The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires children enrolled in Part C to have a transition plan in place at least 90 days before the child's third birthday (IDEA, 2004). This plan may include a transition to Part B services or an option to continue with Part C services until kindergarten (IDEA, 2004, §303.211). For the…

For this 23rd article in the series reviewing recent court decisions concerning appropriate school psychology practice from both professional and legal perspectives, the topic is the substantive standard for free appropriate public education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), with a focus on the classification of…

This mixed methods study on postsecondary outcomes for individuals with disabilities focused on the experiences of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and significant disabilities from their perspective. The research questions include understanding their overall quality of life (QOL), the supports, services, and…

How do special education-related professionals parenting children with disabilities experience the special education system? This qualitative exploratory study delves into the experiences of 25 mother-educators who are special education-related professionals navigating the special education system for their children with disabilities. Through…

Students who are eligible for special education and related services are entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE), which is delineated by the Individualized Education Program (IEP). The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine 133 IEPs from seven rural districts that were interested in evaluating their compliance with state…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) indicates students should participate in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings whenever appropriate (IDEA, 2004), yet many students are uninformed of the purpose of these meetings and are not meaningful or active participants in the development of their IEPs (Martin, Van Dycke,…

This article presents some conflict-related issues that school leaders encounter in resolving disagreements and misunderstandings between parents of students with disabilities and school representatives. Two examples of special education service disagreements are employed to illustrate how a trained and impartial education liaison representative…

Parents of academically talented students with various types of learning differences, often called 2E, need to understand how support their children's unique needs. In this article, we discuss current research about 2E students and focus on how parents can both nurture and find educational opportunities that encourage their children's strengths…

When a paraeducator accompanies students receiving special education support across settings, students are at increased risks of decreased engagement and interaction with certified teachers (Giangreco et al., 2001). When paraeducators are tasked with implementing, it is critical they be prepared to monitor students' progress accurately and…

Since the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 there has been an ongoing debate in the field of special education on the relative importance of students with significant cognitive disabilities participation and progress in the general education curriculum. Some researchers have argued that the core…

U.S. federal special education policies require state departments of education to collect data to measure progress in attaining state performance plan goals, with Indicators 13 and 14 measuring the Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition process and post-high school student outcomes. Research suggests that higher transition indicator…

In this study, we describe long-term trends in students' academic performance, documenting persistent and systematic disparities in academic outcomes across several student subgroups. We leverage administrative data from longitudinal student records to examine academic outcomes for English learners (ELs), students with Individualized Education…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) (IDEIA) requires practitioners to use educational evaluations to assess students in K-12 schools that are suspected of having a disability. The resulting data provides the basis for determining whether students qualify for special education services, their precise educational…

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected the educational system. Historically, children with hematological and oncological conditions have experienced academic challenges. A retrospective chart review was conducted. Charts reviewed included children with oncology or hematology conditions, whose parents expressed…

Music educators are required to support the learning needs of those they teach. Some students may require additional or specific learning supports through individualized education programs (IEPs), also known as individualized education plans, to ensure their academic success. Music educators may struggle to transfer IEP goals, accommodations,…