Betsy DeVos Releases Q&A Explaining Landmark Special Education Ruling
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School districts wondering about the legal implications of a major special education court case are getting some help from the U.S. Department of Education.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has released a question-and-answer document explaining the ruling in Endrew F. vs. Douglas County. The ruling, which came down in March, determined
that districts have the obligation to provide students in special education with something beyond a minimal quality or “de minimis” education.
“The Supreme Court sent a strong and unanimous message: all children must be given an opportunity to make real progress in their learning environment - they cannot simply be passed along
from year to year without meaningful improvement,” said DeVos. “For too long, too many students offered [individualized education programs] were denied that chance. I firmly believe all
children, especially those with disabilities, must be provided the support needed to empower them to grow and achieve ambitious goals.”
Christina Samuels will have a more thorough explanation at On Special Education. But for now, here’s the document.
Related: A Commentary by Betsy DeVos: ‘Tolerating Low Expectations for Children With Disabilities Must End’
Alyson Klein Follow Unfollow Assistant Editor, Education Week Alyson Klein isan assistant editor for Education Week. twitter email Related Tags: Betsy DeVos
A version of this news article first appeared in the Politics K-12 blog.