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State Special Education Advisory Committee (SSEAC)

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News and Announcement

State Special Education Advisory Committee (SSEAC) Meeting –
Next Meeting: December 5-6, 2024

The State Special Education Advisory Committee (SSEAC) will convene in-person over two days: Thursday, December 5, 2024, between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Friday, December 6, 2024, between 9 a.m. - noon. The purpose of this meeting is to transact the business statutorily required or necessary to continue the operations of the SSEAC. It will be held at the following location: Hilton Garden Hotel Richmond Airport, 441 International Center Drive, Sandston, Virginia 23150. 
 
Oral public comment will be accepted on Thursday, December 5, 2024, between 1 - 1:30 p.m. However, written public comment is also accepted. Written public comments should be received by 7 a.m. Thursday, December 5, 2024. Please submit any written comments to SSEAC@doe.virginia.gov. All written public comments will be shared with the SSEAC members following oral public comments.
 
If you have any questions regarding this meeting, please contact Dr. Chiquita Seaborne, via email, at Chiquita.Seaborne@doe.virginia.gov, or via telephone, at (804) 418-4672.

 

About SSEAC

The State Special Education Advisory Committee (SSEAC) is organized and functions in accordance with state and federal requirements. The Committee's functions include the following:

  • defining plans for identifying children with disabilities;
  • formulating and developing long-range plans that will provide services for children with disabilities;
  • determining the unmet needs of children with disabilities within the state;
  • developing priorities and strategies for meeting identified needs of children with disabilities;
  • reviewing and making public comment on the State Improvement Plan, the procedures for the distribution of funds under Part B of IDEA, and any rules or regulations proposed by the state regarding the education of children with disabilities;
  • review findings and decisions regarding due process procedures for parents and children;
  • advise the state in developing corrective action plans to address findings identified in Federal monitoring reports; and
  • prepare and submit an annual report to the Virginia Board of Education.

Membership

The SSEAC is composed of representatives of stakeholder groups as prescribed by IDEA. A majority of the members must be individuals with a disability or parents of children with a disability eligible to receive services under IDEA. Members are appointed by the Virginia Board of Education. Members serve without compensation; however members are reimbursed for expenses incurred while attending meetings.

Organization

The activities of the SSEAC are governed by the Board of Education by-laws. The SSEAC year runs from July 1 to June 30. Several subcommittees are established to help conduct the work of the committee. Members are assigned to a subcommittee and a member of the executive committee chairs each subcommittee. Department of Education staff members are available to each of the Subcommittees to provide technical assistance.

Meetings

The SSEAC meets in regular session four times a year. Each regular session generally consists of one full day meeting followed by a half-day meeting the next day. Subcommittees and the executive committee meet as necessary to fulfill their responsibilities. Each regular meeting includes a public comment period.

The State Special Education Advisory Committee (SSEAC) welcomes public comment at each of its regular meetings. See the Guidelines for Public Comment (Word) for information about SSEAC policies and procedures for submitting comments. Speakers or those wishing to attend who need special accommodations, including an interpreter, must request needed accommodations at least two weeks (10 business days) prior to the meeting. For questions or more information regarding SSEAC, please contact the Virginia Department of Education via email at SSEAC@doe.virginia.gov or by phone at (804) 750-8078, or Dr. Chiquita Seaborne, via email, at Chiquita.Seaborne@doe.virginia.gov, or via telephone, at (804) 418-4672. 

Meetings are held in the Richmond area. The specific location of each meeting is included on the agenda for each meeting.

2024

2023

2022

Annual Reports

Local Special Education Advisory Committees (LSEAC)

Virginia school divisions are required to have a special education advisory committee. The purpose of the committee is to provide an opportunity for parents and other school board appointees to have a voice in the way that school divisions provide services to students with disabilities. LSEAC members are appointed by local school boards. The committees provide reports and recommendations to their school boards. More about Local Special Education Advisory Committees.

A Guide for Local Special Education Advisory Committees in Virginia 

Since 2005, the Virginia Department of Education has collaborated with the Center for Family Involvement at the Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University to develop and revise a guide that outlines the legal mandates of the Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia (the Virginia Regulations), at 8VAC20-81-230.D, related to the local advisory committee or, as is commonly referred to in Virginia as a local Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC). 

The purpose of the SEACs Guide:  A Guide for Local Special Education Advisory Committees in Virginia (PDF) is to provide basic information for local SEAC members and school division representatives regarding SEAC roles and functions. SEACs can play a critical role in assisting school divisions in shaping services for students with disabilities.  It is intended that this guide be used to strengthen collaboration and effective working relationships among families, school board members, division staff and administrators, and community members as a means of improving special education services and outcomes for students with disabilities. This guide was revised in 2011 to comply with revisions to the Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia (published January 25, 2010). The 2020 revision of the guide was supported by a team of parents who serve (or served) as local SEAC chairs and the Virginia Department of Education staff.

The VDOE provides various training opportunities on special education related topics including the roles and responsibilities of the SEAC. You can find information regarding the availability of the training located in the Training Opportunities section on the Information for Families page.