Aimed at parents of and advocates for special needs children, explains how to develop a relationship with a school, monitor a child's progress, understand relevant legislation, and document correspondence and conversations.

[This text] teaches you how to use the law as your sword and your shield. Learn what the law says about: Child's right to a free, appropriate education (FAPE); Individual education programs, IEP teams, transition and progress; Evaluations, reevaluations, consent and independent educational evaluations; Eligibility and placement decisions; Least restrictive environment, mainstreaming, and inclusion; Research based instruction, discrepancy formulas and response to intervention; Discipline, suspensions, and expulsions; Safeguards, mediation, confidentiality, new procedures and timelines for due process hearings.--Back cover.

Clear, well organized presentation of IDEA and other pertinent federal laws, together with well organized discussion of relevant cases, help educators understand and apply their knowledge in concrete situations. The emphasis of this practical book is on increasing understanding at a conceptual level rather than rote memorization of detailed provisions of the IDEA and other laws. By understanding the law, educators will be better equipped to work with future amendments of IDEA and with new laws that may be enacted by Congress. They will also have an increased ability to apply statutory provisions to specific situations. Part I - Constitutional Framework: provides important background in understanding the authority that Congress has to enact laws that impact on education in the United States and the authority that the courts have to interpret laws. Includes discussion of the judicial system, the key provisions of the United States Constitution, due process, equal protection, the statutes of certain regulations, and a brief overview and comparison of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Rehabilitation Act (RA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Part II - IDEA: covers background, basic language and coverage, duty to evaluate, FAPE, IEP, placement, related services, inclusions/least restrictive environment, private school, discipline, mediation, due process, and court proceedings. Sample forms are included to supplement discussion with concrete examples to aid understanding. Part III - RA and ADA: covers RA/ADA basics, such as who is an individual with a disability, what entities are covered, enforcement provisions, and application to schools, universities, and employers. Part IV - Other Legal Issues: covers No Child Left Behind, FERPA, tort liability, and high stakes testing issues. At the end of each part there is a very basic question and answer section to assist the student in focusing on major points in each part.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) is confusing to parents, educators, and even to most attorneys. Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004 provides a clear roadmap to the law and how to get better special education services for all children with disabilities. Learn what the law says about Individualized Education Programs (IEPS), IEP teams, transition, progress. Learn about evaluations, reevaluations, parental consent, and independent educational evaluations. You will learn about research-based instruction, early intervening services, discrepancy formulas and response to intervention. This book includes information about assessments, accommodations and alternate assessments. You will find information about procedural safeguards, new procedures and timelines for due process hearings. Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004 is and invaluable resource for parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys. You will refer to this book again and again.

For every course in Special Education Law and Education Law, or as a perfect supplement to any Educational Administration course, Legal Aspects of Special Education was written by a practitioner to help teachers, administrators, and advocates understand special education law in everyday language- without excessive legalese or extraneous case law. Different in many ways from other special education law texts on the market, all of the elements of this text are intended to help its students obtain the most critical information about special education law and how it is applied in the real world. Some unique features include: a fascinating opening interview and then epilogue with Joe Ballard, a pioneer of the IDEA movement; a discussion of Response-to-Intervention (RTI) and the implication of IDEA 2004 for school districts; and a discussion of the history of special education and its link to the Civil Rights Movement. Additionally, the book provides case studies and application questions, critical thinking questions, the most current information on the laws including No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004, and a discussion of major trends changing the laws, including that of autism.

In the movement toward standards-based education, an important question stands out: How will this reform affect the 10% of school-aged children who have disabilities and thus qualify for special education? In Educating One and All, an expert committee addresses how to reconcile common learning for all students with individualized education for "one"â€"the unique student. The book makes recommendations to states and communities that have adopted standards-based reform and that seek policies and practices to make reform consistent with the requirements of special education. The committee explores the ideas, implementation issues, and legislative initiatives behind the tradition of special education for people with disabilities. It investigates the policy and practice implications of the current reform movement toward high educational standards for all students. Educating One and All examines the curricula and expected outcomes of standards-based education and the educational experience of students with disabilitiesâ€"and identifies points of alignment between the two areas. The volume documents the diverse population of students with disabilities and their school experiences. Because approaches to assessment and accountability are key to standards-based reforms, the committee analyzes how assessment systems currently address students with disabilities, including testing accommodations. The book addresses legal and resource implications, as well as parental participation in children's education.

Special Education Law, Fifth Edition provides a comprehensive, and student-friendly overview of the major federal laws—and judicial interpretations of those laws—that apply to the education of children with special needs. Laura Rothstein and Scott F. Johnson thoroughly present the most up-to-date information on special education statutes, regulations, and judicial interpretations, including substantial changes in the interpretation of the legistlation. The text helps students understand what the law requires so that they can develop policies and make decisions that comply with these laws.