This manuscript presents findings from a study of the contributing factors and details of special education due process hearings in the United States that involved students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The study examined 101 due process hearings conducted over a three-year period in a five-state sample: California, Illinois,…

This report has been provided to the Legislature on an annual basis since the year 2000. This report is issued in the context of a change in focus for the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the federal agency which oversees the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) implementation in each state. OSEP's new accountability…

This report has been provided to the Legislature on an annual basis since 2000 when the legislature amended the language of G.L. c. 71B to align Massachusetts special education terminology with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This year reports the context of a major change in the way state systems of special…

This paper presents results of a survey of Massachusetts parents of children with disabilities concerning implementation of the child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Survey respondents (N=400) addressed the following issues: quality of educational and related services; access to the general curriculum in the least restrictive environment;…

Examines recent legal and programmatic changes in the education of the handicapped in Massachusetts. Highlights State standards in the areas of program delivery, identification and placement, and the use of individual educational plans. Raises issues of validation and possible inequity. (FMW)