Source: http://concordspedpac.org/laws.htm
Timestamp: 2017-11-25 02:03:06
Document Index: 256548541

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 300', '§1400', '§1401', '§1412', '§1414', '§1415', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§303', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', '§300', 'arts 300']

Page Index - Click on the topic, and it will take you to that place on the page.
SPED Regulations (State)
IDEA(Federal)
What law overrides, trumps or takes precedence over another?
Accessing Student Records (State and Federal) Regulations
Physical Restraint Regulation
There are two Regulations / Rules of which parents need to be aware. One is the state regulations and other is federal register.
We highly recommend you read and familiarize yourself with the two following documents. They are easy to read and you will educate yourself about your child's rights:
SPED Regulations (State):
603 CMR 28.00, In effect January, 2001
These Regulations are the Department of Education (DOE) interpretation of state law.
The regulations are a total of 40 pages, quite readable for the lay person. We highly recommend you print out a copy and read these regulations.
(Note that in September, 2000 there were major changes to the law, which are reflected in these regulations).
To implement the Special Education laws (State & Federal) the government agencies have published detailed rules and regulations describing how the law applies.
Massachusetts Special Education Regulations Table:
Topic: Sections:
Class size 28.06: Placement and Service Options
Complaints 28.08: Continuum of Options for Dispute Resolution
Disabilities 28.02: Definitions
Effective Progress 28.02: Definitions
Full Special Education Evaluation
(used to be referred to as Core Evaluation) 28.04: Referral and Evaluation *
Hearing - BSEA 28.08: Continuum of Options for Dispute Resolution
(private or outside evaluation) 28.04: Referral and Evaluation *
IEP content 28.05: The Team Process and Development of the IEP *
Least Restrictive Environment 28.06: Placement and Service Options
Mediation 28.08: Continuum of Options for Dispute Resolution
Methodology 28.05: The Team Process and Development of the IEP *
Observations 28.07: Parent Involvement
Out of District Placement (private school)
28.09: Approval of Public/Private Day and
Residential Special Education School Programs
PAC 28.07: Parent Involvement
Progress reports 28.07: Parent Involvement
School evaluation reports (report content) 28.04: Referral and Evaluation *
Private schools at private expense 28.03(1)(e): Administration and Personnel
Schools (private, vocational, parochial) Responsibilities 28.10: Administration and Personnel
Special education purpose (very short, 3 paragraphs) 28.01: Authority, Scope and Purpose
Specially designed instruction 28.02: Definitions
Stay Put (Student's right to IEP services and placement) 28.08(7): Continuum of Options for Dispute Resolution
Summer (ESY) 28.05: The Team Process and Development of the IEP *
Time frames 28.05: The Team Process and Development of the IEP *
Timelines 28.04: Referral and Evaluation *
Transportation 28.05: The Team Process and Development of the IEP *
(key: * = These are larger sections and are referred to more then other sections.)
IDEA (Federal):
IDEA 2004 - Regulation
34 CFR Parts 300 and 301, in effect August, 2006
User friendly website of the regulations:
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 Regulations (IDEA 2004)
Part B: (IDEA 2004 was approved August 3, 2006 and Published August 14, 2006)
HTML (text, no formatting) PDF (3 column format, actual manual format)
IDEA 2004 - Law
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 Law (IDEA 2004)
IDEA 2004, Federal law (text no formatting)
This new version aligns IDEA closely to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), helping to ensure equity, accountability and excellence in education for children with disabilities.
