Confusion among stakeholders regarding some aspects of the special education process--chiefly the triennial reevaluation--leads to misapplication of rules across districts and states based on interpretations of informal lore-based reasoning. Local education agencies (LEA) can determine that no additional data are needed and advise parents to…

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,…

In this study, the researcher analyzed survey responses from 67 Pennsylvania attorneys with experience in special education litigation and reviewed one year of Pennsylvania special education due process hearing decisions to determine the issues that prompt parents to seek legal counsel in special education disputes, the issues that counsel…

The book describes Pennsylvania's approach for determining placement of handicapped students in the least restrictive environment (LRE), as mandated by P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Separate sections address the following two topics (subtopics in parentheses): the LRE decision process (content for the decision…

The handbook is designed to clarify Pennsylvania and federal requirements regarding the role of the hearing officer in due process procedures for handicapped and gifted students. The statutory and regulatory bases for hearing officers' responsibility are cited in an initial section. The following topics are then addressed (sample subtopics in…