Class D754

accommodation

a change made to the way instruction is delivered or to the way curriculum is accessed by a student 

least restrictive environment (LRE)

a principle of IDEA that aims to include students with disabilities in general education classrooms to the maximum extent feasible 

Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1971)

This case extended the rights of equal protection and due process to children with intellectual disabilities, ruling that they could not be denied access to public education and were entitled to a free public education.  

Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia (1972)

This case ruled that children with emotional disturbance and behavior challenges cannot be excluded from public school enrollment. It also emphasized that lack of funds was not an acceptable excuse for failing to provide education to students with exceptionalities. 

Brown vs BOE

a landmark Supreme Court ruling that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, stating that "separate but equal" schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment

IDEA

a federal law that helps students with disabilities receive the support they need to succeed in school 

Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

a principle of IDEA that guarantees that students with disabilities can access educational services that are tailored to their needs without incurring costs 

Section 504

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance, ensuring that students with disabilities receive accommodations to access education equally. 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

a civil rights law designed to remove barriers and promote equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities in various daily activities

major life activities

functions that include caring for oneself, seeing, hearing, walking, learning, and working, which are substantially limited by a disability

reasonable accommodations

adjustments made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their job or access services, such as modifying work schedules or providing assistive devices 

qualified individual with a disability

a person who has a physical or mental impairment that significantly limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment

Child Find

A legal mandate under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requiring public schools to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with exceptionalities who may need special education and related services. 

Zero Reject

A principle under IDEA that says no child with a disability can be denied access to public education. Schools must provide services to all eligible students, no matter how severe their disabilities are. 

Tier 2 instruction

targeted interventions provided to students who demonstrate mild to moderate academic or behavioral challenges that universal supports alone do not address adequately 

Tier 3 instruction

personalized, intensive interventions designed for students who have not responded adequately to previous levels of support (Tier 1 and Tier 2) i

opportunity to learn (OTL)

equitable access to the necessary resources, instructional time, and supportive learning environments to meet academic standards and succeed in school

Response to Intervention (RTI)

provides extra help for students struggling with academics

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS

systems that focus on improving behavior through positive reinforcement in regular classrooms in order to reduce the need for special education

disproportionality

Disproportionality happens when a specific racial or ethnic group is overrepresented or underrepresented in special education compared to their overall number in the school. This shows that there are issues in how students are identified and supported. 

exclusionary factors

Exclusionary factors are situations that can affect a child’s ability to do well in school but should not be used to decide if a child needs special education. Examples include living in poverty, experiencing trauma, being an English learner, frequently missing school, or being unhoused. These factors may influence a child's performance but do not mean the child has a disability. 

related service providers

professionals invited to participate in the MDT based on a student's needs, providing specialized knowledge and assessments in areas like speech, occupational, or physical therapy

speech-language pathologist/therapist

A specialist who support children with language or speech disorders in schools by collaborating with teachers, parents, and caregivers to develop tailored intervention plans for each child's needs 

multi-disciplinary team (MDT)

ensures a fair and thorough evaluation of students

occupational therapist

a professional who assesses fine motor skills, sensory processing, and daily living activities, helping students develop skills necessary for everyday tasks

physical therapist

a specialist who evaluates a student's gross motor skills and physical functioning, supporting physical development and mobility

social worker/counselor

a professional who provides information on the social, emotional, and environmental factors that may affect a student's behavior and learning 

prior written notice (PWN)

a document from the school district that tells parents about important decisions or actions regarding their child's special education; helps parents understand what is happening and their rights in the process

informed consent

the process by which individuals, typically parents or guardians, are fully informed about a proposed action or decision regarding a student’s education, especially in special education settings

evaluation bias

the presence of unfair or prejudiced factors in the evaluation process that can lead to inaccurate assessments of students' abilities and needs

nondiscriminatory evaluation

an evaluation process that is free from racial, cultural, or other biases, ensuring fair assessment of students’ abilities and eligibility for special education services

non-biased multi-disciplinary evaluation

this is a fair assessment process required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It collects different types of data to evaluate a student's needs related to their disability. The evaluation must be free from racial, cultural, or language bias and should be conducted by trained professionals

the 1972 Larry P. v. Riles

ruled that using standardized IQ tests to place African American students in special education classes in California was discriminatory and culturally biased; the court found that these tests disproportionately identified Black students as intellectually disabled, leading to unfair educational placements.

the 1970 Diana v. State Board of Education

required that students be tested in their primary language to prevent misidentification of language barriers as intellectual disabilities; this ruling helped ensure that students, particularly non-English speakers, were not unfairly placed in special education due to language differences

timeframe for initial evaluation

Once parents provide their consent, the school has 60 days (about two months) to conduct the initial evaluation and determine eligibility for an IEP. 

disability/exceptionality

a condition that affects a person's body or mind, resulting in activity limitation (when certain activities are more challenging) and participation restrictions (limits to their interaction with the world around them) 

disability category:

a classification under IDEA that defines specific types of exceptionalities, such as autism or specific learning disability, that can affect a student's educational performance

eligibility determination:

the process of reviewing data to decide if a student qualifies as a child with an exceptionality under IDEA and needs special education services

specific learning disabilities (SLD)

defined under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as disorders in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, which may manifest in difficulties with listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, or doing mathematical calculations

IQ-achievement discrepancy model

compares the IQ score to the student's achievement score

convergence of data

Convergence of data refers to combining information from different sources to gain a clearer understanding. In education, it involves using various assessments and feedback from teachers and parents to help identify learning disabilities and make informed decisions about a student's needs. 

independent educational evaluation (IEE)

An independent educational evaluation (IEE) is an unbiased assessment of a student’s educational needs done by a qualified examiner who does not work for the school district. Parents can ask for an IEE if they disagree with the school’s evaluation