Opinion ID: 6986365
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Measures of Educational Performance

Text: J.D. also argues that his educational performance cannot be measured by his grades and achievement test results alone, which were indisputably at or above the norm for his age group. Rule 2362(2)(b) provides that the determination of adverse effect “shall be documented and supported by two or more measures of school performance,” including, among others, grades and “other test results.” Conversely, if a plaintiff is unable to identify at least two school performance measures that point to an adverse effect, the plaintiff would not qualify for special education under the IDEA. In this case, the district court highlighted J.D.’s grades and norm-referenced achievement test results as well as the psychologist’s comments. See J.D. II, slip op., at 6, 12-13. These measures showed that J.D. consistently performed above the mean in math and other basic skills. Although not discussed in the district court’s opinion, the record also contains reports and comments from teachers and various personality evaluations. For example, four teachers commented in J.D.’s 1995-1996 academic year report card that he exhibited “excellent application.” One of these teachers also characterized his academic ability as “outstanding” compared to other applicants for college preparatory schools. Based on the overwhelming evidence in the record, the district court did not err in concluding that J.D.’s basic skills, and hence his educational performance, were not adversely affected by his disability within the meaning of the Vermont Rule. J.D., on the other hand, emphasizes his emotional condition, including his difficulty with interpersonal relationships and negative feelings. However, while these are signs of an emotional disability, under the statutory and administrative schemes, they are not measures of an adverse effect on basic skills by which educational performance must be assessed. For this reason, this case is distinguishable from Barnard Sch. Dist. v. R.M., 1983-84 EHLR Dec. 555:263 (D.Vt. Nov. 3, 1983), which J.D. cites. Although the student in that case performed well on certain standardized intelligence tests, the evidence also showed that, unlike J.D., his “school performance ha[d] ... been dismal” and that “he ha[d] obtained failing grades a number of times ... and his overall academic record [was] extremely poor.” Id. at 264. J.D. also relies on a Washington State administrative decision, In re Kristopher H., 1985-86 EHLR Dec. 507:183 (Wash. Sept. 4, 1985), for the proposition that education “connotes all those processes cultivated by a given society as a means for the realization in the individual of the ideals of the community as a whole,” not only proficiency in basic skills. Id. However, as the defendants correctly point out, the administrative law judge in that case applied a dictionary definition of “education” to evaluate Kristopher H.’s “educational performance,” whereas here, we must apply Vermont’s regulatory definition, which directs us to eight basic skills. Because J.D. has not established an adverse effect on any of these skills, we affirm the district court’s holding that he is not eligible for special education under the IDEA.