by Common Ground | May 2, 2017 | Features
By Elizabeth W. Barnes Children with special needs are guaranteed a “free, appropriate public education” (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). When Congress enacted IDEA in 1975, the goal was to address the “perception...
by Common Ground | May 2, 2017 | Capitols
The number of students ages 6 to 21 enrolled in special education rose in the most recent year for which the federal government has data, driven by increases in the number of students classified as having autism or “other health impairments.” It was the...
by Common Ground | Feb 26, 2017 | Courts
In February, The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a unanimous decision in favor of a student with disabilities, and clarified the inter-relationship between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)...
by Common Ground | Oct 25, 2016 | Courts
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider a case that will set the national standard for the education of students with disabilities. At issue is the level of benefit that school districts are required to provide. The court will consider the question of whether...
by Common Ground | Sep 4, 2016 | Parents
By Hillary D. Freeman, Esq. Students who qualify for special education and related services under the IDEA shall not be punished the same as regular education students for behaviors that are a product of their disabilities. Instead, the IEP team shall determine...
by Common Ground | Jul 29, 2016 | Courts
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a special education case involving a 12-year-old Michigan girl with cerebral palsy who sought to bring her service dog – which was prescribed by a physician as a full time support – to school. The dog is certified...
by Common Ground | Apr 15, 2016 | Capitols
Congress approved a $1.1 trillion plan to boost spending for many government programs including special education and other disability programs. Funding for states under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have increased by $415 million. Feds Boost...
by Common Ground | Apr 15, 2016 | Courts
A new report finds that court decisions related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are more likely to be litigated in some states than others. An analysis published in the Journal of Special Education Leadership reported that 10 states account...
by Common Ground | Feb 18, 2016 | Capitols
Lawmakers in Washington have approved a $1.1 trillion plan that offers a boost in spending for federal government programs that affect children and adults with disabilities. Funding to states under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will increase...
by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2014 | Courts
Leaders in the field of education have called on the Supreme Court of the United States to examine longstanding special education rules that protect the placement of students with disabilities during the course of litigation. Under the provision in the Individuals...
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