Related to: Special Education
Happy National Special Education Day! Today commemorates the anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (formerly the Education for all Handicapped Children Act) being signed into law in 1975. This was truly a historic milestone. Until then, many children with disabilities were excluded from school. The IDEA was enacted to ensure that every child…
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Discipline is a school’s system designed to minimize disruption and promote positive social interaction. This is achieved through behavior management techniques such as positive reinforcement, social skills training, and development of problem-solving and decision-making skills, as well as punishment. Districts must still carry out discipline during remote and hybrid learning but, like everything else during…
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While manifestation determination reviews can sometimes become heated if parents disagree about the student’s misconduct being a manifestation of his disability, the nature of a virtual MDR may defuse tense feelings and keep participants focused on the matter at hand. “It’s harder to interrupt on [a videoconference] than when you’re in person,” said Alana Leffler,…
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Since our March 17th Legal Update, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the Office for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) have issued additional guidance related to the education of students with disabilities while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance reinforces the importance of making determinations regarding individual services…
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On March 13, 2020, Governor Evers directed that all K-12 schools, public and private, are to be closed until at least April 6, 2020. This Legal Update will discuss the circumstances, process, and considerations according to which school officials should determine whether compensatory services are required for eligible students under the Individual with Disabilities Education…
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Governor Evers signed a number of new bills into law that are relevant to Wisconsin schools, including a law that requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to create a guidebook related to dyslexia, and another which provides school boards with additional flexibility in how school board members may be notified of special school board…
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Developing an IEP that is reasonably calculated to enable a student to make progress appropriate in light of the student’s circumstances is only one part of providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE). The school district must also ensure that the IEP is implemented. Oftentimes, the IEP will provide the student with certain accommodations and/or…
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