Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Special Education Law Case Studies: A Review from Practitioners

Tremendous changes have occurred over the past decade in the provision of services to students with disabilities. Federal mandates continue to define requirements for a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment. Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of lawsuits filed against school districts regarding the provision of educational services for students with disabilities. Case studies are a helpful way to understand these difficult issues. The case studies presented here are actual students eligible for special education and related services. The case studies are represented not to tell districts and parents that this is the only way questions about special education law can be answered, but to provide likely answers along with commentary for analysis. The cases were developed to help new (and experienced) special education leaders and supervisors survive the pressures of working with students with disabilities while working to provide appropriate services and prevent litigation. Review Case Studies in Special Education is a must have, for the bookshelf of special education administrators. The use of case studies provides insight from all the parties' perspectives, and provides an unbiased look at the issues. Dr. David Bateman and Jenifer Cline provide sound strategies to keep others from making the same errors and how to correct these pitfalls if you should fall into them.--Kindel Mason, Special Services Director, Jerome School District Case Studies in Special Education requires readers to thoroughly evaluate their own interpretations of appropriate application and translations of the principles of IDEA. Educators and administrators--both preservice and inservice--benefit from engaging in these safe and challenging evaluation exercises. Facilitating group discussions will serve as an excellent assessment opportunity for university instructors preparing educators serving students with exceptionalities.--Kelly M. Carrero, PhD, BCBA, assistant professor, Psychology and Special Education Department, Texas A&M University, Commerce About the Author David Bateman, PhD, is a professor of special education at Shippensburg University. He is a former due process hearing officer for over 580 hearings. Jenifer Cline, MS, is Director of Compliance for the state of Montana. She has been a director of special education for multiple districts. Jonathan Steele, Esq, is an attorney with Steele Schneider Law Firm, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sean Fields, Esq, is an attorney with CGA Law, York, Pennsylvania.