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Since I work in the College Readiness Department for my school district, I would focus on applying the Principles of CAS ethical standards. The Council for Advancement in Higher Education Statement of Shared Ethical Principles (2006), Principle IV- Justice states professionals should " promote human dignity and endorse equality and fairness for everyone." The principle aligns with equality to provide fairness for all students, including those with disabilities.

Higher Education Professionals and educators should comply with the laws and policies enforced to protect all students. Educate yourself and others and comply with all laws that protect students.

Respect the rights of individual students and groups to express opinions- Students who believe they may need accommodations or modifications should be evaluated.

Educators and professionals are responsible for helping eliminate barriers that can impede a student's learning and development. Everyone must comply with all recommendations or modifications on a student's plan as provided.

Council for the Advancement of Standards. (2006). CAS   professional standards for higher education (6th Ed.). Washington, DC https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/CASethicsstatement.pdf

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Students with disabilities are protected under federal laws requiring that educators and professionals understand and comply with regulations for students with disabilities. Key takeaways are understanding students who are identified with particular disabilities must receive individual plans to help them with learning skills to advance both inside and outside the classroom.

Pubic schools must do an Individual Education Plan with a student who maybe has a disability or has been identified as a special needs student.

Educators, professionals, and paraprofessionals must be trained to provide education and social and emotional support for students with disabilities.

Public schools should be concerned about input from parents or custodial parents when reviewing or determining modifications and recommendations.

Never exclude students from attending on-level courses, activities, or programs if their plan IEP only requires accommodations.

Provide high-quality programs for students with service needs.

Provide any accommodation as needed, even if in the student's IEP.

Create inclusive environments where all students, including students with disabilities, feel heard, seen, and equipped with skills.

Levenson, N. (n.d.). 10 Best Practices for Improving Special Education. District Management Group. Retrieved July 22, 2023, from https://www.dmgroupk12.com/blog/10-best-practices-for-improving-special-education

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IRIS Center is dedicated to improving educational outcomes for all children, including students with disabilities. The website provides resources, professional development, research, and best practices for working with students with disabilities.

Learn more about types of disabilities, how they can cause barriers, and the appropriate accommodations to best support students.

(n.d.). Understanding Accommodations. IRIS CENTER. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/micro-credential/micro-accommodations/p01/

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Administrative Law- Complying with Section 504 

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Administrative Law- Complying with Section 504 

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As amended, the GPISD school district will comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal civil rights law designed to prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities by entities whose programs and activities receive federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education. Students determined to have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life

activities are protected from discrimination under the general nondiscrimination regulatory provisions implementing Section 504 and the ADA.

GPISD will provide:

Specially Designed Instruction
Emotional Support Services
CoTeach Support
Instructional Support
Supplement Support
Functional Skill Support
Living Skills Support
18 plus Services

Services will be modified based on the student's education plan and will be in the best interest of the student's overall success; instead of the suggested three-year evaluations, GPISD is committed to doing annual reviews at the beginning of each year and will do a review anytime during the school year if requested or recommend by educator or professional.

Grand Prairie Independent School District (2023). Academic Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.gpisd.org/cms/lib/TX01001872/Centricity/Domain/11870/2023-2024%20AH%20FINAL%20-%20Updated%2006.14.2023.pdf

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 Statutory Law - Individuals with Disabilities Act 

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 Statutory Law - Individuals with Disabilities Act 

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IDEA - The Individuals with Disabilities Act is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.

The law funds early intervention, special education, and services to students with disabilities.

IDEA has many purposes, but those that relate to ensuring students are properly educated to have the skills and abilities to function in society after K-12 include:

to ensure that educators and parents have the necessary tools to improve educational results for children with disabilities by supporting system improvement activities; coordinated research and personnel preparation; coordinated technical assistance, dissemination, and support; and technology development and media services

to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004).

https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/#IDEA-Purpose

(n.d.). IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. About IDEA. Retrieved July 19, 2023, from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/#IDEA-Purpose

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Statutory Law - Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973)

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Statutory Law - Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973)

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The law prohibits discrimination against persons who have disabilities by schools and institutions that receive federal assistance.

