Welcome!

  • Welcome to the Oakland Unified School District Special Education Website!
     
     
    In Oakland Unified School District, the Special Education Department is charged with educating students who have learning disabilities or exceptional cognitive or physical needs and who are made eligible for services through an Individual Education Program (IEP). Special Education provides services and support in district, alternative and select charter schools to all identified students from from infancy through age 22. Services include Specialized Academic Instruction, Speech-Language Therapy, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Assistive Technology, Adaptive Physical Education, mental health services, behavior intervention and assessment, career-transition services, and low incidence services for students with visual, hearing and orthopedic impairments. 
     
    Oakland Unified has about 6,500 identified Special Education students, and the Special Education Office conducts over 8000 Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings each year. We operate a full continuum of programs to meet the needs of our amazing, diverse students--from inclusion to specialized, self-contained settings--with at least one Special Education professional in every OUSD public school. In addition to our school-based programs, Special Education operates a preschool center, a diagnostic assessment center, home and hospital instruction, and a Young Adult Program that provides community-based instruction for eligible students aged 18-22. 
     
    We believe that every student deserves recognition, attention and respect, and all students must be offered rigorous academic programs and classrooms that support high achievement. Our mission is to ensure that all school communities and departments embrace students with disabilities and provide evidence-based supports and resources to ensure that every student thrives!
     
Students

  • Oakland Unified School District will be opening the 2020-21 school year in a fully distance instructional format due to the governor's guidance and local county health orders. We are committed to implenting Individual Education Programs (IEPs) to the maximum extent possible during this time.

     

    We know our families have many questions about the impact of the school closures in response to COVID-19 in terms of its impact on supports and services for students with Individual Education Programs. Please click here to access our Special Education School Closure Resources or use the menu bar to the left. 

     

    Please note that our staff are unable to answer phone calls for the duration of the shelter-in-place orders. We remain available via email and will respond to all inquiries as quickly as possible. 
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Contact Us

  • All Programs and Services:

    Special Education Department
    915 54th St
    Oakland, CA 94608

     General Questions:

     510-879-8100

     Transportation:

     510-879-8181
     Fax: 510-451-4364

    Special Education Records Request:

    1. Please email the request to spedrecords@ousd.org.

    2. Please attach a parent signed release/exchange of information form.

    In light of Covid-19, records requests will be fulfilled as soon as permitted in accordance to SB-117.

     

     

    Para Servicio en Español

    510-879-8027

     

    Jennifer Blake
    Executive Director
    510-879-8094

    jennifer.blake@ousd.org