Behavior management can be a key to student, teacher, and district success. When students with disabilities are served, effective behavior management is even more critical. Failure to implement proper discipline with students with disabilities can have financial consequences. For students, the emotional toll can be greater, albeit intangible.…

As a hybrid between a college or university student and an elementary or secondary school employee, the student teacher is in a special situation. The potential for being a plaintiff (the party who sues), the defendant (the party who is sued), or a third party that is integrally involved in a lawsuit is higher because the bodies of law pertinent…

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of public school principals within the Commonwealth of Virginia as to their desirability for professional development in leading special education programs within their schools. Given a list of 18 competencies related to leading special education principals rated their desirability for…

In 2005 New Zealand signalled its intention to reform legal services by contracting research on disabled people's priorities in Auckland. The Legal Services Agency reported that because many disabled people do not have access to necessary legal services in New Zealand their priorities should be identified. This article suggests that the social…

The adoption of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Education for All Handicapped Children's Act, now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), have had a major impact on the delivery of services for children with special needs. In light of the legal issues surrounding the delivery of special education…

Since the turn of the century, U.S. education policies have focused on accountability and student progress. Two major pieces of federal legislation--No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004)--pose several legal issues that educators must contemplate as they strive to be…

Changes to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (Public Law 108-446) (now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004: IDEA) mandated new requirements for providing discipline to students with disabilities. These changes led to simplified procedures when students with disabilities commit infractions of…

The percentage of students with disabilities who are pursuing post-secondary education has consistently increased over the past few decades. To meet all legal requirements, postsecondary institutions have established disability support services for students with disabilities. One notable responsibility given to postsecondary disability support…

An attorney describes problems that can arise if property is left outright or in a standard type of trust to or for the benefit of a disabled person. (CL)

An educational advocate and parent of a hearing impaired child discusses her role. She cites the need for advocacy and briefly mentions problems with due process cases in Pennsylvania. She lists techniques for individual advocacy (such as an advocacy record of parent-school negotiations and school records) as well as for systemwide advocacy…

The monograph is intended to help school psychologists understand the special procedures, techniques, and considerations necessary for providing effective courtroom interventions, specifically expert testimony and written reports. Beginning with an explanation of lay and expert witnesses, the monograph goes on to stress the importance of pretrial…

The article provides an overview of legal and administrative demands of special education policy at state and local levels. The legal context in which special education occurs is discussed, along with a suggested approach to analyzing existing special education policy, identifying policy needs, and developing new policies. (CL)

Problems involved in due process procedures center on low morale, high expense, and paperwork. Possible approaches to remedying problems include establishing state impartial procedural safeguard panels, employing trouble shooters for children who need currently unavailable services, and using greater flexibility in monitoring local due process…

Discussion of distance learning focuses on access, legal, and policy issues for people with disabilities and presents an overview of design considerations for assuring that a distance learning course is accessible to potential instructors and students with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. Uses universal design as a framework.…

The introduction to this special issue on legal issues and special education notes the inclusion of a sampling of disability issues related to litigation and briefly summarizes the following six articles. (Contains two references.) (DB)