Special Education & Educational Administrators legal Responsibilities by Sidney Miller https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv Legal guide for Educational Administrators en-us 2019-07-19 17:11:42 UTC 2019-07-21 06:01:49 UTC hello@padlet.com https://imgglb.padletcdn.com/v13/image?t=g_auto&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpadlet.net%2Ficons%2Fpng%2F1f3eb.png Slide 1 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711533  Professional Perspective/Audience/Topic
     The perspective for the legal guide comes from a future educational administrator's viewpoint. This legal guide is intended to help educational administrators who work in primary and secondary public schools with their legal responsibilities associated with special education. I chose to create this legal guide for educational administrators since protecting the rights of special education students is a vital responsibility for educational administrators.   ]]> 2019-07-19 17:29:46 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711533 Slide 2 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711537 Interview
     Monitoring special education on campus is an essential job responsibility for educational administrators. Special education legal responsibilities influence instruction, curriculum, parent involvement, school discipline, teacher certification, student accommodations, resources, school employment, and school funding on school campuses. The type of decisions educational administrators make concerning special education may have legal consequences or affect the success of special education students on campus.  Finally, it is vital educational administrators stay up to date with any new special education laws (B. Koorner, personal communication, July 10, 2019).
Best Practices 
  • Educational administrators need to make sure special education teachers provide teachers with Individualized Education Plan accommodations and Behavior Intervention Plans for the students they teach. Furthermore, educational administrators need to make sure teachers who teach special education students understand and know how to implement a student's IEP or BIP.(B. Koorner, personal communication, July 10, 2019).
  • Educational administrators need to educate themselves and stay current with the concepts and practices within special education. Furthermore, they need to know all the legal information about special education and follow the Individuals with Disabilities Act (B. Koorner, personal communication, July 10, 2019).
  • Educational administrators need to know how to lead all meetings related to special education effectively (B. Koorner, personal communication, July 10, 2019).
Emerging Trends
     An emerging trend to continually monitor in special education is technology. Technology is giving special education students better access to resources and accommodations that allow them to have more success in school. Educational administrators should provide professional development to school personnel on how to take advantage of new evidenced-based technology practices used in special education to improve special education students educational achievement. Technology is also enhancing the ability of how educational administrators and Special education teachers monitor the needs of special education students (B. Koorner, personal communication, July 10, 2019).
Interviewee Information
Bobby Koorner Former Lake Worth High School Principal 2018-2019


]]> 2019-07-19 17:29:54 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711537 Slide 3 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711545 Professional Association
     National Association of Special Education Teachers
The NASET provides legal guidance and learning strategies related to special education for educators. In addition, the professional association offers a resource article for school principals about their special education responsibilities (Thompson, 2015). NASET provides useful information about special education to educational administrators and educators.
                    References
Thompson, Carmelita. (2015). The principals'impact on the implementation of inclusion. National Association of Special Education Teachers. Retrieved from https://www.naset.org/index.php?id=4186





]]> 2019-07-19 17:30:01 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711545 Slide 4 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711552 Current News Article #1
     The news article titled  "The Important Role Principals Play in Special Education" teaches school principals to embrace special education and to learn from their mistakes. Furthermore, the article discusses school principals responsibilities of making sure they communicate with special education parents and get teachers to collect proper data and observe special education students before their Individualized Education Program meetings. Finally, the article informs principals to read their students IEP's and make sure they receive correct implementation to avoid legal consequences for the school (Samuels, 2018).
                          References
Samuels, Christina. (2018, October 16). The important role teachers play in special education. Education Weekly. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/10/17/the-important-role-principals-play-in-special.html ]]> 2019-07-19 17:30:08 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711552 Slide 5 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711556 Current News Article #2
     The news article titled " Principals a Vital Part of Special Education Success" discusses the different responsibilities school principals have in managing special education (Harper, 2018).
They include
  • Disciplining effectively  (Harper, 2018).
  • Supporting special education teachers  (Harper, 2018).
  • Familiarity with the procedural safeguards of the Individual Education Act  (Harper, 2018).
  •  Regulating the flow of special education students in mainstream classrooms
        (Harper, 2018).
                References
Harper, Amelia. (2018, November 2). Principals a vital part of special education success. Education Dive. Retrieved from https://www.educationdive.com/news/principals-a-vital-part-of-special-education-success/541268/



]]> 2019-07-19 17:30:14 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711556 Slide 6 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711565 Statutory Law
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004)
Level: Federal
Description-The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) ensures special education students a free and appropriate education, appropriate evaluations, individualized education program, least restrictive environment, parent & student participation in decision making, and parental safeguards for their parents. The act also addresses legal requirements, accountability requirements, and teacher certification requirements for serving special education students.
Link https://uscode.house.gov/statviewer.htm?volume=118&page=2647
                  References
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004) 

