Mia Darden

EAD 505
DR Arneson
July 15, 2020
Practical Implications of IDEA

The responsibility of the school psychologist in upholding IDEA is assessing

eligibility for students who present disabilities. School psychologists are tasked with
addressing education-related concerns brought up by parents or teachers concerning the
ability for a particular student to access his or her education. The psychologist at my
school responds by informing parents of the assessment process, and then assesses the
student under one or more of the 13 categories of disability addressed under IDEA. A
few of these categories include AUT, which stands for autism, OHI, which stands for
Other Health Impairment, and ED, which stands for emotional disturbance. The principal
hires outside companies to assess categories the psychologist isn’t trained in assessing,
such as visual and hearing impairment. Besides outsourcing certain assessments, the
principal has the authority to determine what accommodations fit appropriately into the
setting at the school. For example, elementary schools may have accommodations like
short breaks to swing on a playground, which isn’t available at the middle school level.
The principal is tasked with finding an accommodation that meets the same purpose but
is suitable for a middle school setting. The principal also attends high profile IEP’s and
504’s instead of assistant principals, to remain informed in case of potential lawsuits.
While the principal doesn’t work personally with students who have special
needs, she is in charge of attaining the proper resources to meet the needs of the students.
This includes providing training to staff, writing grants to fund better supplies, and
negotiating accommodations with unsatisfied parents. At my middle school, there are
four assistant principals tasked with attending IEP’s for their fourth of the alphabet. The
principal provides counsel to each assistant principal and takes over the administrative
role in high profile IEP’s to ensure laws are being upheld for the student. The principal
tends to also act as the first person families reach out to when they desire IEP
assessments for their children. The principal seeks out well-trained, outsourced
companies to assess students when the school staff isn’t qualified.
The first function of the principal is to remain up to date on changes to laws
regarding students with disabilities. My principal will receive updates from the district or
she will periodically sign up for webinars that review IDEA regulations and recent
changes to regulations. The second function of the principal is to be well versed on
timelines that must be met while assessing students and responding to parent concerns or
requested IEP’s. The principal must know that timelines refer to calendar days, not
school days. Parents can file due process if concerns aren’t responded to in an
appropriate amount of time. The principal should know timelines and check in with
SPED staff members to guarantee timelines are being upheld, to provide the most
supportive system possible for students. The third function of a principal is to provide
periodic training to teachers, psychologists, assistant principals, and any other staff
interacting with students with special needs. These trainings can change based on student
needs from year to year. One year I was trained in Collaboration on how to administer
Diazepam to a student having a seizure, because a student with a 504 may have needed
the medication. Another year I was trained on how to critically consider conversations
with students expressing possible emotional disturbance. The fourth function of the
principal at my school is to correctly allocate funds to cover the needs of Special
Education. Most schools have their funds run largely by the district. Because I am at a
public charter school, the principal and the Charter Board control almost all of the
school’s funds. This allows the principal to have flexibility when allocating money to
special needs, and opens the funds for accommodations when needs become larger. The
fifth function of the principal is to respond to claims when parents file due process. The
goal of the principal is to provide necessary accommodations to students while
maintaining the least restrictive environment. When the IEP is too restrictive by parent
request, this violates the student’s right to a free and appropriate education under IDEA
(Department of Education, 2020). Schools can be filed on when they are too restrictive
to students, so it is important to maintain an appropriate level of accommodations, even
when parents are unhappy. Because of this, the school is filed on even when the IEP is
appropriate. In these circumstances, the principal works with the Special Education
Coordinator and lawyers to negotiate with the family and find a reasonable resolution to
the disagreement. In working with the community, there are resources the principal
accesses to properly assist families with children with special needs. The first
community resources, mentioned above, are companies that provide special assessments
for students with particular special needs, such as visual impairment. Sometimes, this
community resource is a doctor who is qualified to diagnose the need. Often times, a
combination of assessments from outsourced companies and from the psychologist
combine to create a comprehensive understanding of the student’s needs. The second
community resource is the Regional Center for students with ASD. If parents haven’t
already begun services with the Regional Center, the principal provides contact
information to help the family obtain services at home.
The most discouraging piece of my interview with the principal was when she
discussed unavoidable legal circumstances that will occur for any administrator
regardless of the care put into creating the IEP. When I asked the principal why she
doesn’t simply accommodate the parents when they file due process, she responded
profoundly by stating that in certain cases, appeasing the parents is to the detriment of the
students, and student well-being is the first priority. This aligns with PSEL standard 5.
A, which states that effective administrators “Build and maintain a safe, caring, and
healthy school environment that meets that the academic, social, emotional, and physical
needs of each student,” (NPBEA, 2015). While is sounds discouraging to endure
inevitable legal recourse from parents, the principal was steadfast in fighting for the right
for students to receive the most beneficial education possible. While compromise is
necessary in lawsuits, it is also necessary to spend money on legal fees if students are
provided appropriate services that facilitate success as a result. This has significantly
impacted my view on fighting for student rights. The principal noted that it is important
not to sever ties with the family, and seek reconciliation wherever possible, but that the
needs of the students must remain at the forefront of all interactions with families, IEP
meetings, and even lawsuits.
References:
Department of Education. (n.d.). About IDEA. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/
National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards for
Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author