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Special Education

KSBA staff assist local districts with the implementation of federal and state laws on the education of students with disabilities. Primary beneficiaries are special education directors, superintendents, 504 coordinators, principals, teachers, counselors, psychologists, and school board and school council members. All Kentucky public school districts currently participate in this service.

Subscribers to the Special Education Service receive:

  • Unlimited legal research and telephone consultation from an experienced attorney.
  • A monthly newsletter with the latest information on IDEA, Section 504 , FERPA and related topics such as NCLB implications. This includes recent court case and OCR (Office of Civil Rights) outcomes.
  • KSBA representation of the local district perspective at important government hearings and meetings.
  • On-site consultation specific to the needs of the local district.
  • Development of Special Education and Section 504 procedures, including timely updates.
  • Development of user-friendly manuals, including updates in areas such as student discipline, ARC Chair responsibilities, etc.
  • On-site training for local district staff, school board members and board attorneys.
  • Attendance at Special Education and Section 504 conferences at reduced rates.

Training opportunities:

By subscribing to the Special Education Service of KSBA, districts receive, at low rates, specialized in-district training in areas of Legal Update on Special Education and Section 504; Special Education Legal Requirements and Procedures; Section 504 Legal Requirements and Procedures; LEA Representative (ARC Chair Responsibilities); Special Education and Section 504 Discipline; Regular Teacher Responsibilities in Special Education and Section 504 Implementation; Student Confidentiality; How to Investigate and Address Harassment Allegations, or any combination of the above sessions.

Publications:

IDEA, Section 504 & FERPA Newsletter – a monthly newsletter on court rulings, administrative regulations, training offerings and other topics of interest to school staff involved in compliance with federal and state laws concerning students with special learning exceptions.

2007-08 Special Education Numbers:

  • Inquiries handled by KSBA’s Legal Services staff, including special education questions: 3,000
  • Special Education Service Subscribers: 176 districts and schools, nine regional special education cooperatives
  • The New Director of Special Education and Special Education Legal Update Conference drew more than 100 participants.
  • The New Section 504 Coordinator and Section 504/FERPA Legal Update Conference drew more than 130 participants.
  • The Employee Evaluations and Growth Plans Conference drew more than 90 participants.
  • The Student Discipline Conference drew more than 115 participants.
  • The New KSBA Model Special Education Procedures Walk Through Conferences drew more than 240 participants.
  • In-district and Co-op trainings and consultations for 2007-2008: 47

Service contacts: Teresa T. Combs, Jolene Shearer, John Fogle