Policy and professional standards shape the way that special education teachers partner with parents. Such partnership is key to engaging parents in the process of special education and can serve as the foundation for collaboration and information sharing. Although the literature describes recommendations for how teachers can provide information…

Too many students with disabilities leave secondary school without being connected to an agency. This is especially true for those students with more severe disabilities that require a modified curriculum. Students with disabilities learning in a modified curriculum often need more support during school and usually will need the same or more…

Traditional conceptualizations of parent involvement are applied in paradoxical ways to Black families -- schools ostensibly seek families' participation in schooling, while positioning multiply-marginalized Black families as deficient and disregarding their contributions. This article explores the experiences of Black families of Black girls…

Research indicates that the trend of students with disabilities choosing to attend college is continually increasing. However, research also suggests that this population may be ill prepared to meet the increased academic demands and level of independence needed at the college level. Research in the field indicates that high schools may not be…

In this supplemental fact sheet, the Department of Education (the Department) reminds educators in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic that they should not opt to close or decline to provide distance instruction, at the expense of students, to address matters pertaining to services for students with disabilities. Rather, school systems must make…

How can local education agencies (LEAs), elementary schools, and teachers make sure the kindergarten year deepens and builds on children's previous learning? What are the best ways to keep children and families connected to school and engaged in learning? And how can LEAs, schools, and classroom teachers provide the smoothest transition possible…

Preparing youth with disabilities for successful futures is a longstanding priority for policymakers and educators. This priority is reflected in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), last updated in 2004. This brief summarizes findings from surveys of secondary school youth with disabilities and their parents collected…

A recently filed lawsuit in Compton, California ("Peter P. et al. v. Compton Unified School District," 2015) has been making national news. The lawsuit highlights the prevalence of trauma exposure, particularly among underserved youth, as well as the need for school-wide, trauma-informed practices to enhance resiliency among students and…

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder among school-age children. For more than half a century, physicians have prescribed medications to help manage behaviors such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. Today, there is a growing consensus that ADHD is a biologically…

Providing mental health services to children and youth has long been a tremendous challenge for communities. Numerous reports and studies demonstrate that children in Minnesota and across the nation struggle with a variety of unmet mental health needs. As a result, children are placed at great risk for failure in education, in the work force, and…

This booklet presents information helpful in implementing laws intended to extend full societal participation to individuals with disabilities. Information concerning the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA) addresses the law's major provisions, provisions for medically fragile children, amendments and modifications, and case…

This monograph attempts to provide an overview of current educational issues that affect brain-injured students with special emphasis on the assessment process. An introduction notes recognition of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its definition under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 as well as the increasing numbers of such…

This book examines schools' legal responsibility for providing equal educational opportunities for children with disabilities. It analyzes the six principles of special education law: (1) zero reject, or the right of every child to be included in a free appropriate publicly supported educational system; (2) nondiscriminatory classification; (3)…