SPECIAL EDUCATION AND THE LAW

EDLPS 516U/EDSPE 504U

Winter Quarter 2007
!n"a#$ 4%&0 ' 6%50 P
i((er 411
In)tru*t!r:
Sherrie Brown, J.D., Ed.D.
Research Associate Professor, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
olle!e of Education
South Bld!. Roo" #$%
%$&'&()'*$#$
s+rown,u.washin!ton.edu
O++i*e H!ur):
Please call to schedule an appoint"ent.
C!ur)e We,)ite% http:--courses.washin!ton.edu-edlps)#&-sylla+us.sht"l
C!ur)e -!a( an" O,.e*ti/e):
.he !oal of the course is to pro/ide professional educators, social wor0ers, law students,
and interested others, a thorou!h understandin! of the federal and 1ashin!ton State laws
and re!ulations effectin! the pro/ision of educational ser/ices to disa+led students.
.he specific o+2ecti/es of the course are that you will achie/e the followin!:
#. An understandin! of the funda"entals and history of the de/elop"ent of special
education and ci/il ri!hts for students with disa+ilities.
%. A +asic 0nowled!e of the funda"ental principles of the 3ndi/iduals with
Disa+ilities Education Act 43DEA5.
6. A +asic 0nowled!e of the funda"ental principles of Section )$* of the
Reha+ilitation Act of #786 and the A"ericans with Disa+ilities Act 4ADA5.
*. An a+ility to apply these +asic le!al principles to actual situations in/ol/in!
students with disa+ilities in pu+lic education.
). An a+ility to de"onstrate a wor0in! 0nowled!e of the course "aterials throu!h
successful co"pletion of a "id'ter" assi!n"ent and a final e9a"ination.
C!ur)e O/er/ie0%
All educational staff:re!ular and special education teachers, ad"inistrators, related
ser/ice pro/iders 4such as occupational and physical therapists and nurses5 and associated
support personnel:feel the effects of law in the perfor"ance of their professional duties.
Special Education and the Law is desi!ned to pro/ide educators, and other interested
professionals wor0in! with children and their parents, an introductory o/er/iew of the
federal and state laws concernin! pro/ision of ser/ices to disa+led students in the pu+lic
schools.
Althou!h special education law includes constitutional consideration, this course focuses
on federal and state statutes that address the educational ri!hts of disa+led children. At
the federal le/el, the course e"phasi;es the ri!hts of students and their parents and the
responsi+ilities of educators contained in the 3ndi/iduals with Disa+ilities Education Act
43DEA5. .he course includes a re/iew of the political, le!al, and social history
responsi+le for its passa!e includin! the "ost recent chan!es "ade as a result of the %$$*
reauthori;ation. Additional federal laws that are discussed include the Reha+ilitation Act
of #786: Section )$* and the A"ericans with Disa+ilities Act 4ADA5. 1e do not ha/e
ti"e to study the federal laws and 1ashin!ton State specific laws in any depth.
<owe/er, so"e of the readin!s will include selected issues in 1ashin!ton State special
education law. Selected passa!es fro" the federal and state statutes and the rele/ant
ad"inistrati/e and case law will +e read and discussed.
=ou are not re>uired to ha/e a +ac0!round in law. <owe/er, the course includes an
introduction to le!al process includin! the opportunity to de/elop s0ills in readin! and
analy;in! 2udicial decisions and to practice applyin! le!al principles to factual situations.
.he course "aterial is presented throu!h +oth lecture and class discussion. Students will
+e e/aluated +ased on class preparation and participation, the two assi!n"ents, and
perfor"ance on the final ta0e'ho"e e9a"ination.
C!ur)e 1e2uire3ent)%
14 1ea"in5)
.he re>uired te9ts are #5 .he Law and Special Education 4%
nd
ed.5 +y ?itchell L. =ell
4%$$&5 and %5 1ri!htslaw: Special Education Law +y Peter and Pa"ela 1ri!ht 4%$$&5.
.he readin! in the te9ts will +e supple"ented +y 2udicial opinions 4indicated +y case
na"e on the sylla+us readin! assi!n"ents5 and other pertinent "aterial a/aila+le on the
we+site.
24 C(a)) Parti*i6ati!n
@ne o+2ecti/e of the course is to pro/ide you with the opportunity to practice applyin!
special education law to situations that you "i!ht encounter in the pu+lic schools. .his
re>uires that you acti/ely participate in discussions and +e prepared durin! class to
participate in interacti/e discussions to practice this s0ill. Althou!h these discussions are
%
not !raded, your participation is considered in deter"inin! the final course !rade. 3f you
are unco"forta+le with tal0in! in class, please let "e 0now so that we can pro+le"'sol/e
how to include you in discussions.
&4 A))i5n3ent)
.here are two course assi!n"ents. .he first assi!n"ent will +e done in !roups of A%sB
and in/ol/es readin!, +riefin! and presentin! a case su""ary of an assi!ned case. Cor
e9a"ple, the Droup E# will read, write a +rief on the Rose case, and then present the +rief
orally to the class. =ou will find the electronic citation for Rose on the sylla+us and the
date that the +rief and presentation will +e due:so for Droup E#, that is January %7.
Droup E% is the B.S. case and it is due on Ce+ruary ). Droup E6 is Rachel H. and it is due
Ce+ruary %&. Droup E* is Ms. S. and due on Ce+ruary %& also. Droup E) is Clyde K. and
is due on ?arch ). 3 encoura!e e/eryone to read the cases e/en if you are not presentin!
the"F it will "a0e the discussion li/elierG
.he second assi!n"ent is a written response to each of two case studies that are
distri+uted durin! class Ce+ruary #% and due on Ce+ruary #7 electronically 4since we
donHt "eet that day5. .he case studies descri+e specific situations, issue4s5 to +e
addressed, and a >uestion4s5 to +e answered. =our tas0 is to deter"ine the appropriate
laws to apply to the facts and to answer the specific >uestions as0ed. .he case studies
will +e !raded, returned and discussed durin! class Ce+ruary %&.
44 7ina( E8a3
.here is a ta0e'ho"e e9a" that 3 will distri+ute on ?arch ) and will +e due electronically
on .hursday, ?arch #) +y )P?. .he e9a" for"at consists of short answer, "ultiple'
choice, and a hypothetical case study that includes nu"erous special education le!al
issues. 3n answerin! the case study, you are e9pected to identify the le!al issues, apply
rele/ant 1ashin!ton State laws 4those we ha/e tal0ed a+out in class5 as well as federal
law, and deter"ine the appropriate le!al conclusions and action to +e ta0en. .he e9a" is
open +oo0.
54 -ra"in5
Drades are +ased on the followin!:

