The Law and Special Education

Help educators understand the historical and current legal issues in special education
The Law and Special Education helps teachers and educational administrators understand their legal obligations relative to providing a free, appropriate public education for students with disabilities. Clear, straightforward, and very accessible, this indispensable resource (1) walks readers through the history and current developments of special education law and (2) gives educators the information and the tools they need to develop legally sound and educationally appropriate special education programs.

The 5th Edition is updated to keep readers informed of the latest developments and refinements in special education law, including:

• the Supreme Court rulings in the Endrew F. v. Douglas County Schools and Fry v. Napoleon Community Schools cases;
• new U.S. Department of Education policy letters and cases;
• updated coverage of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015;
• new coverage of charter schools and students with disabilities;
  
• IEP implementation cases; and a new section on standards-based IEP.

Also available packaged with the Enhanced Pearson eText
The Enhanced Pearson eText provides a rich, interactive learning environment designed to improve student mastery of content with embedded videos that illustrate key concepts.

Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; the Enhanced Pearson eText does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with the Enhanced Pearson eText, ask your instructor to confirm the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.

If you would like to purchase both the physical text and the Enhanced Pearson eText search for:

0135175003 / 9780135175002 The Law and Special Education with Enhanced Pearson eText -- Access Card Package, 5/e

Package consists of:   

• 0135175364 / 9780135175361 The Law and Special Education, 5/e
• 013517838X / 9780135178386 The Law and Special Education, Pearson eText -- Access Card, 5/e

Mitchell Yell, Ph.D., is the Fred and Francis Palmetto Chair in Teacher Education and Professor in Special Education in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina (USC) in Columbia, South Carolina.  For the past 26 years, Dr. Yell has conducted extensive research and presented numerous workshops on developing individualized education programs (IEPs), formulating legally correct special education policies, and adopting best practices in educating students with disabilities. His primary goal has been to extrapolate principles from legislation and litigation; communicate them to parents, teachers, and administrators in clear, “nonlegalese” language; and assist teachers and school districts in the use of legally sound research-based policies and practices.

Prior to coming to the University of South Carolina, Dr. Yell was a special education teacher in Minnesota for 16 years. During this time, he taught in elementary, middle, and secondary school classrooms and in special schools for students with learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, and autism.

He has published 112 articles and 30 book chapters, and has conducted numerous workshops on special education law and classroom management. He is the author of four textbooks published by Pearson: The Law and Special Education, Evidence-Based Practices for Educating Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, and No Child Left Behind: A Guide for Professionals, and is the coauthor of A Teacher’s Guide to Preventing Behavior Problems in the Elementary Classroom with Stephen Smith.

1. Introduction to the American Legal System 
2. Legal Research 
3. The History of the Law and Children with Disabilities 
4. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
5. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 
6. The Americans with Disabilities Act 
7. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
8. Free Appropriate Public Education 
9. Identification, Assessment, and Evaluation 
10. The Individualized Education Program 
11. Least Restrictive Environment 
12. Procedural Safeguards 
13. Disciplining Students with Disabilities 
14. Additional Issues: Bullying, Charter Schools, Response to Intervention, Educational Records, and Liability for Student Injury 

Appendix A: Major Changes of IDEA 2004 
Appendix B: Relevant Sections of the U.S. Constitution