Legal Issues in Special Education Principles, Policies, and Practices

Legal Issues in Special Education provides teachers and school administrators with a clearly written, well-organized, and understandable guide from the perspective of the practitioner without formal legal training. Even though over 50 percent of students with disabilities are now educated in general education classes, most teachers are not required to complete coursework in special education law and can unwittingly expose themselves and their schools to liability for violating the rights of students with disabilities. This practitioner’s guide explicitly addresses the major issues and legal complexities educators inevitably face when dealing with special education legal and policy issues. Using case-based learning to synthesize important legal concepts and principles from leading special education legal cases, this text guides educators, administrators, and parents alike toward a thorough understanding of, and the ability to navigate, many of the current and pressing legal concerns in special education.

Acknowledgements; About the Authors; Preface; PartI Addressing and Maintaining Special Education Legal Literacy; Chapter 1 Introduction: Making the Case for Special Education Legal Literacy; Chapter 2 Historical Development of Laws Impacting Students with Disabilities; Chapter 3 Finding Special Education Legal Information in a Digital Age; PartII IDEA 2004: A Legal Primer; Chapter 4 IDEA 2004: Basic Structure and Major Principles; Chapter 5 Student Identification, Evaluation, and Eligibility; Chapter 6 The Individualized Education Program (IEP); Chapter 7 Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE);Chapter 8 Related Services, Assistive Technology, and Student Transition Services; Chapter 9 Student Discipline; Chapter 10 Dispute Resolution: Alternatives to Litigation; Chapter 11 Legal Remedies Available Under the IDEA; Chapter 12 Parental Involvement in the Special Education Decision-Making Process; Part III Federal Antidiscrimination Statues Impacting Students with Disabilities; Chapter 13 Eligibility and Legal Protections Under Section 504 and the ADA; Epilogue; Appendices

Kevin P. Brady, Ph.D. is Associate Professor and Program Director, University Council of Educational Administration (UCEA) Program Center for the Study of Leadership and the Law at the University of Arkansas, USA. Charles J. Russo, J.D., Ed.D. is Joseph Panzer Chair in Education, Director of the Ph.D. Program, and Research Professor of Law at the University of Dayton, USA. Cynthia A. Dieterich, Ph.D. is Professor of Special Education at Baldwin Wallace University, USA. Allan G. Osborne, Jr., Ed.D. is the former principal of the Snug Harbor Community School in Quincy, Massachusetts, and former visiting Associate Professor at Bridgewater State College, USA. Nicole D. Snyder, J.D. is a shareholder at Latsha Davis & McKenna, P.C. and represents numerous schools in special education law, education law, and charter school law matters.