Manifestation determination reviews (MDRs) are a federally mandated practice that prevents schools from suspending students with disabilities for more than 10 days before determining if the student's disability is significantly and directly related to the problem behavior. The process is a controversial one, and prior research has shown that the…

This guide from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the U.S. Department of Education is designed to assist school administrators in understanding the challenges faced in creating safe, effective learning environments, whole school practices that have dramatically increased effective learning environments, and under what…

This paper describes an innovative educational program called Project Breakthru, which supports the vision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Aligned with the inclusive philosophy of special education services, this program aims at preventing academic and behavioral problems in children by means of restructuring school resources…

This guide is intended to help California educators comply with requirements of the 1990 Hughes Act (which ensured the right of the state's special education students to a behavioral intervention plan) and with requirements of the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1997) concerning functional behavioral assessment and…

This booklet is one of a series designed to assist early childhood general educators, early childhood special educators, related service providers, parents, administrators, and others in understanding what the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) now requires for young children with disabilities ages birth through 5 years and their…

This paper describes causes of special education conflict and explores alternative conflict management approaches being pioneered by state education agencies and school districts. The focus is on early informal dispute resolution strategies as alternatives to due process hearings and mediation. Problems with both due process hearings and mediation…

This guide is intended to help school administrators to consider the impact of cultural diversity in the development and implementation of school disciplinary policies while complying with the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. First it examines how cultural bias, misunderstanding, and insensitivity may impede student and teacher…

This document is the report of a policy forum on interim alternative educational settings for students with disabilities involved in disciplinary actions. The report summarizes outcomes of discussions on the following topics: (1) purpose and goals of the interim alternative educational setting; (2) components of interim alternative educational…

This paper presents a policy framework for the implementation of goals for special education in Michigan. The first part of the paper is a memorandum that recommends the policy framework. Attachment A presents goals for providing a support system to students with disabilities to foster their progress in the general curriculum. Goals include: (1)…