Hawaiʻi State Department of Education

Ka ʻOihana Hoʻonaʻauao o ke Aupuni Hawaiʻi

Dispute Resolution

The Department encourages you to work cooperatively with schools to attempt to address your differences through informal means whenever possible. However, when those informal means prove unsuccessful, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations provide specific options for resolving disputes between parents and schools, which can be used in a manner consistent with our shared goals of improving results and achieving better outcomes for children with disabilities. These options include voluntarily engaging in mediation, filing a state written complaint, or initiating an impartial due process hearing. 

Have you considered taking these possible steps?

  • Contacting your child’s school staff (e.g., special education teacher, principal, etc.) to discuss the issue or concern you have.
  • Discussing the situation with your school’s district educational specialist.
  • Resolving the issue by a more formal approach through dispute resolution.

Mediation

Mediation is an impartial and voluntary process that can resolve issues quickly among disputing parties. With the assistance of an impartial, independent mediator who guides you through the process with the school to address special education concerns to resolve disagreements. Both you and the school must agree to participate. 

HIDOE makes mediation available through the Mediation Center of the Pacific (MCP). To request mediation, please: 

  1. Submit a form (PDF), or 
  2. Contact the center or call 808-521-6767.

The attached brochure, Special Education Mediation – Resolving Conflicts Between Parents and Schools (PDF), provides relevant information about using mediation as the first step in working through any conflicts between parents and schools regarding any aspect of special education. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Monitoring and Compliance Branch at [email protected] or 808-307-3600. The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) has developed the IDEA Special Education Mediation Parent Guide (PDF) as a resource for parents.

Special Education State Written Complaint 

According to 34 CFR §300.153 and HAR §8-60-54, an organization or individual may file a signed written state complaint if the organization or individual believes HIDOE has violated provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) and Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules (HAR) Chapter 60. To file a state written complaint, you may use the Special Education State Written Complaint Form (PDF).

Please refer to the cover letter Special Education Written Complaint Cover Letter (PDF) to learn more about the process and how to file a state written complaint.

Address special education state written complaints to the Department’s Complaints Management Program at:

Mailing Address
Complaints Management Program
Monitoring and Compliance Branch
P.O. Box 2360
Honolulu, HI 96804 

Email: [email protected]

If you have any questions, please contact the Monitoring and Compliance Branch at [email protected] or 808-307-3600. The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) has developed the IDEA Special Education Written State Complaints Parent Guide (PDF) for parents and families. 

Special Education Impartial Due Process Hearing 

If you would like to initiate a special education impartial due process hearing request, you may use the form available below:

If you would like to know more about the process and how to initiate an impartial due process hearing request, please refer to the cover letter below:

All due process hearing requests must be submitted to:

CADRE – The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education has developed the following resources for parents and families:

If you have any questions, please contact the Monitoring and Compliance Branch at [email protected] or 808-307-3600.

Redacted Impartial Due Process Decisions