Exploration of Legal and Ethical Issues in Special Education by Shakeah Hoffman https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx Shakeah Hoffman, ED 6305 en-us 2019-01-19 16:58:48 UTC 2025-12-11 12:57:51 UTC hello@padlet.com My Professional Perspective shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322416472 My professional perspective is working as a Special Education Director. I received my M.Ed. in Special Education with a Diagnostician certification and am currently working on an additional certification in school administration. I have worked as both a General and Special Education teacher as well as being a Diagnostician for 5 years. Currently, I am a Special Education Director at TLCA. I hope to use the knowledge I have acquired in all areas of education, as well as my personal skills, to build a Special Education Department that focuses on student progress and overall program compliance. ]]> 2019-01-19 18:05:56 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322416472 Exploration Option 1: According to a Current Professional shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322417539 I spoke with a fellow Special Education Director in our region, Brian Arrott about current legal issues that are impacting his district and position. 

#1
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) recently implement monitoring of compliance issues in Texas' school districts .  This monitoring was initialed to ensure that districts were in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  As a result of the monitoring of OSEP,  Texas Education Agency created a corrective action plan (CAP) to address some of the issues in the OSEP letter. The CAP is intended to address the issues in the letter.  The requirements of the CAP and monitoring have lead to increased monitoring and responsibilities of LEAs. 

#2 
Parent requests and Child Find claims for Full and Individual Evaluations are on the rise due to the Texas Education Agency's implementation of the Corrective Action Plan. This has created an overload of initial assessment for our staff.  

#3 Communication with parents is vital to the Special Education process and making sure that parents understand the process is always a difficult task. They typically want the process to be much quicker but don't always understand everything that must be included in a Full and Individual Evaluation. 

#4
Ensuring that our staff has adequate training to follow the legal requirements and procedures outlined in the CAP.  Training is the foundation of all legal issues pertaining to special education. If the director has done their job, as far as training, then the monitoring process should be smooth since the staff will know the expectations during the monitoring process. 

#5
Dyslexia is a new issue as far as IDEA is concerned. A new Dyslexia handbook was released and court findings have indicated that Dyslexia can now be considered a Specific Learning Disability. This impacts our Special Education program since previously our students with Dyslexia are covered under the 504 umbrella. There is also contradicting information from educational attorneys on the subject of Dyslexia and TEA is standing by the statement released in June of 2018 that Dyslexia could be addressed with either a 504 plan or an IEP. The contradicting information makes this a possible legal issue for LEAs in Texas. 

(B. Arrott, personal communication, January 16, 2019)

]]> 2019-01-19 18:20:19 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322417539 Legal and Ethical Issue of Interest to Me shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322495802 After my exploration of legal and ethical issues related to Special Education, I am most interested in how Texas Education Agency's Corrective Action Plan is impacting districts in Texas as far as staffing and compliance issues. This is interesting to me because I have been following the information that OSEP has been sharing the past 2 years regarding IDEA and the under identification of special education students in Texas. ]]> 2019-01-20 15:15:13 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322495802 Exploration Option 2: National Association of Secondary School Principals shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322502899 In my review of the NASSP website, I focused on the section related to Special Education and IDEA. Districts across the US are struggling to recruit and retain Special Education staff/teachers. This issue is problematic across the US and 98% of school have reported shortages in Special Education teachers. 
NASSP also referenced the website NCPSSERS that outlined some specific reason for the shortages, such as increasing demands for services and decreased supply of personal to meet the demand. The NCPSSERS highly encourages high schools to share their recruiting tool to encourage students to explore the field of Special Education and/or related services.

]]> 2019-01-20 16:13:26 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322502899 Recruiting Tool shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322535678 2019-01-20 22:47:40 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322535678 Exploration Option 2, Part 2: National Center on Secondary Education and Transition shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322539719 Transition services have been a hot topic the last couple of years when I have attended conferences or professional development sessions. The NCSET is an organization devoted to to helping students with disabilities have future successes beyond high school. Transition planning is required on or before a student turns 14 years old and goals related to transition are vital to ensure student success beyond graduation for our students with disabilities. ]]> 2019-01-20 23:34:00 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322539719 Step 3 shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322545281 Special Education staff retention and increasing student numbers are leading to shortages of individuals in the field of Special Education and related services. There is a high percentage of districts that have reported declining staff for their Special Education program and related services and this will be even more prevalent with the implementation of TEA's Corrective Action Plan.  ]]> 2019-01-21 00:34:46 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322545281 shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322546852 2019-01-21 00:45:29 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322546852 References shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322550299 Samuels, C. A., & Harwin, A. (2018). Shortage of Special Educators Adds to Classroom Pressures. Education Week, (15). Retrieved from https://easydb.angelo.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgov&AN=edsgcl.565981637&site=eds-live


]]> 2019-01-21 01:21:35 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322550299 Step 4: Education Week shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322559537 2019-01-21 02:58:34 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322559537 Step 5: Summary of Sources shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322559849 In the current state of our Special Education programs, staff and service provider retention is vital to being able to provide the needed services for our growing number of students with disabilities.  High pressure and workload demands are influencing the field thus creating the shortages.  Education week stated that our Special Education programs are claiming both quantity and quality shortages of professionals in the field.  When filling these shortages, school administrator hire out of necessity and that creates situations where teachers are unprepared.  In some cases, a mentor teacher will be assigned to the individual but due to staff shortages, that is not always an option.  

All educators have a certain amount of pressure associated with their position. Those that work with severely disabled students have a greater amount of pressure because they are responsible for academic progress, as well as social, emotional, and functional progress.  This creates a greater demand on that individual causing a number of them to leave the field.  

Campus and District Administrators have an important role in retention of special education staff.  As administrators, we must support our staff by creating a practical working environment.  School culture, mentor programs, and professional development are just a few of the ways that administrators can ensure that retention rates increase.  

]]> 2019-01-21 03:01:29 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322559849 Sep 4: Learning Policy Institute shoffman35 https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322571979 2019-01-21 05:17:34 UTC https://padlet.com/shoffman35/7quh2vqrt8kx/wish/322571979