Legal Requirements:

• Ensures that students with disabilities receive equal protection under the law.

• Prohibits discriminatory disciplinary practices that disproportionately affect students with disabilities.

• Requires schools to provide due process before suspending or expelling students with disabilities.

Legal Requirements:

• Ensures students with disabilities, including those with behavioral needs, receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

• Requires schools to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that include Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIPs) when needed.

• Protects students by limiting the use of suspension and expulsion for behaviors related to their disabilities.

Legal Requirements & Impact:

• Clarified the standard for a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) under IDEA.

• Ruled that IEPs must be designed to provide students with disabilities more than minimal educational progress.

• Strengthened schools’ obligations to provide meaningful behavioral supports to students with disabilities.

Source: Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities, 34 C.F.R. §§ 300.324, 300.530-300.536

Full Text: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-III/part-300

Legal Requirements & Impact:

• 34 C.F.R. § 300.324: Requires IEP teams to consider positive behavioral interventions for students with disabilities displaying behavior concerns.

• 34 C.F.R. §§ 300.530-300.536: Provides disciplinary protections for students with disabilities, ensuring they are not unfairly removed from educational settings.

• Schools must conduct a Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) before suspending or expelling a student for more than 10 days.

• Reinforces that behavioral supports must be part of a student’s IEP when needed.

Source: Lubbock Independent School District – Student Behavior Support (SBS) Parent Information

Full Text: https://www.lubbockisd.org/o/lisd/page/sbs-parent-information

Legal Requirements & Impact:

• Provides Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to help students with behavioral challenges succeed in school.

• Implements Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIPs) for students needing structured behavior support.

• Requires collaboration between teachers, parents, and behavior specialists to create individualized support strategies.

• Aligns with IDEA and Texas Education Code to ensure legal compliance in addressing behavioral needs.

• Aims to reduce disciplinary removals by promoting intervention-based approaches to behavior management.

Full Text: https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.viewtac

Citation: Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 7, § 247.2 (2020).

• These laws have shown me the importance of balancing discipline with support, ensuring that students are not unfairly penalized for behaviors linked to their disabilities.

• I feel strongly that educators must be well-versed in legal and ethical responsibilities to create safe and inclusive learning environments.

• This knowledge has reinforced my goal of continuing my career in educational leadership, where I can further support teachers and students through policy implementation and advocacy.

• U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov/pbis

• U.S. Department of Education. (2019). Dear colleague letter: School discipline guidance package. U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201901-504.html

• U.S. Department of Education. (2004). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Retrieved from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/

• Texas Education Agency. (2021). Texas special education guidelines. Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from https://tea.texas.gov/academics/special-student-populations/special-education

• Texas Education Code. (2021). Chapter 37. Discipline, Law, and Order. Retrieved from https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.37.htm

• Texas Administrative Code. (2020). Rule §89.1050. Behavioral Intervention. Retrieved from https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=T&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&ti=19&pt=2&ch=89&rl=1050

• National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET). (2021). Manifestation Determination Review (MDR). Retrieved from https://www.naset.org/learn/manifestation-determination-review

Legal Requirements:

• Guarantees all students access to a free and efficient system of public education.

• Mandates that schools provide appropriate educational supports for students with behavioral needs.

• Reinforces the state’s obligation to follow federal laws, such as IDEA and Section 504, in providing special education services.

Legal Requirements:

• Establishes disciplinary protections for students receiving special education services.

• Requires schools to conduct a Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) before suspending or expelling a student with a disability for more than 10 days.

• Mandates positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) to reduce exclusionary discipline practices.

Legal Requirements & Impact:

• Addressed disciplinary procedures for students with disabilities.

• Reinforced that schools must follow IDEA-mandated protections, including Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs) before removing students for disciplinary reasons.

• Highlighted the legal consequences of failing to provide proper behavioral interventions and procedural safeguards.