Special education leaders need to be aware of long-standing general regulatory requirements under [image omitted]504 for which school districts are often vulnerable. Special education leaders also have to keep current on recent legal developments for "[image omitted]504-only" students, including the effects of the Americans with…

Those who teach employment discrimination law, particularly as a separate course or part of a course on employment law, are used to covering a broad range of legal models and issues pertaining to the protected classes under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The disparate treatment, disparate impact, and hostile environment models of…

There is no evidence that physically restraining or putting children in unsupervised seclusion in the K-12 school system provides any educational or therapeutic benefit to a child. In fact, use of either seclusion or restraints in non-emergency situations poses significant physical and psychological danger to students. Yet the first round of data…

This paper presents part I of the "Massachusetts Primer on Special Education and Charter Schools." It provides an explanation of a charter school's legal status within the Massachusetts public education system and a synopsis of federal laws that are most relevant to special education in charter schools. The information is intended for…

Public education is one of the central tasks of a democratic society, and the buildings that house this important task not only shape the way one teaches, but provide icons and symbols for the values people hold common as a society. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this context has placed school buildings squarely in a position of debate and innovation…

This paper explores the need to adopt legislative and regulatory safeguards to guarantee equal access by people with disabilities to evolving high speed broadband, wireless and Internet-based technologies. Recommendations include: (1) Communications Access--FCC or Congress: Extend the telecommunications accessibility requirements of Section 255 of…

Although federal U.S. regulations require schools to provide equal access to educational opportunities for all students, many technologies used in K-12 schools present accessibility barriers for students with disabilities. Interviews assessed knowledge of educational department staff, teachers, and parents of children in K-12 schools in the…

The organization and format of this primer which is designed for state officials differs from the other two in this series based on the recommendations of the state officials who participated in the Special Education Technical Assistance for Charter Schools (SPEDTACS) Project state team meetings convened to assist in the development of the set of…

A facility developed for fitness, physical activity, recreation, or sport is a vital community resource that contributes to the overall health and wellness of that community's citizens. In order to maximize the benefits derived from these facilities, it is imperative that they be accessible to as wide a range of people as possible. The Americans…

At the request of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) has conducted "a literature search and review to identify best practices in [school] building design for accommodating the evacuation and sheltering needs of individuals with special needs or…