This week, two education lawyers urged state and district leaders to be on the lookout over the coming year for new special ed guidance from the U.S. Department of Education as one of the Obama administration's final moves to shape education policy. Meanwhile in higher ed, we spoke with Columbia College's former CIO, Kevin Palmer, about his transition to VP of enrollment for the school and how tech expertise is shaping his approach.

Could fallout from the Perkins program's demise leave 1,700 institutions on the hook for billions? Congress' failure to renew funding for the program may have just that result.

And in K-12, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett may face up to 7 1/2 years in prison following her guilty plea earlier this week in a kickback scheme involving former employer SUPES Academy.

Be sure to check out our look at 5 ways to make dropout recovery work and more in this week's most-read Education Dive posts!

• Special ed changes likely in final months of Obama admin: At the meeting of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, presenters told district and state leaders to expect new guidance.
• Former Chicago schools CEO Byrd-Bennett pleads guilty, faces prison sentence: Through tears, the former Chicago Public Schools CEO also apologized to the city's students during the hearing.
• 5 ways to make dropout recovery work: As states work to raise grad rates, efforts to re-engage dropouts and help them across the finish line are gaining importance.
• Colleges offering Perkins Loans may owe billions to feds: When Congress failed to extend the program earlier this month, it set 1,700 institutional partners up to eventually return billions in federal grants.
• Columbia College's former CIO brings tech expertise to enrollment: With a CIO heading up enrollment and marketing, technology is being leveraged to overhaul the transfer credit evaluation process.

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