Opinion ID: 657191
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Alleged Substantive Violations

Text: 21 The IDEA requires that a state provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to all handicapped children within its jurisdiction, as a condition for receiving federal funds. While the Supreme Court has held that states are not required to maximize the potential of handicapped children, Rowley, 458 U.S. at 189, 102 S.Ct. at 3042; accord Thomas, 918 F.2d at 626, this Court has held that the educational benefits the state does provide must be more than de minimis in order to be appropriate. Doe By and Through Doe v. Smith, 879 F.2d 1340, 1341 (6th Cir.1989). The Act provides no more than a basic floor of opportunity ... consist[ing] of access to specialized institutions and related services which are individually designed to provide educational benefit to the handicapped child. Rowley, 458 U.S. at 201, 102 S.Ct. at 3048; Doe, 879 F.2d at 1341. 22 The question with which we are now faced, and which we consider under the modified standard of de novo review laid out above, is whether the IEP proposed by the Board was reasonably calculated to enable [appellant] to receive educational benefits. Appellant and his parents assert that the proposed IEP is woefully inadequate to meet appellant's needs. We disagree. 23 The IEP proposed by the Board appears to be a good-faith effort to propose an educational program reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational benefits. Rowley, 458 U.S. at 207, 102 S.Ct. at 3051. Specifically, the M-Team recommended, 24 that a comprehensive physical, psychological and intellectual testing of the plaintiff be done at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center; that an in-service program on learning disabilities be held for all school staff members involved in implementing plaintiff's IEP; that oral testing be used for the plaintiff with regard to essay, lengthy written assignments and projects, but that he continue to take objective tests and short answer response tests; that plaintiff utilize a tape recorder for recording class lectures; that plaintiff be provided one hour of language therapy each day, planned by a qualified speech/language pathologist; that a school guidance counselor be available before, during or after school to provide individual counseling sessions, initially twice per week; that counseling services be provided after school hours by a non-school system employee experienced in counseling disabled teenagers; that a home-bound teacher be available for plaintiff if he missed more than ten consecutive school days; that computer-assisted instruction be utilized for plaintiff in English and Mathematics; that word processing be introduced to the plaintiff to help compensate for his written language deficiencies; that an IEP coordinator monitor the implementation of the program; that monthly conferences be held to review progress, plan course work for the next four weeks, and discuss learning strategies; and that tutorial services be available four days per week after regular school hours. 25 This IEP is aimed at addressing the particular disabilities from which appellant suffers. While the Brehm School undoubtedly can provide superior services aimed exclusively at helping learning-disabled children such as appellant, this is not what the Act requires. This is especially true where, as here, the IEP was never given a chance to succeed. Doe v. Defendant I, 898 F.2d at 1191. 26 The Act requires that the Tullahoma schools provide the educational equivalent of a serviceable Chevrolet to every handicapped student. Appellant, however, demands that the Tullahoma school system provide a Cadillac solely for appellant's use. We suspect that the Chevrolet offered to appellant is in fact a much nicer model than that offered to the average Tullahoma student. Be that as it may, we hold that the Board is not required to provide a Cadillac, and that the proposed IEP is reasonably calculated to provide educational benefits to appellant, and is therefore in compliance with the requirements of the IDEA. 27