Watch this video for an introduction to the module from the instructor.
Key points in this module
The different sources of law, how they interact, and how they impact special education
The 14th Amendment to the Constitution as the basis for most of special education law
The role of a history of inappropriate special education, parental advocacy, and federal involvement in special education/ civil rights that led to modern special education law
The Felix Consent Decree—its causes, its timeline, and its effect
Objectives
By the end of this module you will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of the course requirements and schedule
Demonstrate a basic understanding of the US legal system as it applies to special education
Demonstrate an understanding of the historical foundations of special education law in the US and Hawaii
Blackboard Collaborate
Please log into Collaborate at least 15 minutes before the class to ensure you are on time for the session and have your audio settings functioning properly. Use this Collaborate tutorialfor assistance. In this module we will hold a required synchronous session at the date and time listed below.
In order to successfully complete this module, you will need to thoroughly review the resources in the following lessons. Each lesson covers one of the module’s topics. After reviewing the lesson resources, be sure to test your knowledge by practicing with the flashcards.
Students will plan, deliver, evaluate, and reflect on an applied project related to special education law. This can take a number of forms, such as providing training on an aspect of special education law for teachers in your school at a faculty meeting, meeting with a group of parents and informing them of their legal rights, preparing a handbook/resource guide for teachers/parents/others on special education law. The project will be completed in 5 parts (identifying the audience, identifying topic ideas, relating the finalized topic to the audience, submitting presentation materials, and the cumulative project write-up). Students are responsible for applying the APA style rules of formatting for all written components.
Support materials for this assignment are located in the Resources folder and the links below:
Student Introduction Discussion (Extra Credit) Initial Introduction Due: Sunday, 9/8 Reply to a Classmate Due: Sunday, 9/15
In this discussion activity we will be introducing ourselves to the rest of the class. There are 2 parts (1) your initial introduction post and (2) a reply to at least one of your classmates.
1. Initial Introduction (2 Extra Credit Points): Go to the “student introductions” topic in the Forums tool and post a new thread with your introduction. Use these prompts as a guide:
Name
Where you live (town and island if other than Oahu)
Area of work including school and age group if applicable
Your interest in special education
How you came to be involved in special education
Your expectations for the class and program
Any other information that might help us get to know you, for example hobbies, pets, kids, or other interests
2. Reply to Classmates (2 Extra Credit Points): Read through the introductions and find two people that you have something in common with. Respond to those two classmates and explain your common link. You are welcome to respond to more than three classmates.
Applied Special Education Law Project, Part 1: Identify Audience Due: Sunday, 9/15
After reviewing the requirements for the Special Education Law Project, clearly describe your project’s intended target audience. This description should include why this audience is appropriate for this project, the audience size (e.g. how many you expect), their roles, and their connection to you. No more than a page.
Case Analysis Due: Sunday, 9/15
You are required to select and read one piece of case law from the cases provided in the lessons for this module then review it in a 2-4 page paper. The case review needs to communicate the general issue and essential facts of the case, the lower court decision, the appeal issue, the ruling and scope, the rationale, dissenting opinion(s), and the implications of the ruling. See the Case Analysis Rubric for specific criteria and grading guidelines. Case Analyses should be submitted in the Assignments tool. For help on how to read a legal case, refer to this “How to Read a Legal Opinion ” guide, also located in Resources. This is an exemplary student case review that includes audio and textual comments on the features that make it exemplary. This exemplar is also located in Resources.
Quiz
Module 1 Quiz Due: Sunday, 9/15 This is an open-book, open-resource quiz that you are required to take after completing the assigned readings, videos and tasks in Module 1. The quiz will be emailed to you near the beginning of the module.