IDEA five major sections in the law:
Law Sect. Law
Statue Part A - General Provisions
Law Purpose Section
20 U.S.C. §1400 Congressional Finding and Purpose Subpart A - General
20 U.S.C. §1401 Definitions Subpart A - General
State Eligibility Section
(Catch-all Section)
20 U.S.C. §1412 State Eligibility
Evaluations, eligibility, IEPs, placements Section 614
20 U.S.C. §1414 Evaluations, eligibility determination, IEPs and education placements Subpart D
Evaluations, Eligibility Determinations,
Parent Safeguards Section
20 U.S.C. §1415 Procedural safeguards Subpart E
IDEA 2004 - Regulation Table
These are some of the IDEA regulations we are often referring to:
Page 118 &
IDEA 97 Regulation
1415(b)(1)
also refer to our state regulation (return to top of this webpage)
Sec. 300.501
§300.562 Access rights
Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP or BMP), consideration
1414(3)(B)
Sec. 300.324(2)
§300.346 (2) Development, review, and revision of IEP.
Disabilities, list
1401(3)(A)
§300.7 Child with a disability
because of disciplinary removals.
§300.519 Change of placement for disciplinary removals
Discrepancy Model Response to Intervention (RTI) and Specific Learning Disability
1414(b)(6)
also refer to: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Federal law
Sec. 300.307(a)(1)
Electronic mail, if available a parent may elect to receive notices by email
1415(d) 2719 Electronic mail Sec. 300.505
Electronic mail. (added)
Eligibility and Re-determination of eligibility
1414(c)
Additional Requirements for Eligibility and Reevaluations
Sec. 300.306 (b)
§300.534 (c) Determination of eligibility
Evaluation (what tests will the school use)
1414(2)(b)
Sec. 300.304
§300.532 Evaluation procedures
Extended school year (ESY) services (summer program)
1412(a)(1) 2677 School during the summer.
Sec. 300.106 Extended school year services §303.309
Extended school year service
1412(a)(5) -
Nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities including meals, recess periods
Sec. 300.117 Nonacademic settings. §300.306 Nonacademic services
300.13 Free appropriate public education
1412(a)(1)(B)-(C) 2677 Mass. residents who are working on their GED may access special education
Sec. 300.102 Limitation - exception to FAPE for certain ages. (added)
Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) 1401(10)
Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) Sec. 300.18
Highly qualified special education teachers. (added)
1412(a)(1), 1412(a)(12)(A)(i), 1414(d)(3), (4)(B), & (7) and 1414(e) 2677 Content, regular education teacher Considerations, updating IEP Sec. 300.324 Development, review, and revision of IEP. §300.347 Content of IEP
IEP for 3 years
1414(d)(5)
Multi year IEP, Pilot program (Mass. not participating)
IEP Measurable goals
1414(d)(1)
§300.347 Content of IEP
1414(d)(1)(C)
Excusal of Team member
IEP Meeting, using Technology
1414(d)(7)(f)
1414(d)(1)(B)
§300.344 IEP team
Insurance, private or Medicaid
1412(a)(12) & (e)
Methods of ensuring services. (added)
also refer to: Discrepancy Model and SLD 1414(b)(6)
Sec. 300.8 (10)
Sec. 612(a)(25)
Outside.Evaluation Private Evaluation, or Independent Education Evaluation (IEE)
§300.502 Independent educational evaluation
1401(23) 2650 Defines parent,
adoptive, foster, guardian.
Sec. 300.30 Parent. (added)
Parent input to child's placement
1414(e)
Sec. 300.501(c)
(A)(i)(IV)(bb)
A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services
§300.306 Nonacademic services
Personal (evaluators, therapist, special education teacher, etc.)
1401(10)
Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) also refer to: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Federal law and Supervision of paraprofessionals (Title 1)
§300.23 Qualified personnel
Prior Written Notice before any change, PWN
1415(b)(3)
Written prior notice to the parents
Sec. 300.503
§300.503 Prior notice by the public agency
(students in)
See Service Plan for Private School, below
1412(10)(A)
Provision of services for parentally - placed private school children with disabilities - basic requirement.
