special education summit
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Special Education Summit. Special Education Litigation September 20, 2013 David Bateman Shippensburg University. Sequestration. Budget deal mandating automatic cuts Starts July 1 for education Many teachers to be cut 2013-2014 school year 100,000 fewer children in Head Start - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Special Education Summit
Special Education Litigation
September 20, 2013
David BatemanShippensburg University
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Sequestration
• Budget deal mandating automatic cuts• Starts July 1 for education• Many teachers to be cut
– 2013-2014 school year• 100,000 fewer children in Head Start• Massive Title 1 cuts• States make up difference
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Testing
• Common adaptive tests, PARRC• 1% or 2%?• Computer adaptive tests
– Braille– Font adjustments– charts and graphs
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Child Find
1. All personnel2. Team approach3. RTI and denial4. Differences with private schools5. Keep taking data on the child6. The “Howler”
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Child Find Purpose
• 1. Affirmative obligation• 2. Reason to suspect• 3. Reason to believe• 4. Schools obligation
– Do not wait for parents– More data is better– Use the parents!!– If not referred, give advice
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Eval
• 1. Not a fighting issue (job security!!)• 2. You do the eval• 3. Do it timely• 4. Address current issues, not potential probs• 5. Use the independent evals
-But don’t necessarily agree6. Only give evals comfortable/trained
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Eval Continued
• 7. Current tests• 8. Affirmative obligation• 9. Word B.A.D. evals carefully• 10. Don’t be boring
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Eligibility
• 1. Special Ed!• 2. Be thorough, be accurate• 3. Timelines• 4. The right people• 5. Parents!• 6. Don’t fight over disability label• 7. More than test scores
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More eligible
• 8. School performance is more than just educational performance
• 9. 504 v. IDEA eligible• 10. B.A.D. v. Emotional disability eligible• 11. Use doctors
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IEP
• 1. Words to use (and mean)• 2. Implement• 3. Parents!• 4. Educationally suitable• 5. Check or internal audit• 6. Implementers• 7. Copy and paste
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More IEP
• 8. Vote v. consensus• 9. Do not segregate• 10. Costs• 11. Parents requests for private• 12. Use your words very carefully
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Procedural Safeguards
• 1. Draft IEP’s! Draft placements!• 2. Keep meeting notes• 3. Kill trees• 4. Prior written notice• 5. Allow parents quick access to records• 6. Quick response to IEE requests• 7. Mediation/IEP Facilitation• 8. Stay put. But move when necessary.
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Discipline
• 1. Tell principals to check re: eligible• 2. Manifestation v. causal• 3. Parents!!• 4. Bring all info on student to meeting• 5. Bring all people to meeting• 6. Consensus v. stonewall• 7. Really a manifestation? Or not?• 8. Provide services
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ESY
• Make a determination in February to avoid comp ed claims later
• Document discussion• Not just for ed services, but regression and
recoupment• No cut and paste services
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Transition
• Get agencies involved, with parents permission
• IEP responsibilities if others don’t help
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Section 504
• Two-part test• Parents!• May not need accommodations but still are
protected• Students on health or medical plans eligible!• Make all your programs accessible• One responsible person
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Records
• Employers can review all computers• All email can be read by parents• Be professional• Web sites can be tracked• Email can be educational records• Email can be subpoenaed• Fax machine use• One student per email
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Records Continued
• Assume disclosure• Determine records keeper• Student definition expanded• Third Parties
– Institutional service– Under control of LEA– Subject to disclosure rules
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Does Special Education Work?• Administrators in districts are proud of their special
education programs. But how do they measure their success?
• Three questions arise:– What should or who should not be expected to master the
general education curriculum?– In what cases can special education students be expected to
leave special education?– Is the growing need for special education the result of
failure on the part of the schools themselves?
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20
Ideas to Contain Costs• Anticipate Needs and Budget Accordingly• Provide Early Literacy Programs• Use More Than One Reading Approach• Plan for Consequences of Curriculum
Changes• Teach Basic Study Skills• Connect Resources and Fiscal Accountability
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Plan for Consequences of Curriculum Changes
• If you institute a new program and do not do the proper advance planning and training, be prepared to see special education costs rise.
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Teach Basic Study Skills
• Check your schools to find out whether organization and study skills are actively taught at the elementary level; they will enhance your secondary student success and lessen referrals to special education.
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Be Ready for Unhappy Parents
• Sometimes we just have to say, “No.”• Does this mean we need them to move?
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What can schools do to reduce the chances of litigation?
• Document, document, document• Return phone calls• Support for all children• Support for all teachers• Support for all parents
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Due Process Myths
• Too much litigation• Too much paperwork• Too many meetings• Complex and burdensome• Feds cause problems
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Issues• Identification (child find)• (Re)Evaluations and
placements• Notice Requirements• Appropriate education• IEP’s• Progress (or lack thereof)
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Roles and Responsibilities
• Use Resolution Session or Mediation First to Solve Disputes.
• Work to Restoring Relationships Between the Parties.
• Understand Legal Recourses Parties to the Dispute Have Following Any Level of the Decision.
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Summary
• Big changes every five (or seven) years• Special education is not going away• Document everything• Seek support from others• Provide support for students, teachers, aides
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Finally
• Visibility• Diversity your interests• Active in curriculum• Proactive in interactions• Thick skin• Humor
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Tips for Making Things Worse
• Don’t return phone calls• Use the word NEVER a lot
• Say we don’t do that here
• Miss deadlines
• Use a cookie cutter
• Lose paperwork
• Don’t provide support for teachers
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More Handy Tips
• Act superior• Use tense posture• Preach• Use sarcasm• Work to impress the parents with acronyms• IEP meetings done before they start• Don’t have right people at meetings• Back them into a corner• Ignoring the “Howler”
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Expectations
• Happy• Friendly
• Athletic
• Good natured
• Pretty
• Well-mannered
• Well-behaved
• Outgoing• Smart
• Independent• Optimistic
• Hard worker• Enthusiastic
• Teacher pleaser
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Reality
• Intellectual Disability• ADHD
• LD
• Autistic
• Deaf
• Blind/Visually Impaired
• PDD
• Emotional problems• At-risk• Needy
• Teacher dislikes• No friends
• People shun• Lonely
• Not independent
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Questions and Answers??