There is an overrepresentation of students with disabilities within the population of students excluded (i.e., suspended or expelled) from school. Students with disabilities are suspended for behaviors that are, for the most part, nonviolent and not unlike the behaviors of their general education peers. The Individuals With Disabilities Education…

Students with disabilities (SWDs) are more likely to be suspended or expelled than their general education peers and more likely to be chronically absent. This study uses 5 years of student-level data for all Michigan special education students to examine the relationship between educational setting, absenteeism, and disciplinary outcomes. Using…

Disparate impact is the dubious approach to civil rights enforcement that claims that an entirely neutral policy that does not discriminate on its face, is not intended to discriminate, and does not actually treat individuals differently based on their race still constitutes illegal racial discrimination if it has a "disproportionate"…

The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Hemmeter, Fox, & Snyder, 2013), or the Pyramid Model, is a conceptual framework focused on systemic and sustained implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP) related to promoting social emotional competence and preventing challenging behaviors in…

In 2014-15, over 50% of kindergarten children in Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) did not meet benchmarks for social-behavior readiness. These include the readiness skills children need to follow directions, comply with rules, manage emotions, solve problems, organize and complete tasks, and get along with others. Social-behavioral…

A review of some basic concepts in special education law will help principals better understand the complex laws and regulations implicated in common situations. This article cites a case scenario that illustrates various potential issues under IDEA 2004 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Chris is in the 10th grade, and his parents have…

Public education has long been the subject of public discontent. Historical events such as the Soviet launch of "Sputnik" in 1957, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and repeated media reports that U.S. students were outscored by students in many other countries on international tests each prompted federal and state…

This is the 36th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2014. Section 664(d) of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" ("IDEA") (P.L. 108-446), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress…

This is the 33rd Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2011. Section 664(d) of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" ("IDEA"), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress made toward the…

This is the 32nd Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2010. Section 664(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (P.L. 108-446), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress made toward the provision of a free…

The 34th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2012 describes our nation's progress in: (1) providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for all children with disabilities; (2) ensuring that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected;…

The 35th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2013 describes the nation's progress in (1) providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for all children with disabilities, (2) ensuring that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected, (3)…

The 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act amendments include discipline-related provisions that expand school officials' authority to deal with disabled students caught with weapons or drugs or exhibiting dangerous behaviors and clarify procedures governing manifestation determination, provision of educational services during…

In passing the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, Congress tackled tough issues regarding educating students with disabilities. This article addresses four changes to IDEA and their implications for secondary principals, including suspension of handicapped students without educational services, development of…

This pamphlet describes requirements under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 relating to the discipline of students with disabilities. Information is provided on the educational requirements of the legislation, the due process procedures, the suspension and expulsion of students with disabilities, and the reevaluation process required…