The U.S. Department of Education has released new guidance to states and local agencies about how they should handle special education services in online schools.

The document, released Thursday, is intended to help educators meet their obligation to find students who need extra services and ensure they get them. That can be difficult online, where there may be less face-to-face interaction than in a traditional classroom, the guidance says.

It adds that there is confusion in some places about who is responsible to ensure the students get what they need in online schools.

Read recent articles about Georgia's virtual schools here and here.

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