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At Wrightslaw, our goals are to help you gain the information and skills you need navigate the amazing, confusing world of special education.
Highlights:
Child with 504 plan is failing, school won't help; who is eligible for
protections under Section 504 (not IDEA); Wrightslaw programs in VA, OK,
FL, NJ, OH, NY; answers to your frequently asked questions; advocacy 101
- gatekeepers & why schools say "no"; IDEA reauthorization
news; free professional development courses for teachers; free tutors
for kids. Download
this issue of The Special Ed Advocate.
Quote of the Week: " "If
you think education is expensive, try ignorance." -- Benjamin
Franklin
Wrightslaw is ranked #1 in education
law, special
education law, and special
education advocacy. (2003 Alexa rankings)
1. Question of the Week: Child with 504 Plan Is Failing, School Won't Help
"My daughter has a 504 plan. On the last progress report, she received two F's. When I asked that she receive more help, the principal said she has to fail before the principal can request testing. The school team said they don't know why we want an IEP -- there is nothing we can't get with her 504 plan."
"Bottom Line: The school won't evaluate her and won't consider an IEP. What can we do?"
What are the differences between 504 Plans and IEPs? What strategies can parents use to get a better program? Do children have to fail before schools can evaluate? How do deal with gatekeepers?
For answers to these questions and a Wrightslaw Game Plan to get better services while maintaining a healthy working relationship with the school, read Child with 504 Plan Is Failing, School Won't Evaluate or Consider an IEP.
2. Who is Eligible for Protections Under Section 504?
Who may be
protected under Section 504, but not under IDEA? A student with AIDS?
A student with ADD? A student with chronic asthma?
What do you think? Get the answers to these questions, and learn about
differences between IDEA and Section 504, in Who
is Eligible for Protections Under Section 504, but Not Under IDEA?
Learn more about
Section 504
3. Coming Soon! Wrightslaw Programs in VA, OK, FL, NJ, OH, NY
"What a marvelous conference! I often leave sped presentations
angry and/or guilty because of all the things that were done or
not done. This time I left encouraged, inspired and armed!"
November
12-13, 2004: Virginia
Beach, VA
December
4, 2004:
Oklahoma City, OK (FREE to Oklahoma
parents & educational caregivers!)
January 21-22, 2005:
Orlando,
FL
February 18-19, 2005:
Cherry Hill,
NJ
February 23-24, 2005:
Cincinnati,
OH
March 4-5,
2005: Long Island,
NY
Wrightslaw
special education law & advocacy programs focus on four areas: special
education laws; tests & measurements to measure progress & regression;
SMART IEPs; and advocacy tactics & strategies. Participants
receive two books, Wrightslaw:
Special Education Law and Wrightslaw:
From Emotions to Advocacy, with their registration (Value: $59.90).
"The Wrightslaw Special Education Law Seminar in Michigan
was a tremendously rewarding experience and will forever change our practice."
- Bryan I. Eder, Esq., Chudnof
& Eder, PLC
Don't
procrastinate - register today! These programs are often "sold
out" ahead of time.
If
you are interested in bringing a Wrightslaw program to your community,
please read FAQs about
Seminars. (We are now scheduling programs for 2006.)
4. Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions
We get thousands
of questions from readers - some questions come up again and again. Read
our answers to your questions about accommodations & modifications,
behavior problems, discipline, damages, confidentiality, measuring progress,
mediation, due process, reading, parent-school relations, high-stakes
tests, retention, No Child Left Behind, and other hot topics.
FAQs:
Answers to Your Questions
5. Advocacy 101: Gatekeepers & Why Schools Say No!
When you advocate for your child, you are likely to meet gatekeepers. A gatekeeper may tell you that your child is not entitled to:
* An evaluation
* Any change in the IEP
* More services or different services
Sound familiar? Read Gatekeepers: Their Job is to Say No
To learn why schools develop one-size-fits-all (OSFA) programs - and resist requests to provide educational services that meet a child's unique needs - read 10 Reasons Why Schools Say No!
More articles and advocacy tips in Advocacy 101. Doing Your Homework articles.
6. IDEA Reauthorization Update: House Appoints Conferees
On October
8, the Speaker of the House of Representatives appointed conferees for
the IDEA Reauthorization Bill. The Senate appointed its conferees on September
21. (Read Negotiations
on IDEA Reauthorization to Begin)
What next? It's hard to say. Learn
about the House and Senate conference committee and our analysis.
No Child Left Behind requires all teachers to be "highly qualified" by 2005. The U.S. Department of Education unveiled a new teacher-to-teacher professional development website with online courses about research-based practices and methods that have been successfully used in classrooms.
The
current crop of Teacher-to-Teacher courses focus on English, Language
Arts, Math, and Science. Here is a partial listing of courses:
* Looking at Vocabulary
* Reading in Content Areas: It's Just Different
* Beginning to Write
* Patterns to Symbols: Algebra
* Using Technology to Enhance Algebra Instruction
* NCLB Basics for Teachers & Principals
If
you are a teacher, you may get in-service or continuing education
credits by taking free courses on this site. Learn
more
Find
out what No Child Left Behind says about:
* Scientifically
Based Reading Instruction
* Proficiency Testing in Reading, Math, Science
* Free Tutoring, Summer School, After-School Programs
* Transfers from Failing Schools and School Choice
* New Qualifications for Teachers and Paraprofessionals
* Bonus Pay, Stipends, Scholarships for Teachers and Principals
* Teacher Liability Protection
Bonus! Wrightslaw:
No Child Left Behind (ISBN: 1-892320-12-6) includes the No Child
Left Behind CD-ROM with the full text of the NCLB statute with commentary,
regulations, guidance publications, resources, and fact sheets.
8. Free Tutors for Kids
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, low-income children in public schools “in need of improvement” can receive free tutoring (also called supplemental educational services (SES)).
Learn about supplemental educational services - how to find out if your child is eligible, how to find a tutor, questions to ask, and more at Tutors for Kids. Supplemental Educational Services by State (lists of providers & provider applications)
The
Special Ed Advocate is a free online newsletter about special education
legal and advocacy issues, cases, and tactics and strategies. Subscribers
receive "alerts" about new cases, events, and special offers
on Wrightslaw books.
| Law Library | Seminars & Training |
| Advocacy | Yellow Pages for Kids |
| No Child Left Behind | Free Newsletter |
| IDEA Reauthorization | Newsletter Archives |
Contact Info
Pete and
Pam Wright
Wrightslaw & The Special Ed Advocate
P. O. Box 1008
Deltaville, VA 23043
Website: https://www.wrightslaw.com
Email: newsletter@wrightslaw.com
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