In total, 139 Texas special education due process hearings that occurred between 2011 and 2015 were examined. Cases were coded with regard to the student's special education disability category; the number of hearings in which a specific party prevailed; the primary, secondary, and/or tertiary issues of the case; the number of issues in these…

This handbook was developed to support parents of children with disabilities in understanding the Federal and State requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It provides information that promotes working with the school district to help provide appropriate services to children, while informing parents of their…

Special education is the most highly litigated area within the field of education. Therefore, the purpose of the current article is to highlight cases (court decisions, Office of Civil Rights rulings, and State Educational Agency hearings) involving students with disabilities in 2015. Highlights from the case law point to the need for school…

Special education leaders need to be aware of long-standing general regulatory requirements under [image omitted]504 for which school districts are often vulnerable. Special education leaders also have to keep current on recent legal developments for "[image omitted]504-only" students, including the effects of the Americans with…

Bearing in mind the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, Louisiana's Steering Committee projected performance targets through the year 2014 for the important areas of: (1) Graduation with a Diploma; (2) Dropout Rate; (3) Placement, ages 6-21 and ages 3-5; (4) Achievement Performance Levels, and (5) Discipline. Annual gains were…

The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), signed on December 3, 2004, required that, not later than one year after the date of enactment of the reauthorized IDEA, each state is required to have in place a performance plan evaluating the state's implementation of Part B and describing how the state will improve such…

As the parent of a child who has or may have a disability, the federal and state laws give them certain rights--called procedural safeguards. If they would like a more detailed explanation of these rights, they should contact the principal of their child's school, a school administrator, their local special education director, or any of the…

The author looks at problems involving parents of handicapped children in the educational decision making process and suggests areas of needed research. Mediation is suggested as a means to keep parents involved in decision making and to reduce the adversarial and costly nature of due process hearings. (SB)

The document presents a transcript of congressional hearings on proposed regulations for P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Secretary of Education T. H. Bell leads off with a defense of the proposed regulations, which he says, attempt to ease paperwork and administrative problems. In addition to the transcript of his…

Discussion of Individualized Education Program (IEP) requirements first examines relationships between the IEP and a free, appropriate public education; then highlights the procedural changes and new requirements mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997. Results of due process hearings and court cases and…

This paper lists five principles to consider that will enable beginning teachers to defend Individualized Education Program (IEP) decisions for students with disabilities in due process hearings. The first principle urges teachers to consider placing children with disabilities in regular education with supplemental aids and services when making…

A federal statute provided that parents may use the judicial process to challenge educators' decisions. Describes the intent of legalization; how reaction to an adversarial system led to the use of mediation in most states; and why this alternative model is not appropriate for resolving education questions. (MLF)

Regulations governing the implementation of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in Washington State, specifically Chapter 392-171 WAC, are printed here. The regulations cover the follow areas relating to education of handicapped students: definitions, membership and functions of the state advisory council, students' rights to special…

The Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA), as amended by the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142), reflects a long history of state and federal legislation and case law. One of the purposes of the act's revision is to ensure that a free appropriate public education is made available, in the least restrictive environment, to…

Written to be consistent with federal and Colorado laws, the manual focuses on training impartial hearing officers to achieve the guarantees of an appropriate education for all handicapped children. An overview of procedural safeguards is presented, including information on due process procedures for parents and children, protection in evaluation…