Literature Articles
[Executive Summary] "Research and data on school discipline practices are clear: millions of students are being removed from their classrooms each year, mostly in middle and high schools, and overwhelmingly for minor misconduct. When suspended, these students are at a significantly higher risk of...
[Abstract ] The School Family Partnership Training Program was an innovative program created and implemented out of a desire to assist schools and families to connect with one another. The program was implemented over a six-week period with one and one-half hour combined sessions for families of a...
A survey of thirty experienced mediators showed that three-quarters of them regarded achieving rapport with the parties as central to their success in bringing about settlements. This article discusses how mediators achieve and make use of that rapport. The article also considers the implications...
In a survey of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) complaint managers in 35 states, most respondents believed that neither educator nor parental awareness of the state complaint procedure had increased since its reinsertion into the 1992 IDEA regulations. A majority concluded that...
Cook and Friend define collaboration as “a style professionals select to employ based on mutual goals; parity; shared responsibility for key decisions; shared accountability for outcomes; shared resources; and the development of trust, respect, and a sense of community” (p.3). This article explores...
Two special educators share their experiences in developing standards-based lessons to help students manage their own Individualized Education Programs. They describe strategies used to begin the process, provide a sample unit lesson plan, and show how a typical 50-minute class period could be...
In this article, we analyze the Supreme Court’s decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District RE-1 (2017), interpreting the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its provisions creating a right of every student with a disability to have an appropriate education. We compare...
This presentation outlines the complaint investigation process developed by the Maine Department of Education to ensure a timely response to complaints concerning special education services, and to provide third party mediation and arbitration as needed. Complaint procedures required under federal...
[Abstract] Parental involvement is correlated with student performance, though the causal relationship is less well established. This experiment examined an intervention that delivered weekly one-sentence individualized messages from teachers to the parents of high school students in a credit...
Presents information on a study designed to investigate awareness of mediation among human resource managers. The authors discuss research methodology; alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process, and growth and benefits of ADR.
[Dissertation Abstract] Parent Liaisons can play an integral role in working to realize a vision for a strategic, comprehensive, and continuous system of family, school, and community partnerships that demonstrably contribute to children's development and school success. Parent involvement continues...
Analysis of caselaw. There is no uniform or ever dominant approach to evaluating the issue of cost in special education cases. Careful attention to relevant cases in each jurisdiction is of primary importance. Nevertheless, a few overall principles appear to be emerging across jurisdictions: • Under...
A keynote speech from the 2008 International Conference of the Council for Learning Disabilities, held in Kansas City. The author seeks to contextualize special education, focusing first on the discrepancy model for determining whether a student has a specific learning disability and its effect on...
The current study sought to establish whether simulated Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings using scenarios and actors may serve as an effective tool for assessing and improving pre-service special education teachers’ ability to facilitate parent participation in legally correct IEP...
Provides a discussion of the adjudicatory dispute-resolution mechanism and the issue of "transaction costs", history of the legislation and amendments.
This article examines trends in Due Process Hearings across fifty-two jurisdictions, including the fifty states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Questions addressed include, 1) For the period 2012-2017, what are the differences, if any, in ranking jurisdictions based on the numbers of...
This article examines trends in Due Process Hearings across fifty-two jurisdictions, including the fifty states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Questions addressed include, 1) For the period 2012-2017, did the previous six-year period's downward trends of adjudications and filings...
This article presents analysis of trends in the number and location of adjudicated due process hearings conducted in the United States. Changes between data assembled 1991-2005 and those for 2006-2011 are presented both in annualized numbers and per capita ratios. "The more recent jurisdictional...
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) obligates school districts to identify students with disabilities and provide them with a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), which includes specially designed instruction. Identification, FAPE, least restrictive environment (LRE), and...
[Excerpt, p.786] "This checklist provides, in flowchart–like form, the criteria for reimbursement of tuition and related expenses under the IDEA along with the applicable statutory, regulatory, and case law citations." The checklist identifies three steps, with specific questions to determine the...
[Abstract] "The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004 (IDEA) requires public schools to assure that parents of students with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Strengths-based IEPs focus on student strengths and...
[Abstract] "The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ([IDEA] 2004; IDEA Amendments 1997) is a civil rights–based law designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities in U.S. schools. However, decades after the initial passage of IDEA, racial inequity in special education...
When a family finds out their child has a disability, they enter the world of special education which has its own terminology, rules, settings and personnel. In addition to grappling with the meaning of their child's special needs, families are also thrown into the role of principle advocate for...
Provides an overview of the use of mediation and negotiation in special education disputes. Discusses the role of the mediator; method of negotiation and mediation; effectiveness in resolving complaints and outcomes.
This article builds on its opening premise, "Effective parent–teacher communication builds working relationships that can support strong home–school collaboration and improved educational outcomes" to support the value of training teachers to employ active listening in their work with parents and...