Special Education Action's mission is to ensure parents, educators, and students have the information and tools necessary to fully understand, address, and safeguard the unique needs of all students who require special education.
Recent Articles
Accommodation Breakdown: The Assignment Notebook (a.k.a. the Most-Changed and Least-Implemented Accommodation)
This is the accommodation that warrants its own evolution chart.
In my experience, it has the dubious honor of being the most-changed, least-followed, and most misunderstood accommodation that I’ve ever seen played out.
Fairfax County Teacher Assaulted Special Education Student; FCPD Seeks Information from Public
This occurred after two teachers walked into their classroom and witnessed McDicken assaulting a student who has special needs.
Sample State Complaint: Noncompliance, Student Records—Confidentiality
VDOE found Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in noncompliance.
VDOE’s Letter of Findings, in which it stated FCPS’s noncompliance is included, following the complaint.
Accommodation Breakdown: Copies of Teacher Notes
“Copies of Teacher Notes”
This is another accommodation I thought to be straightforward.
How could it possibly be interpreted any other way than the teacher providing all teacher notes to the student in advance of the class?
But wait boys and girls, there’s more—always more to an accommodation than any of us expected.
For Students, Virginia’s “Bridging the Gap” Program is a Bridge too Late & to Nowhere
FCPS’s ARP funding failed to address the needs of students from the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022, who graduated or dropped out of school before funding could benefit them. Recent announcements from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Virginia Department of Education, and Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office indicate that this trend will continue.
In Virginia’s case, this follows a downward trend in academic performance that started before COVID.
It’s the Law: Confidentiality and Access of Student Records
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) there are additional confidentiality and access protections.
This article includes a few examples of noncompliance, with which you might not be familiar, as well as your go-to regulations should you need them.