U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights FOIA Responses
FOIA Release: Office for Civil Rights’ Open Investigations for Virginia Department of Education
Parents Sue Literacy Experts, Publishers, and Schools; Who is Responsible, How Far Will This Go, and Why Does Big Pharma Come to Mind?
The parents allege that the defendants “peddled” and “hawked” a “raft of products” and “defective goods and services” that were based on “unreliable, methodologically flawed” research, that they “attempted to boost their credibility by selling literacy assessments created to “validate” their own products.”
In Case You Missed It: U.S. Dept. of Education’s Functional Behavior Assessment Webinar
If you missed it, USDOE announced today it will be posting the recording of the webinar on its site with other resources and its new guidance document addressing FBA’s. It was an interesting session and won’t take but about an hour of your time to watch.
How to File a Privacy Violation Complaint
Can you file a complaint? If yes, how? Parents and/or students who believe a student’s privacy has been violated under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), have a right to file a complaint. FERPA applies to all students. However, students who have IEPs have additional protection under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Let’s explore both below.
Students’ Behavioral Needs are Focus of New U.S. Department of Education Guidance Document
The guidance document, “Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments”, focuses on supporting all students whose behaviors impact their learning, regardless of disability status.
U.S. Department of Justice Secures Agreement with Maine; Agreement Marks “New Milestone” in DOJ’s Enforcement of ADA’s Integration Mandate
Office for Civil Rights Issues Guidance to Ensure Artificial Intelligence is Used in Nondiscriminatory Manner
It’s the Law: Comprehensive Evaluations
In the case of initial evaluations, §300.301(a) of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) is your go-to regulation:
Each public agency must conduct a full and individual initial evaluation, in accordance with §§300.304 through 300.306, before the initial provision of special education and related services to a child with a disability under this part.
Accommodation Breakdown: Extended Time
There is no one-size-fits all answer. It depends on the student and it could depend on the class, too.
Any number of things could lead to students experiencing fatigue, headaches, eye strain, and/or other struggles that impact them as the day progresses.
IEP Progress Reports: What Should Be Reported Vs. What Is Reported
What should be in Individualized Education Program (IEP) progress reports and what actually is in IEP progress reports often are two different things.
Imagine it is time for your annual work review. Your employer presents a report that states you didn’t make progress, or didn’t make enough progress, toward your goals for the year. However, when you read the report, there’s no data backing your employer’s decision, nor is there a performance plan for moving forward. You don’t know why you didn’t progress and you don’t know what you need to do in order to progress.
The same issues occur with IEP progress reports.
Office for Civil Rights Releases New Guidance Document: “Equal Access to Elementary and Secondary Education for Students Who Are English Learners with Disabilities”
The Problems with Quarterly IEP Measurements
I’ve never understood why Individualized Education Programs (IEP) include goals for quarterly measurements. As a parent, if my kids failed to do their chores for a week, I wouldn’t wait until the end of the quarter to assess the situation. Why wait an entire quarter to address a problem that’s clearly getting worse? Why not assess sooner and narrow the goal until it can be expanded in full—or expand the goal if the student achieves the goal sooner than expected?