Report: Education Department Scaled Back Special Education Monitoring

July 17, 2026 - 03:02

Federal teams responsible for ensuring states comply with laws protecting students with disabilities have visited fewer than half of the states originally scheduled for review in 2025 and 2026, according to a new report. The Education Department has quietly scaled back its monitoring efforts, raising concerns among advocates and families who rely on federal oversight to hold school systems accountable.

The report, which analyzed internal agency data, shows that the department conducted on-site reviews in only a fraction of the planned states. These visits are critical for identifying violations such as failure to provide individualized education programs, inadequate services, or improper discipline of disabled students. Without them, experts say, problems can go unchecked for years.

The reduction appears to stem from staffing shortages and shifting priorities within the Office for Civil Rights and the Office of Special Education Programs. Critics argue the move leaves vulnerable students without a key safeguard. Some states with long histories of noncompliance were reportedly removed from the review schedule entirely.

Parents and disability rights groups have called on Congress to investigate the cuts and restore full monitoring. The Education Department has not issued a public statement explaining the decision. Meanwhile, advocates warn that the lack of federal oversight could lead to a rollback of hard-won protections for millions of students with disabilities across the country.