This searchable database contains bibliographic information for literature (research-based and policy/practice) relating to dispute resolution in special education.
CADRE is interested in identifying additional articles and publications to include in this database. If you are aware of other such resources, please send an email to cadre@directionservice.org with as much information as possible about the resource (e.g., title, author, source, date), and include a copy of the publication or a URL link, if available. Interested in emerging research and knowledge gaps in IDEA dispute resolution?
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Adjudication under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Explicitly Plentiful Rights but Inequitably Paltry Remedies
This article proposes an invigoration in the exercise of the broad equitable authority of hearing officers under the Individuals with Disabilities Act. Providing a higher priority on, and an affirmative presumption for, remedying violations of the Act is in the interest of all parties, extending...Learn more
Analysis of Special Education Mediations in Texas, 2006-08
The purpose of this study was to explore variables which might influence the frequency of Texas special education mediations used for dispute resolution. Variables such as district size, location, economic level, and the State Accountability Rating were investigated and evaluated. In order to...Learn more
Applying systems‐based thinking to build better IEP relationships: a case for relational coordination
This paper explores methods by which the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) development process can be improved through the use of systems‐based thinking, specifically through the use of Gittell’s (2016) Relational Coordination Model. IEP development meetings have been described as meaningless...Learn more
Avoiding special education litigation in rural school districts.
The major purpose of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its legislative predecessor: has shifted in the past 25 years from simply providing access to educational services to an emphasis on providing meaningful, measurable, and accountable programs to students with...Learn more
Beyond the Dotted Line: Empowering Parents From Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families to Participate
Parent participation in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process is a critical factor in improving the effectiveness of children’s special education programs and services. However, many families, particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds, are...Learn more
Challenges Providing Services to K-12 English Learners and Students with Disabilities during COVID-19
Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, almost all school districts rapidly shifted to distance learning in spring of the 2019-2020 school year. This shift laid bare both the logistical and instructional challenges of distance learning, particularly for English learners and...Learn more
Culture in Inclusive Schools: Parental Perspectives on Trusting Family-Professional Partnerships
This qualitative study improves understanding of parent perspectives about the factors that facilitate family-professional partnerships in schools recognized for inclusive practices. Five themes emerged from 11 focus groups consisting of parents of students with and without disabilities and with...Learn more
Father Involvement in Early Intervention: Exploring the Gap Between Service Providers’ Perceptions and Practices
The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine early intervention (EI) service providers’ perceptions of the roles played by fathers in services, as well as their perceptions of the barriers that limit fathers from being engaged in the services provided for families of children with...Learn more
Fathers’ Experiences With the Special Education System: The Overlooked Voice
Research about parent experiences with the special education system is largely dominated from mothers’ perspectives. This article will present a qualitative interview study of the overlooked voice: fathers of children with disabilities. Twenty fathers were interviewed about their experiences...Learn more
Is mediation a fair way to resolve special education disputes? First empirical findings.
Examines whether special ed. mediations are successful and looks at parents’ and schools’ perceptions of fairness, satisfaction with results, implementation of agreements, and looks at SES of parents, characteristics of children, wealth of districts, and presence of advocates. Authors collected...Learn more
Measuring Accessibility of Written Communication for Parents of Students With Disabilities: Reviewing 30 Years of Readability Research
Effective communication is essential for successful school–family partnerships. Written communication is most common due to the efficiency of written documents, but challenges include assuring the information disseminated to parents is accessible based on readability, clarity, complexity, and...Learn more
Mediation in Nebraska: An innovative past, a spirited present, and a provocative future.
Pre-IDEA amendment, NE enacted a Special Education Option through the NE Office of Dispute Resolution and Dept. of Ed. The mediation centers under this option provide public outreach, conflict resolution skills training, and mediation services for school districts and families involved in sped...Learn more
Parent–Teacher Conflict Related to Student Abilities: The Impact on Students and the Family–School Partnership
Family–school partnerships have a positive impact on both students and schools, yet they remain challenging to establish and maintain, particularly in the presence of parent–teacher conflict. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of parents, teachers, and students...Learn more
Putting square pegs into round holes: Mediation and the rights of children with disabilities under the IDEA.
This Article examines whether or not a mediation process can be created that fits squarely into the goals of the IDEA. Mediation has become the preferred method for settling disputes under the IDEA between schools and families. Article discusses prior research that found high rates of settlement,...Learn more
Restorative practice and special needs: a practical guide to working restoratively with young people
Restorative Practice (RP) is an effective approach to discipline that has the potential to transform behaviour by focusing on building and restoring relationships. This practical guide explains how to implement restorative approaches with young people with special needs in educational or...Learn more
See You in Court! How to Avoid IDEA Transition–Related Mediations and Due Process Hearings
School compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) transition services language requirements in this country has been an issue of concern to parents of students with disabilities as well as special education attorneys and advocates for quite some time. Evidence exists in...Learn more
Special Education Directors’ Experiences Preventing and Responding To Requests for Due Process Hearings
This qualitative research study was conducted to (1) identify the leadership actions special education directors took to increase cooperation and mitigate conflict between families and schools and (2) analyze what special education directors experienced after receiving requests for impartial due...Learn more
Spotlight on Students With Disabilities
This brief discusses survey results about districts’ perceptions of the ease with which they were able to provide services for students with disabilities and to comply with federal law governing the education of students with disab ilities.Learn more
Training Pre-service Special Education Teachers to Facilitate Meaningful Parent Participation in IEPs Using Simulated Meetings
The current study sought to establish whether simulated Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings using scenarios and actors may serve as an effective tool for assessing and improving pre-service special education teachers’ ability to facilitate parent participation in legally correct IEP...Learn more
Unpacking the Logic of Compliance in Special Education: Contextual Influences on Discipline Racial Disparities in Suburban Schools
[Abstract] "The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ([IDEA] 2004; IDEA Amendments 1997) is a civil rights–based law designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities in U.S. schools. However, decades after the initial passage of IDEA, racial inequity in special education...Learn more
When it's your own child
This article presents the findings from a national sample of 510 parents of students with special needs surveyed by telephone regarding their perspectives on special education in public schools. In-depth interviews were also conducted with 17 experts in the field and parents of special needs...Learn more