This assignment assesses your ability to:

1. Determine the impact that current federal legislation has on the compliant implementation of special education programs, and
2. Analyze the legal concept “educational benefit.”

In 1982, Amy Rowley’s parents enrolled their kindergarten-aged daughter in the Hendrick Hudson School District in Peekskill New York. Prior to beginning the school year, the school’s administration met with her parents to determine what supplemental services Amy needed, due to her significant hearing loss, in order provide her with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). She was successful and progressing at the same pace as her non-disabled peers as she advanced to the first grade (Wrightslaw, 2015). Her redrafted annual IEP included the continued use of an amplification system, a tutor for the deaf and speech therapy. Amy’s parents also wanted her to have a full time Sign Language interpreter included, which the school subsequently denied.

Content Expectations

• Define in detail each of the words in FAPE (Free, Appropriate, Public & Education) as it related to the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act.
• Summarize why the final ruling favored Hendrick Hudson Central School District’s decision not to provide Amy Rowley with an interpreter.
• Analyze the term “meaningful benefit” as it relates to the Rowley v. Hendrick case.
• Argue for or against the applicability of the Supreme Court’s final ruling to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
• Explain how the final ruling affects compliant implementation of special education programs.

Text- Osborne, A. G., & Russo, C. J. (2003). Special education and the law: A guide for practitioners (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. 

Articles- 

DeMitchell, T., & Kearns, G. (1997). Where to educate Rachel Holland? Does least restrictive environment mean no restrictions? Clearing House, 70(3), 161-166. doi:10.1080/00098655.1997.10543918

Edwards, C. C., & Da Fonte, A. (2012). The 5-Point Plan. Teaching Exceptional Children, 44(3), 6-13.

Lake, J. F., & Billingsley, B. S. (2009). An Analysis of Factors that contribute to parent-school conflict in special education (Links to an external site.). Remedial and Special Education, 21(4), 240-251. Retrieved from https://journals-sagepub-com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/074193250002100407?

Wellner, L. (2012). Building parent trust in the special education setting. Leadership, 16-19 (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ971412.pdf