Office of the Assistant State Superintendent
The Assistant State Superintendent provides overall leadership, support and accountability for results to local school systems, public agencies and stakeholders through a seamless, comprehensive system of coordinated services to children and students with disabilities, birth through 21, and their families, including general oversight and supervision, data management, legislative activities, special projects and fiscal accountability in accordance with State and federal statutes and regulations.

Policy and Accountability Branch
The Policy and Accountability Branch assists local lead agencies, local school systems, and public agencies in the development, revision, and implementation of policies, procedures, and practices for the provision of early intervention services and special education and related services, as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR). The Branch fulfills the role of federal liaison to the Office Of Special Education Programs (OSEP) for Part C and Part B of the IDEA.  It is the Branch’s responsibility to lead the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program (MITP), to manage the Part C and Part B database systems, and to develop Statewide resource documents, guidelines, and technical assistance materials.  The Branch coordinates cross-divisional teams, the State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC), the Special Education State Advisory Committee (SESAC),and other stakeholders to develop and submit federal Part C and Part B 618 data, and the Part C and the Part B State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR) to the OSEP.  The Branch is charged with aligning Part C and Part B general supervision and oversight responsibilities by developing and implementing a data-informed, differentiated, birth through 21 monitoring system focused on results driven accountability.

Family Support and Dispute Resolution Branch
The Family Support and Dispute Resolution Branch fosters family engagement and positive family/system partnerships through the provision of technical assistance and support to a statewide network of family support specialists serving families of children with disabilities. The Branch facilitates informal dispute resolution by responding to parent inquiries, assisting parents with navigating Maryland's early intervention and special education systems, and connecting parents with community resources and local personnel who can assist with concerns. Additionally, the Branch ensures the dispute resolution processes under the IDEA are available and conducted in accordance with all requirements. Staff investigate and resolve formal State complaints filed by individuals and organizations that allege violations of State and federal requirements regarding the education of students with disabilities and maintains data and reports on the dispute resolution processes, including complaint investigations, mediations, and due process hearings.

Interagency Collaboration Branch
The Interagency Collaboration Branch coordinates multiple interagency service initiatives for children birth through 21 across child-serving agencies throughout the State including Department of Human Resources/Department of Social Services, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of Disabilities, and Department of Juvenile Services. The Branch provides programmatic technical assistance and administrative oversight for State funded nonpublic placements by local school systems. Additionally, the branch is responsible for the administration of the Early Intervention Family Survey and the Preschool and School-Age Special Education Parent Survey, as required by the IDEA.

Programmatic Support and Technical Assistance Branch
The Programmatic Support and Technical Assistance Branch focuses on building the capacity of local school systems, public agencies, and institutions of higher education, to narrow the performance gap and enable all students with disabilities to exit education career and college ready. The Branch works collaboratively with other Divisions within the Maryland State Department of Education to improve performance on statewide accountability measures and achievement of the Maryland Common Core State Curriculum Standards. Differentiated program support and technical assistance is provided based on State and local needs related to implementing a high quality, seamless, evidence-based early childhood intervention and special education system of services, birth through 21. The Branch facilitates data informed systematic planning, implementation, and evaluation of evidenced-based professional development to enhance the quality of instructional practices including assessment, instruction, interventions, accommodations, modifications, and family engagement.

Fiscal Management Branch
The Fiscal Management Branch ensures fiscal accountability in accordance with federal and State regulations for federal and State funds administered by the Maryland State Department of Education for the benefit of children with disabilities ages birth through 21. The Branch assists local school systems, public agencies, and other sub-recipients of federal and State funds in the application, reporting, and fiscal management of those funds. The Fiscal Management Branch also provides technical assistance regarding fiscal matters to all school systems and grant sub-recipient agencies, and monitors sub recipient compliance with State and federal grant regulations including the Code of Federal Regulations, IDEA, Education Department General Administrative Regulations, General Education Provisions Act, and COMAR. The Branch additionally provides data and information to the Division leadership in support of programmatic interventions and to facilitate funding determinations and resource allocations.

Specialized Services Branch
The Specialized Services Branch implements and manages the Medicaid Autism Waiver and health related Medicaid programs for children and youth. Branch staff provide technical assistance and monitoring for Medicaid school-based services offered by local school systems, special education nonpublic schools and other public and private agencies. Additionally, the Branch staff manages the rate setting process for residential child-care providers, child placement agencies, and nonresidential child care programs. Staff also collaborates with other State agencies to design and implement the rate setting structure for child care providers.