The purpose of the law is to ensure that students with disabilities have the same educational opportunities and benefits the same as those that are not disabled students.

Students covered by Section 504 must be provided protection and accommodations as necessary to provide equal access to services, programs, and school activities.

Students with 504 accommodations should receive individual education plans at the beginning of each school year to have the appropriate accommodations for student success.

Appropriate accommodations will ensure student is receiving the same instruction as non disabled students.

Individual Education Plans should be revised yearly to fit student needs.

Students who are provided accommodations or modifications and met all graduation plans and earned credits will have the opportunity to get a high school diploma.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 34 C.F.R. Part 104 § 104.4

https://tea.texas.gov/academics/special-student-populations/section-504#:~:text=Section%20504%20requires%20the%20use,or%20interpretation%20of%20evaluation%20materials

(2020, November 1). Three Laws Governing Education for Students with Disabilities. The University of Kansas School of Education & Human Services. Retrieved July 22, 2023, from https://educationonline.ku.edu/community/three-federal-laws

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Judicial Law - Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, 598 U.S. (2023)

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Judicial Law - Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, 598 U.S. (2023)

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According to Perez v. Sturgis, 2023, Student Perez was denied appropriate educational services and supports, such as sign language and an appropriately trained aide, while attending Sturgis public school, which went against the IDEA act that requires accessible and appropriate special education and accommodations for students with disabilities. The student sued, and the United States Supreme Court unanimously held in Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, 143 S. Ct. 859 (2023) that a student with a disability does not have to exhaust the administrative due process procedures of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) before filing a lawsuit seeking compensatory damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other federal anti-discrimination laws.

The court case states that school districts should continue to uphold IDEA regulations.

School districts are responsible for listening to students' and parents' needs and discovering what services students with disabilities are entitled to.

Sets a reminder to educators and professionals that IDEA issues also indicate Section 504 and the ADA and that personnel should they are responsible for addressing allegations of disability-based discrimination to the appropriate district personnel to avoid violations against students with disabilities.

Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, 598 U.S. (2023)

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/598/21-887/

(2023, March 29). Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools: Supreme Court Narrows IDEA Exhaustion Requirement. Shipman & Goodwin LLP. Retrieved July 19, 2023, from https://www.shipmangoodwin.com/insights/perez-v-sturgis-public-schools-supreme-court-narrows-idea-exhaustion-requirement.html#:~:text=Ct.,other%20federal%20anti%2Ddiscrimination%20laws.

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The 14th Amendment was written to grant all citizens born or naturalized in the United States equal protection under the law. The Amendment requires all public school systems to give all students equal access to schooling. No student shall be denied an educational opportunity because of race, gender, religion, sexuality, social class, or disabilities. The equal protection guarantee of the 14th Amendment established the right of children with disabilities to a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. Students with disabilities should not be restricted due to their disabilities.

If a student has a disability, they can still participate in standard core classrooms with other students. If denied that opportunity, it would violate the 14th Amendment, which protects students with disabilities from not being restricted in public education schools.

U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.
https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/14th-amendment.htm

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Students with disabilities face challenges like learning disabilities, social issues, and sometimes physical mobility challenges that set them behind. Schools are responsible for identifying their challenges and creating curriculums or supports to help students. Students depend strongly on school programs and educators to provide them with the support they need. Who is to blame when thousands of students are denied special accommodations and resources? In 2018 federal investigation uncovered that Texas education left thousands of public school students with disabilities down by not providing special education services. Texas schools express how their school districts failed to provide clear guidance on their responsibilities under federal law, confusing school officials about how to inter rules around students with disabilities. Today TEA is still working to close the gaps between undefined needs and supports required by students with disabilities.

