Training Course Syllabus:

Your Guide to Special Education Laws Educators Need to Know

Special education laws present education professionals with a tangled web of requirements to navigate, with each step fraught with potential problems for the school and the student. Determining eligibility for services, conducting student discipline, and addressing bullying and harassment require a firm grasp of the respective legal obligations due to students with special needs. This program will equip you with the tools you need to provide essential services to your students. Our expert attorney faculty will clarify the most pressing areas of concern and bring you up to speed with the latest legal developments. Register today!

• Explore landmark cases impacting schools and students with special needs.
• Learn how to develop and implement effective Section 504 plans and avoid plan modifications.
• Navigate the IEP process while avoiding mistakes that can lead to school liability.
• Know when mental health issues qualify as a disability and which services schools must provide.
• Participate in a start-to-finish student discipline case study.
• Conduct productive and legally compliant student due process hearings.
• Prevent and address claims of bullying and harassment that lead to denial of FAPE.

1. Special Education Case Law Update: Recent Developments and Landmark Cases
   9:00 - 9:50, Kyle A. McClain
   
   1. Recent Cases of Interest to Education Professionals
   2. Landmark Cases: Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, Plyler v. Doe and Others
   3. State and Federal Regulatory Updates
2. Section 504 Plan Implementation
   9:50 - 10:40, Dana A. Jonson
   
   1. 504 Plans vs. IEPs: Eligibility and Other Differences
   2. Distributing the Plan
   3. Making Accommodations
   4. Plan Review and Re-Evaluation
   5. Tips for Avoiding Plan Modifications
   6. Applying Section 504 to Athletics and Extracurricular Activities
3. Individualized Education Plans (IEPs): Top Mistakes Schools Make
   10:55 - 11:45, Dana A. Jonson
   
   1. Logistical Snafus: Meeting Scheduling, Involving the Necessary Stakeholders and More
   2. Avoiding Pitfalls in the IEP Meeting
   3. Failing to Write Goals that are Legally Defensible
   4. Errors in Plan Documentation
   5. Progress Monitoring Oversights
   6. Updating the IEP - The Right Way
4. Mental Health Issues Involving Students with Disabilities
   12:45 - 1:35, Dana A. Jonson
   
   1. Determining When Mental Illness Qualifies as a Disability
   2. Interplay of Mental Health Issues and the Child Find Mandate
   3. Keeping Records of Mental Health Concerns
   4. Setting IEP Goals for Students with Mental Health Needs
   5. 504 Plan Eligibility for Mental Health Issues
   6. Required Services for Students Without 504s/IEPs
5. Disciplining Students with Special Needs: MDRs, FBAs, BIPs and More
   1:35 - 2:30, Kyle A. McClain
   
   1. Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs): Linking the Behavior to the Disability
   2. Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs): When to Conduct Them and Who Needs to be Involved
   3. Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) Basics
   4. Putting it All Together: A Student Discipline Case Study
6. Due Process Hearings: A Legal Compliance Guide
   2:45 - 3:40, Dana A. Jonson
   
   1. How to Respond When Parents Request a Hearing
   2. The School's Right to Request a Hearing
   3. Responding to Complaints Regarding Denial of Eligibility
   4. Handling IEP Plan Disputes
   5. Conducting the Hearing
   6. Best Practices to Avoid Due Process Hearings
7. Appropriate School Responses to Bullying and Harassment: Cyberbullying and More
   3:40 - 4:30, Elizabeth K. Adams
   
   1. Bullying and the Law: Section 504 and IDEA
   2. How Schools Must Respond to Incidents of Bullying and Harassment
   3. Handling Cyberbullying and Off-Campus Incidents
   4. Documentation Best Practices
   5. Ensuring that Special Needs Students Receive FAPE
   6. What to Do When the Special Needs Student is the Aggressor

Seminar Summary:

This program will equip you with the tools you need to provide essential services to your students. (see full course description)

print this agenda