How to Prevent Special Education Litigation

It is essential that today’s educators and school leaders are more informed about the legal rights and entitlements of students with disabilities. This resource provides eight easy-to-implement lesson plans on special education law that require no legal knowledge and can be facilitated by school principals, special education directors, teachers, or university instructors. In short one-hour sessions, participants learn by engaging in practical activities instead of only passively reading about the law. All of the lessons utilize actual situations that have led to expensive litigation and each includes the following sections: Introduction for Facilitators; Materials Needed; Hook; Background, Purpose, and Objectives of the Lesson; Activity; Questions for Conversation; Test Your Knowledge; and Additional Resources. This one-of-a-kind book will help schools and districts reduce the time and energy devoted to dealing with violations of the law, resolving parental complaints, correcting errors by school employees, and more.

Book Features:

• A focus on important special education legal issues occurring in schools today.
• Field-tested lesson plans that can be adopted by schools nationwide because they are based on federal law.
• Everything needed to teach the lessons, including materials, scripts, interactive activities, and discussion questions.
• Measurable objectives and assessments to ensure the participants have learned the intended content of the lesson.

Regina Umpstead is an associate professor of educational leadership at Central Michigan University. Janet R. Decker is an assistant professor of educational leadership at Indiana University’s School of Education. Kevin P. Brady is an associate professor in the department of curriculum and instruction at the University of Arkansas. David Schimmel is professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Matthew Militello is a professor and the Wells Fargo Endowed Chair of Educational Leadership at East Carolina University.

"This lesson-based approach provides opportunities for leaders to engage teachers and staff with critical information on special education law that can help prevent future legal disputes and protect the right of students with disabilities and their families."

—UCEA Review

" This book is a strong addition to the resources for preparing educators to function in the litigious arena of special education law."

—Education Law Reporter

"School boards spend far too much money on special education litigation—funds that could better be used to provide educational services to children. This book provides a workable framework for school administrators to give their staff the knowledge needed to make legally correct decisions and avoid costly litigation."
—Allan Osborne, former principal, Snug Harbor Community School, Quincy, MA

"Knowledge of the legal history and current issues in special education is crucially important for special education teachers and general and special education administrators. The eight lessons in this textbook provide an excellent foundation for teaching special education law. "
—Mitchell Yell, Fred and Francis Lester Palmetto Chair of Teacher Education
University of South Carolina

PowerPoint Presentation