§300.401 Responsibility of State educational agency
Progress Reports towards measurable goals
Sec. 300.320 (3)
Related Services (transportation, (aide) paraprofessional, OT, PT, SLP, audiology, etc.):
1401(26)
Sec. 300.34
§300.24 Related services
Response to Intervention (RTI) and Discrepancy Model and Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Reevaluations with a new limitation.
§300.536 Revaluation
Service Plan for Private School
1412(a)(10)(A)
Service Plan for Private School Sec. 300.37 Services plan. (added)
1415(j)
Maintenance of Current Educational Placement (also refer to our state regulation)
Sec. 300.518
§300.514 Child's status during proceedings
(see Prior Written Notice above)
1415(d)
Teachers (HQT) 1401(10)
Transition services for what happens after high school
1414(d)(6) 2715 Transition services at age 15
Sec. 300.43
Sec. 300.320(b)
§300.347(7)(b)
Withdrawal of consent for special education and related services (The withdrawal must be in writing. All services will stop )
Sec. 300.300 (b)(4)
Why have the special education federal law?
1400(d)
References about IDEA-2004:
MA DOE Administrative Advisory SPED 2007--1: IDEA-2004 Implementing Regulations
Has a chart of the key changes in regulations and describes the impact of these changes on school district.
View the Federation for Children with Special Needs IDEA-2004 slide presentation, from their workshop.
Questions and Answers (Q&A) on Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Requirements of the IDEA
This guide contains National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) developed standards of excellence that directly relate to the principal's role in implementing IDEA. Along with the standards are guidelines principals may use when assessing themselves and their school community.
The standards and guidelines for the provision of special education, related services, and early intervention are organized around the same categories identified in the previously books developed by NAESP on general standards for quality elementary and middle schools.
Implementing IDEA: A Guide for Principals addresses the following five categories:
For each area, information related to IDEA is presented. An appendix contains a checklist that principals may use to assess themselves on the NAESP-developed standards and guidelines.
Our Special Education Laws:
Most of our members have found these regulations/rules to be easier to understand than the full text of the law.
These are two laws that govern Special Education:
State Law (M.G.L. Chapter 71B, used to be known as Chapter 766) and the Federal Law (IDEA).
Here's what we have learned though the years:
If Federal law - (IDEA) is more stringent, (benefits the student) it must be used.
State law (Special Education Law) - State Department of Education regulations, IEP forms, or policies which violate the Federal law) which ever law is more stringent (benefits the student), then it is used.
State and Federal Regulation for Accessing Student Records:
Our state regulation Student Record Regulations
When can you see your student's records?
Personally identifiable information about your student is confidential and may not be disclosed to anyone other than teachers and educational officials without your consent. You and your student (if your student is 14 or older) have a right to look at any and all of the student’s records within 10 days of your request and before any IEP meeting or due process hearing.
You may a lso have copies of the information upon request for a reasonable charge limited to the cost of
reproduction. You may not be charged for costs associated with the search for and retrieval of your
In addition, you can meet with professionally qualified school personnel to have the records explained. You may also have your representative (advocate, consultant, or attorney) inspect, review, and interpret your student’s record if you give your specific, written informed consent. All of the rights associated with the student record are contained in the Massachusetts Student Record Regulations 603 CMR 23.00, 23.07(2)
This text is from "Parent's Notice of Prodcedural Safeguards" document, that you receive from your school district once a year.
The Federal regulation under IDEA 2004: Sec. 300.501 - Opportunity to examine records; and Sec. 300.613 - Access rights.
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), is the federal regulation.
Some articles from Wrightslaw on FERPA:
In 1997, the Office for Civil Rights issued a Memorandum about test protocols and answer sheets. Test protocols used by psychologists to prepare reports are educational records. Test booklets that identify students are education records.
Booklets that include questions and answers are education records.
Privacy, Education Records, FERPA
I Have a FERPA Problem - School Won't Help!