Swaby, A. (2020, November 5). Texas schools still failing special education students, federal review finds. The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED555694.pdf

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In the article, The Hechinger Report, Butrymowicz & Mader (2017) write about the many different experiences and stories students with disabilities tell about their educational experiences and how they believe the educational system failed them. From providing accommodations, just not the right ones, many students with disabilities feel that educators are not adequately trained to serve students with different disabilities or multiple disabilities. Others talk about how after being provided an Individualized Education Program (IEP), they were still pushed to get a non-accredited diploma that would prevent them from enrolling in post-secondary institutions or applying for jobs after high school. The article has testaments, and examples of violations that occur when schools fail to comply with the protections that IDEA creates for the IEP development process.

Common violations:

needs are not always accommodated.

unequal access to education programs or opportunities when students are placed in non-accredited graduation programs.

once diagnosed, not reviewed for other disabilities the student may have or later be challenged with.

Butrymowicz, S., & Mader, J. (2017). Almost all students with disabilities are capable of graduating on time. Here’s why they’re not. The U.S. Education system is failing students with special needs. https://hechingerreport.org/high-schools-fail-provide-legally-required-education-students-disabilities

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The National Council on Disability is an organization that prioritizes improving educational outcomes for students with disabilities. NCD is an independent agency that helps makes recommendations on issues affecting those with disabilities. The agency's interests include:
reducing the number/percentage of students with disabilities who drop out of high school; increasing the number/percentage of students with disabilities nationwide who graduate high school with a diploma as opposed to a certificate of attendance; and increasing the availability and usage of effective strategies to help students transition to and remain connected with postsecondary education.

According to NCD, there are a variety of dropout prevention supports for students with disabilities that fall within services and accommodations that should be provided, including tutoring, counseling services, involvement with other extracurricular activities, and monitoring attendance and grades. Students exposed to those prevention strategies are better prepared for transitioning from high school to college or career options.

National Council on Disability (n.d.). Improving Educational Outcomes for Students With Disabilities. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://ncd.gov/publications/2004/mar172004

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In the 21 century, a college degree, certificate, or certification is in high demand to get out of poverty and have the skills required to be considered for a career. The number of students entering college and completing it is far less for students with disabilities (COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS & SUCCESS Center at American Institutes for Research, 2013). Data shows that students with disabilities lack adequate skills and training in K-12, hindering their education success. It is essential to understand the types of student disabilities and what services those students are entitled to, which can be further explained by understanding The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). With knowledge of the legal responsibilities to students with disabilities, educators and professionals will be able to revamp ways to support these students to gain the knowledge and skills that will help them succeed beyond the classroom and into post-secondary options.

Issues for students with disabilities are that sometimes educators and parents may not be equipped with the resources or knowledge to help students with disabilities. For students with disabilities who do not get the proper services and accommodations, it causes barriers to accessing the general curriculum, participating in school activities, and being educated alongside their peers without disabilities. As educators and professionals, it is essential to understand that disabilities do not define a student's ability to succeed. Some laws protect students with disabilities and grant them equal protection, anti-discrimination rights, and the opportunity to succeed in education. Failure to provide appropriate accommodations and services will limit a student's ability and can cause legal concerns for educators, professionals, and the school/ institutions.

COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS & SUCCESS Center at American Institutes for Research (2013, March 1). Improving College and Career Readiness for Students with Disabilities. Retrieved July 21, 2023, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED555694.pdf

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As a College Readiness Advisor and future Director of College Readiness, it has been essential to understand the different definitions of what it means to be College Ready. Working in the K-12 setting, I have learned that there can be many definitions of what it means to be in College Ready one stating that a student is prepared for college courses without remediation, and second that a student has been equipped with the skills and knowledge and tool to transition to college and be successful. Over the years, I have seen many barriers that have limited students with disabilities from pursuing post-secondary education, alone completing high school. Students with disabilities need to learn critical skills and college knowledge to navigate the college application process and the different services that will support students who decide to participate in the higher education experience. The skills students need to find their proper post-secondary education match all start at the K-12 level. Students with disabilities need to get the appropriate support and accommodations to be able to enter and complete degrees after high school. The information provided is the guide to inform K-12 educators and professionals regarding their legal and ethical obligations/rights in assisting students with disabilities.