Take a closer look at the major issues you face as a special educator and learn the best strategies to handle each situation while avoiding compliance missteps. In these extended-length Symposiums, nationally recognized experts will explore your biggest concerns, bringing you the case law, research and tools to make a positive impact on your students, your special education programs and your community.
Already registered for the Institute?
ADD SYMPOSIUMS TO YOUR CONFERENCE PASS HERE
Attorney, Kriha Boucek,
Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
Attorney, Kriha Boucek,
Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
Suit up, educators! Crafting an IEP takes focus, knowledge, and skilled training. Attorneys Stephanie Jones and Cassie Black are about to take you through the ropes of crafting battle-tested IEPs that offer FAPE and enable students to make meaningful progress. In this full-day boot camp, you'll learn how to prepare IEPs that are effective, defensible, and IDEA-compliant. Stephanie and Cassie will show you how to write accurate present levels of performance, goals that are measurable and appropriately ambitious, and accommodations that are specific enough to enable staff to understand and properly implement them. From IEP provisions that address placement in the least restrictive environment to particular service amounts, you’ll go back to your school feeling confident in your ability to guide teams in the development of IEPs that facilitate the provision of FAPE while minimizing disputes.
Founding Attorney, Geneva Jones & Associates PLLC, Sugar Land, Texas
Think you're in the clear after surviving an IDEA due process hearing? Think again. The Supreme Court's A.J.T. decision has reshaped the legal landscape for school districts. Now, districts could face a second wave of litigation under Section 504 and the ADA, with real financial consequences. Attorney Geneva Jones breaks down the key distinctions between IDEA's procedural safeguards and the civil rights obligations under Section 504 and the ADA, including what schools must understand now to reduce liability later. Geneva will analyze recent and pending cases shaping post-IDEA litigation risks and share actionable strategies to help your district avoid successive lawsuits and financial liability.
Attorney, KSB School Law,
Lincoln, Neb.
Attorney, KSB School Law,
Lincoln, Neb.
Are state complaints wearing you down? You're not alone. As school attorneys, Karen Haase and Bobby Truhe have seen it all: conflicting interpretations of state law, out-of-control corrective action for minor procedural violations, and so much more. They'll share their expertise and teach you how to endure the state complaint process, carry on, and defend your district against allegations of a violation of the IDEA. Be empowered to challenge overreaching findings and stop apologizing for things that don’t require it! Join Karen and Bobby as they examine the legal framework of state complaints and list strategies for effectively responding to and dealing with corrective action plans or adverse findings. As an added bonus, this entertaining Nebraska duo explores policy-level approaches for promoting more balanced, reasonable oversight by state educational agencies. After this in-depth session, you can rest assured and make a measured response to state complaints against your district.
Stanzione Distinguished Professor, Clemson University College of Education, Clemson, S.C.
Students' increased levels of challenging behavior, coupled with a lack of professional behavior management training, have resulted in schools' overreliance on increasingly harsh and often aversive behavioral interventions. Many districts have reported high numbers of student suspensions, restraints, seclusions, and law enforcement referrals. These actions are disproportionately applied to students with disabilities. They are an ineffective way to educate students and exacerbate the school-to-prison pipeline. Behavior expert Dr. Joseph Ryan provides an overview of inappropriate and potentially hazardous behavioral interventions and best practice guidelines you can put into place for safely handling challenging student behavior. In addition, Dr. Ryan will uncover methods for collecting data to determine if interventions are safely reducing challenging student behavior, ways to reduce teacher stress, and tips to create more conducive learning environments for all students.
Shareholder, Ennis Britton Co. L.P.A., Cincinnati, Ohio
Shareholder, Ennis Britton Co. L.P.A., Cincinnati, Ohio
Go beyond the basics and get clarity on the most misunderstood aspects of Section 504. With limited federal guidance and no new regulations in sight, districts are left navigating complex compliance issues with little direction and a lot of risk. In this advanced session, attorneys Pam Leist and Jeremy Neff cover the nuanced challenges that trip up even experienced teams. Using case examples, legal interpretations, and practical tools, they'll explore the subtle distinctions between Section 504 and IDEA, when dual eligibility applies, and how to address invisible and episodic disabilities, mental health conditions, and temporary impairments. Plus, they’ll address disciplining students with 504 plans, responding to parental disagreements and OCR complaints, and strengthening documentation, team decision-making, reevaluations, and plan revisions. Secure the knowledge you need to train staff, avoid common pitfalls, and build a more consistent, compliant 504 program across your district.
Attorney, Thompson & Horton, Houston, Texas
Attorney, Thompson & Horton, Houston, Texas
While saying goodbye to graduating students may be bittersweet, transition planning doesn't have to be! In this dynamic session, attorneys David Hodgins and Arlene Gonzalez unpack key procedural and substantive requirements for transition services under the IDEA and explore best practices to support students as they cruise toward graduation. Study the situations when it's appropriate to terminate special education and how to best prepare students who are aging out of eligibility. By providing lessons learned from real-life examples and case law, David and Arlene will give your teams the tools they need to improve post-secondary outcomes and minimize legal risk. Help your students hit their target postsecondary goals and ensure they feel prepared to tackle the next chapter of their lives.
Attorney, Thompson & Horton LLP, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Attorney, Thompson & Horton LLP, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Discipline is scary for students and schools. The complexity of making disciplinary decisions involving students with disabilities leads to many misperceptions and compliance missteps. Attorneys Kendra Yoch and Andrew Tatgenhorst present in-depth analysis of the application of the rules surrounding the discipline of students with disabilities so that districts don't inadvertently reject reality and substitute their own. They’ll identify and dispel common myths, and then, using real-world scenarios, analyze common discipline pitfalls and address prevalent (but legally risky) practices. These speakers don't just tell the myths: They put them to the test. Leave with a notebook of truths to apply during the next discipline dilemma in your district.