As educators working with high school students, the author's face questions such as: (1)" How can students become better self-advocates?" (2) "Are students sufficiently prepared for life after graduation?" (3) "How can students become more motivated in planning their future?" (4) "What can be done to encourage…

Research highlights the importance of individualized approaches and coaching to ongoing professional learning (Darling-Hammond, Wei, Andree, Richardson, & Orphanos, 2009). The purpose of this article is to describe an initiative that set out to help all students become proficient readers by 3rd grade. It demonstrates how coaching can support…

Students receiving behavioral supports in the third tier of the schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) framework are often identified as having emotional and behavior disabilities. Although educators implement evidence-based practices with fidelity, these practices are not always effective in supporting students with…

Compensatory education, also known as compensatory services, is a judicially created remedy which entitles a student to receive additional special education and related services, accommodations, and modifications when their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have been violated. This report contains answers to…

Anyone who has attended an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting for a student with special needs knows that this gathering of individuals has the potential to be extremely contentious and adversarial if not handled effectively. Often parents become overwhelmed by terminology that is foreign to them and may feel as though the only…

More than 45 individuals representing staff from state departments of education, school districts, testing and testing-related companies, and other educational organizations participated in a forum on June 26, 2018 in San Diego, California to discuss speech-to-text and scribing, the differences in terminology, challenges associated with…

Nearly 63% of students with disabilities are included in general education classrooms for some part of their day, and at the high school level, 79% participate in state reading and math assessments (U.S. Department of Education, 2016). Middle and high school classes pose particular challenges because, unlike elementary classrooms, they are usually…

This model policy creates a comprehensive early literacy reading policy to ensure all students receive the support and interventions necessary to enter fourth grade as proficient readers.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that schools assist students with disabilities to develop independent living skills and abilities essential to succeed in most of their life's endeavors. According to the law, each student with a disability must have an individualized education program (IEP), and the IEP must address…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the main federal statute governing special education and early intervention services for children with disabilities from birth through age 21.1 IDEA consists of four parts. Part A contains general provisions, including the purposes of the act and definitions. Part B contains provisions…

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common in the United States. All age groups are at risk for TBI, but there is a larger occurrence among school-age children and young adults. No matter the severity of a student's injury, he or she can benefit from music education, whether listening to music, singing, or performing on an instrument. Students can…

Students with learning disabilities are a large part of the population of students with disabilities as well as the total student body. In fact, for many students the general education classroom is where most of these students acquire their content knowledge. This, however, is not the only school placement in which students can receive services.…

The purpose of this brief is to help families and educators understand the right of students with disabilities who need accessible educational materials to receive these materials in a timely manner. This right is based on provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as in the disability civil rights statutes…

Given that parental participation is such a critical feature of IDEA (20 U.S.C. § 1400[c][5][B]), the question of who is a parent often presents a challenge. Specifically, with regard to educational decisions, states may include more options under the definition of a parent than those provided in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act…

School psychologists have a close, often uncomfortable relationship with the law, as much of what they do from day to day is defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) and related state law. However, judges deciding cases often do not have a detailed understanding of how education and schools work, and…