transition.
The vision of the Maryland State Department of Education Division of Early Intervention and Special Education Services (DEI/SES) is that all students, including students with disabilities, will be ready for school, achieve in school, and be prepared for college, career, and community living.