Case Law Assignment

Public Law 94-142: 

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975

            This law has made a huge influence on special education services as it was the first piece of national legislation to mandate appropriate and free education for students with disabilities.  It was signed into law by President Gerald Ford in November 1975.  The law was to go into effect by September 1, 1978.  This law is now known more commonly referred to as IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.    

            The law requires that the following members be present when developing and individualized education program (IEP):  school representative, teacher, parents/guardians, and whenever possible the child.  The written statement (IEP) must include:

·         a statement of the child’s present level of academic functioning

·         a declaration of annual goals complete with appropriate short-term instructional objectives

·         description of specific educational services to be provided to the child and the degree to which the child will participate in regular education programs

·         the proposed date for initiation and estimation of the required length of services

·         annual evaluation procedures specifying objective criteria designed to determine whether the short-term instructional objective shave been met

            The law also requires the children with disabilities be served in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their educational needs.  This means that children can only be placed in separate classes or schools when their disability is so serve that regular school placement is considered inappropriate. 

            The law also legally protects parents by providing them the right to examine all records, obtain independent evaluation, and it requires written notification to the parent in their native language when there are plans to change a child’s individual education program.  Parents are entitled to a meeting before termination, exclusion, or classification of a student into a special program. 

References:

Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs by Ruth E. Cook, M. Diane Klein, and Annette Tessier. 

Professional Resources retrieved at http://college.cengage.com/education/resources/res_prof/students/spec_ed/legislation/pl_94-142.html