Here are two articles from Reed Martin, J.D, and his wife Connie Matthews, on FERPA,
(The Reed Martin website, defunct as of June 6, 2007)
We found two of his articles and converted them into PDF's (thanks to Dr. S. Lowe):
Acess to Child's Educational Records
State Physical Restraint Regulation:
Our state regulation, 603 CMR 46.00:Physical Restraint, In effect April 2, 2001
46.02(5): Definitions:
"Restraint - Other: Limiting the physical freedom of an individual student by mechanical means or seclusion in a limited space or location, or temporarily controlling the behavior of a student by chemical means. The use of chemical or mechanical restraint is prohibited unless explicitly authorized by a physician and approved in writing by the parent or guardian. The use of seclusion restraint is prohibited in public education programs."
NCLB is for ALL children
"... NCLB applies differently to Title 1 schools than to schools that do not receive Title 1 grants. However, one way or another, this law covers all public schools in all states."
Teacher Quality FAQ
Article about Teacher Qualifications posted on Wrightslaw website:
Parents' Right to Know Qualifications of Child's Teachers
February 1, 2003 issue of The No Child Left Behind Newsletter (PDF format) to include a copy of this newsletter with your letter.
or newsletter on website.
It is illegal to discriminate against a person with a disability. There are three federal laws that protect people with disabilities in the school and day care settings. These laws have history of being successfully to protect the rights of children with disabilities.
This law prohibits public schools and private schools that receive federal financial assistance from discriminating against anyone with a disability. You don't need to wait until discrimination occurs to seek the protections of this law. The first step is to have your child evaluated. Parents and school officials then meet and develop a Section 504 Plan. A Section 504 Plan would include the information listed for an "Education Plan" discussed in Chapter 10. Often, schools want to develop a Section 504 Plan so that everyone knows his or her responsibilities.
This law covers children whose disability impairs their academic performance. It requires that students (age 3-22) be given a "free, appropriate public education." Your child may or may not qualify, depending on how their disability affects their ability to learn. If the student qualifies, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be developed with the school provides and parents. (An IEP is similar to a Section 504 Plan but would include specific measures to address your child's academic performance and needed special education and other related services.)
Basically, these laws say that your child has the right to go to school, play a sport, join a club, and do everything else that kids without a disability can do. They also say that public schools and other covered organizations must make "reasonable accommodations" for the disability. Such accommodations are to be spelled out in the Section 504 plan, IEP, or other education plan.
References on Special Education Laws:
View the Federation for Children with Special Needs Basic Rights (under the special education laws) slide presentation, from their workshop.
History - Federal Special Education
Here's a little history about the Federal level law. The original law (Public Law 94-142), was called the Education Handicap Act (EHA), passed in 1975 and revised several times. It was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, (Public Law 101-476).
In 1997 reauthorization of IDEA when an emphasis on access to the general curriculum was added to the statute. By law, Congress must re-authorize this legislation every five years. IDEA 97 U.S. Department of Education Federal Register, 34 CFR Parts 300 and 303, went in effect March, 1999.
In 2003 round of IDEA reauthorization, emphasis was on revising the eligibility criteria. After three years of work, the U.S. Congress completed its renewal of the federal special education law by passing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA-04) on November 19, 2004. The President signed the bill into law on December 3, 2004, marking the first update to IDEA since 1997.
As you see changing federal law is a long process, that takes a long time. The years of the changes are not in the exact time frames.
Need information on IDEA?
Visit our links, above this section.
The Switzer Building, Room 3006
Legislative Tracking System lets you check on the status of any new bills (house or senate).
Federation for Children with Special Needs , check for information on the latest current issues.
Check our page on What's happening with the law.
History - Massachusetts Special Education
Here's a little history about the Mass Special Education regulation. Year 2000 was the 25th Anniversary of the passage of Chapter 766, the Special Education Law and Regulation. The chapter number has changed and it is now known as the "Special Education Law / Regulation".
Webpage last modified on November 14, 2013 - V40, by Melody Orfei