]]> 2019-07-19 17:30:21 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711565 Slide 7 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711573 Judicial Law
(Board of Education v. Rowley, 1982).
Level: Federal
Description-The law ensures special education students a free and appropriate education, appropriate evaluations, individualized education program, least restrictive environment, parent & student participation in decision making, and parental safeguards for special education students parents. The law also addresses legal requirements, accountability requirements, and teacher certification requirements for serving special education students (Board of Education v. Rowley, 1982).
Link http://cdn.loc.gov/service/ll/usrep/usrep458/usrep458176/usrep458176.pdf
                    References
Board of Education v. Rowley, 458 U.S. 176 (1982)

]]> 2019-07-19 17:30:28 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711573 Slide 8 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711590 Administrative Law
(19 TAC  § 89.1001(a)).
Level: State
Description-Special education services shall be provided to eligible students in accordance with all applicable federal law and regulations, state statutes, rules of the State Board of Education (SBOE) and commissioner of education, and the State Plan Under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (19 TAC  § 89.1001 (a)).
Link http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter089/ch089aa.html
                        References
Scope and Applicability, 19. Tex. Admin. Code § 89.1001]]> 2019-07-19 17:30:42 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711590 Slide 9 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711597 Constitutional Law
(US Const. amend. XIV).
Level: Federal
Description-This law states no person shall be denied equal protection under the law regardless of disabilities, race, or social status. Furthermore, the law forbids the term “separate but equal” and applies to all public elementary and secondary schools within the United States (US Const. amend. XIV).
Link https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CONAN-1992/pdf/GPO-CONAN-1992-7.pdf
               References
U.S. Const. amend. XIV.]]> 2019-07-19 17:30:48 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711597 Slide 10 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711605 Local Administrative Law/Policy/Rule
Lake Worth Independent School District 2018-2019
Student Handbook Policy Regarding Parents Rights for Requesting a Special Education Evaluation for their Child.

(LWISD. Parental Rights. § 1 p. 9).
Description-A parent has a right to request a special education evaluation for their child at any time. The school must respond to the request in a reasonable amount of time to determine if an evaluation is needed. If the school decides the request is unnecessary, they must provide written notice of why to the parents and provide parents their Notice of Procedural Safeguards—Rights of Parents of Students with Disabilities according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (LWISD. Parental Rights. §1 p.9).

This policy gives educational administrators information on the rights of parents in the school district concerning a special education evaluation. Furthermore, the policy states what legal documents the school must provide parents if the school decides to deny a child a special education evaluation.
                     References
LWISD. Parental Rights. § 1 p.9

]]> 2019-07-19 17:30:56 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711605 Slide 11 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711614 Ethical Principle
Individualized Education Program (Tex. Educ. Code. § 29.005).
This state statutory law requires educational administrators to make sure before conducting an IEP meeting for a special education student that they include the required participants in the meeting according to federal law 20 U.S.C. Section 1414(d). Furthermore, the law states that written documentation must be kept detailing the outcome of the decisions made in the meeting and signatures from all members who participated in the meeting is required as well.
Link
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.29.htm#29.005
                 References
2 Tex. Educ. Code. § 29.005


]]> 2019-07-19 17:31:03 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711614 Slide 12 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711621 Non-Law Source
Center for Parent Information & Resources
The website has a section within it that assist administrators with information about special education. In addition, the section within the website offers educational administrators advice on the legal requirements involved in disciplining special education students and best practices associated with disciplining special education students (Center for Parent Information & Resources, 2019).
                    References
Center for Parent Information & Resources. (2019, January 6). 

Especially for…schools and administrators. Retrieved from https://www.parentcenterhub.org/schools-administrators/#admin

]]> 2019-07-19 17:31:09 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371711621 Slide 13 smiller381 https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371766822 Best Practices for Compliance
Best practices for compliance with special education by educational administrators include
  • Provide support to the special education teachers on campus
  • Be familiar with parental legal rights concerning special education
  • Learn from the mistakes you make concerning special education
  • Understand all the procedural safeguards within IDEA
  • Know the responsibilities in conducting a student IEP meeting
  • Review students Individualized Education Plans & Behavior Intervention Plans regularly to ensure teachers implement them correctly to avoid legal consequences for the school
  • Attend and provide special education training to teachers
  • Know the legal requirements for disciplining special education students
  • Follow all sources of laws related to special education
  • Be an advocate for special education students and make sure school educators keep required documentation for special education students




]]> 2019-07-20 23:17:49 UTC https://padlet.com/smiller381/e09fk272s9hv/wish/371766822