By Holly BarnesEDAD 689

February 9, 2011

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)• Mental retardation• Hearing impairments• Speech and language impairments• Visual impairments• Serious emotional disturbance• Orthopedic impairments• Autism• Traumatic brain injury• Specific learning disabilities• Other health impairments (ADHD)

The law does not assume that every student with a learning disability needs special education.• It has to be determined that the student

needs “specifically designed instruction” to learn

1. Child is identified • (teacher, parents)

2. Child is evaluated • (SPED teacher/ Independent Evaluation– on

the schools dime 3. Eligibility is decided

• Group of professionals and parents– use IDEA guidelines

5. IEP is scheduled• Parents, teachers, anyone parents invite

6. IEP is held and written• SPED teacher, parents, and student

7. Services are provided• School’s responsibility to make sure IEP is

followed 8. Progress is measured and

reported to parents

9. IEP is reviewed• IEP team, parents, school officials, student

10. Child is re-evaluated

Free Appropriate Public Education• Everyone has the right to FAPE• All Special Education is without cost to

parents and must be provided.• Board of Education v. Rowley, 1982

Less stringent standard: “permit the child to benefit educationally”

1997: Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)• “Special education is not a place, but a set

of services to support a child with disabilities in order for them to succeed in general education classrooms.”

• Regular education is the preferred setting.

Give parents all records related to their child

Give parents opportunity to participate in identification, evaluation, educational participation, and provision of free appropriate public education (FAPE)

District/School must have procedures to protect the child’s rights if the parents of the child are unknown.

Parents must be given written prior notice if you propose or refuse to change anything

District/School must ensure that written material is in parents’ native language

Parents must be given the opportunity for mediation.

Parents must be given the opportunity to present complaints• Ie: a hearing request form

Keep documentation on EVERYTHING!!!

Acquire a knowledge and understanding of special education laws and programs

Educate school staff and parents so they are well-informed

Continuously communicate the importance of addressing the needs of ALL children in school planning and operations

“What are the school’s expectations for ALL students, including those with disabilities?”

“How will the school address the special educational needs of students with disabilities within the context of the total school program?”

SPED teachers leave the profession at a higher rate than general education teachers.• Work load!!!• Feel excluded• Feel misunderstood

Love your Special Education Teachers!!!

Principals should have to write an IEP to see how time consuming it is.

Spring is IEP season– leave SPED teachers alone.

Realize that pacing will be different in a SPED class.

Principal should understand that when a SPED child is put out of school for 3-5 days the SPED teacher should complete a Functional Behavioral Assessment and have a meeting to put a Behavior Intervention Plan in place. If this isn't done and the child has to go to manifestation, little will be done without showing that an attempt to change inappropriate behavior was implemented.

Patterson, J.S. (2001). School leaders guide to special education: essentials for principals. National Association for Elementary School Principals, Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/PDFS/ED459524.pdf