#5 class participation 4%$I5F
%5 written assi!n"ents 4case +rief, %$IF case studies, %$I5F and
65 final e9a" 4*$I5.
6
SCHEDULE an" 1EADIN- ASSI-NENTS
T!6i*) A))i5n3ent)
Se))i!n 1 ourse Schedule-Sylla+us
9anuar# :$ 2007 A"erican Le!al Syste" @/er/iew =ell 4ch. #,%5
Readin! Judicial @pinions
1ritin! ase Briefs
A66en"i8 A% Ana(#;in5 a C!urt De*i)i!n +r!3 La!rte <1===4 S*>!!( La0 A((#n ?
@a*!n <6
t>
E"4 at 411A
Se))i!n 2 HOLIDAB
9anuar# 15$ 2007
Se))i!n & <istory and Political Bac0!round =ell 4ch. *,)5
9anuar# 22$ 2007 @/er/iew of 3DEA 1ri!hts 4##'#&5
Mills 4pa!es #'%$5
http:--www.faculty.piercelaw.edu-redfield-li+rary-Pdf-case'"ills.+oe.pdf
Se))i!n 4 3ntroduction to other "a2or laws: =ell 4ch. &,85
9anuar# 2=$ 2007 J)$*, ADA, R1 *7.&$ 1ri!hts 4%7#'%7*5
Bullyin!
Baird v. Rose -1OUP C1
http:--laws.lp.findlaw.co"-!etcase-*th-case-7(%$&*P&e9actK#
Bullies in our Schools
http:--wea.uwctds.washin!ton.edu-<.?LI%$Bulletins-Bulletin6.ht"l
Se))i!n 5 CAPE and CAPE re/isited =ell 4ch. (, 7, #$5
7e,ruar# 5$ 2007 LLB Rowley--1ri!hts, 6*6
1ri!hts 4%77'6$&5
Seattle S.D. v. B.SA -1OUP C2
http:--caselaw.lp.findlaw.co"-scripts-!etcase.plM
na/+yKsearch&caseK-data%-circs-7th-7*6&#)6.ht"l
Special Education Law Nuarterly CANs
http:--wea.uwctds.washin!ton.edu-<.?LI%$Bulletins-Bulletin).ht"l
Se))i!n 6 Related Ser/ices =ell 4ch. #%5
7e,ruar# 12$ 2007 Least Restricti/e En/iron"ent Garrett-1ri!hts,6()
Ca)e Stu"ie) Di)tri,ute"
*
Se))i!n 7 HOLIDAB
7e,ruar# 1=$ 2007 Ca)e Stu"ie) "ue e(e*tr!ni*a((# ,# 5P
Se))i!n : ase Studies Discussion & ase Briefs =ell 4ch. #65
7e,ruar# 26$ 2007 ?iscellaneous 3ssues
Rachel HA -1OUP C&
http:--www.0idsto!ether.or!-ct'rachl.ht"
Ms. S. V. Vashon Island S.D. -1OUP C4
http:--%#&.%67.)8.#$*-searchM
>Kcache:D)Bs6;<sDLsJ:www.ca7.uscourts.!o/-ca7-newopinions.nsf-A*%#EB6E7*DCE
D(((%)&D86$$8$AB6*-I%*file-776&%*6.pdfI6Copenele"entO"s.Os.O/.
O/ashonOislandOschoolOdistrict&hlKen
Se))i!n = han!e of Place"ent/Discipline =ell 4ch. #*5
ar*> 5$ 2007 7ina( "i)tri,ute" Honig'1ri!hts, 6&7

han!e of Place"ent: 3s it or isnHt itM
http:--wea.uwctds.washin!ton.edu-<.?LI%$Bulletins-Bulletin*.ht"l
Clyde K. v. Puyallup S.DA -1OUP C5
ar*> 15$ 2007 7ina( e8a3 "ue e(e*tr!ni*a((# ,# 5P
T>ur)"a#
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