Michael B. Shaffer

Let's face it: studying Special Education Law is difficult and can be quite tedious. If it were not a part of the requirements for most advanced administrative degrees in education, many students would prefer to skip the course. However, skipping the study of Special Education Law would be quite detrimental to the anticipated and actual experience not only of principals, but also of many other central office administrators, and especially Superintendents. Mistakes in Special Education Law not only lead to shortchanging students and failing to meet their needs, but the same mistakes can be quite costly to school districts in lawsuits, sanctions, and personnel issues. Case Studies for Special Education Law: One Foot in the Real World the Other Grounded in the Law gives actual case studies that discuss the issues in special education today. It is a great resource and textbook addition for university courses, and would be outstanding for school district personnel to use for professional development.

For each case study, the book follows the Issue, Rule, Application, and Conclusion (IRAC) format:

• Clearly identify the ISSUE associated with the case. What did the school do? What are the parents alleging? What are the parents asking for?
• Determine the relevant RULE: what part of special education law most impacts this case? Who else is involved in the case? Is it clear cut for either side?
• ANALYSIS or APPLICATION: as an outside observer, what did the school do right? Do the parents have an actionable case? Did it go to hearing? Was due process involved? Were advocates involved?
• CONCLUSION: was a settlement arrived at through mediation? If not, what was the next step? Did the parents hire an attorney? What lessons were learned? How can this be applied to administrative practice?

Case Studies for Special Education Law is an essential book two audiences: graduate-level special education law courses to use as discussions as they cover particular aspects of special education law, so that they can see how the law plays out in real life, and school district special education administrators to use in training their special education teachers and other administrators in professional development every year.

Perfect for courses such as: Special Education Law; School Law; Introduction to Special Education; Introduction to Emotional and Behavioral Disorders; Introduction to Students with Intense Intervention Needs; Special Education Administration; Theory and Practice in Early Childhood Special Education; Advanced Studies in Emotional and Behavioral Disorders