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    Our Mission

    It is the mission of the Exceptional Student Education Department to ensure that schools provide opportunities and programs that encourage students to develop academic and social skills commensurate with their abilities. The commitment of the ESE Department is to assist all school personnel in the appropriate identification, placement, and programming for exceptional students. It is recognized that parent training, community awareness, and services to families are essential to student success. This website is designed to give you an overview of the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Department of the Leon County School District in Tallahassee, Florida, and the many services available to students that qualify for ESE programs. If you are new to Leon County, information is included that will facilitate your child's entrance into our district and, if applicable, into an appropriate exceptional program. A brief description of each exceptional program and its eligibility requirements is provided as well as other valuable information regarding your child's Individual Education Plan (IEP).

     The Exceptional Student Education Department is committed to giving exceptional students the means of achieving their annual goals as specified in each student's Individual Education Plan while educating them in the least restrictive environment.

     If you have any questions, please contact the counselor at your child's school, the ESE Program Specialist assigned to your child's school (listed on ESE District Staff to the left), or the Exceptional Student Education office at 850-487-7160.    

     
     
     
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    Exceptional Student Education (ESE) District Advisory Council (DAC) 

    September 16, 2025

    November 6, 2025

    April 9, 2026

    May 7, 2026

    Meetings will be held at 

    6:00 pm at the Aquilina Howell Building 

    3955 West Pensacola St

     

    Stay connected with what is happening in the ESE world and connect with other parents of students with disabilities to share resources and engage in supportive dialogue through the LCS DAC Facebook page 

      

     
    Save the Date!
     
    ESE Family Resource Expo
    February 19, 2026
    Lively Technical College
    5:00-8:00 pm
     
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    PCIT Flyer
     
    Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Deaf Education
     
    University of North Florida’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Deaf Education University of North Florida’s online Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Deaf Education program is designed for professionals (e.g., teachers, paraprofessionals and interpreters) who are currently working with or aspire to work with deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) students and have not yet completed the FDOE K-12 Deaf or Hard of Hearing Professional Certificate. In order to enroll in the program, applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree (education degree not required). The content in the Certificate in Deaf Education program, is designed to help post-baccalaureate students prepare for the Florida Teacher Certification Examination Deaf or Hard of Hearing K-12 exam. The certificate program contains only five online courses, four deaf education courses and one elective. The program can be completed in one year; however, students can choose to move through the program more slowly. The certificate program has
    rolling admission, meaning students can join the program during any semester. For more information about the program, go to  Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Deaf Education or contact deafeducation@unf.edu.

    Para to Teacher Tuition Support Program for Exceptional Student Educators

    The state-funded Exceptional Student Education Tuition Program has funds available for the 2025-26 academic year. The program is available to help provide financial assistance to paraprofessionals currently working with students receiving exceptional education in Florida’s public schools. Paraprofessionals who already have an associate of arts degree or equivalent college coursework, or those who currently hold a bachelor’s degree in a nonacademic field, may be eligible to receive tuition support to earn a visual impairment, or early childhood with the prekindergarten endorsement. For program requirements and information, go to the Para to Teacher Tuition Support for Exceptional Student Educators web page. For questions, contact the Para to Teacher Program at paratoteach@uwf.edu. 

     

    Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Endorsement Tuition Support Program

    Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Endorsement Tuition Support Program The ESE Endorsement Tuition Support Program provides financial assistance to ESE educators or speech-language pathologists who are teaching students identified as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Prekindergarten (PreK)/ESE in Florida public schools. Information about this endorsement tuition support program is being disseminated to assist teachers seeking an endorsement in ASD or PreK/ESE. Please include announcements of this ESE Endorsement Tuition Support Program in regional notices, listservs or newsletters for teachers. To view the application, go to https://florida-ese.org/tuition-support. For further assistance, contact Melanie Morales at ESESupport@fiu.edu.

     

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  • Para-to-Teacher Tuition Support Program Live Recruitment Zoom Session If you are a paraprofessional working with students with disabilities, now is the time to follow your passion for the classroom and earn a bachelor’s degree in exceptional student education (ESE). If you already have an Associate in Arts degree or equivalent college coursework, you can join a live recruitment Zoom session and learn more. Please join Dr. Keri Fogle and Russell Gremillion, co-directors of the state-funded Para-to-Teacher Tuition Support Program, on June 29, 2021, at 4 p.m. EDT. They will discuss the program’s requirements and the application process and then answer questions on earning your bachelor’s degree in ESE, deaf education or visual disabilities. For program information on the Para-to-Teacher Tuition Support Program, go to https://paratoteacherprogram.com. To receive a link to join the session, contact Dr. Keri Fogle at kerifogle@uwf.edu or Russell Gremillion at rgremillion@uwf.edu.
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  • The Special Education Innovation Network The Special Education Innovation Network is a newly formed national group of special education researchers, nonprofit organizations and assistive technology software developers. Each member of the network has developed an education technology tool with an award from the Small Business Innovation Research programs at the United States Department of Education’s (USDOE’s) Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Science Foundation, and programs at the National Center for Special Education Research at IES and the Office of Special Education Programs at the USDOE. To view the directory of the tools titled, “READY NOW: Education Technology Resources to Support Special Education Practitioners and Children and Students with or At Risk for Disabilities,” go to http://signetwork.org/content_page_assets/content_page_3/Ready%20Now%20Special%20Educatio n%202020.pdf. For more information or questions, contact Peg Sullivan, director, Florida’s State Personnel Development Grant, and director, Working with the Experts for Occupational and Physical Therapists, at msulliva@fgcu.edu; or Mary Walsh, program specialist, Bureau of Exceptional Student Education, at Mary.Walsh@fldoe.org. 
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