Parental participation is a crucial component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. When developing students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), school-based teams must place a high priority on involving students’ parents in a collaborative effort to develop their children’s educational programs and determine their placements. In this article, we examine Doug C. v. Hawaii Department of Education, a case in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reaffirmed the central role of parents in the IEP decision-making process. This column outlines the facts of this case and discusses implications of this decision for school district personnel and IEP team members.
Amanda J. v. Clark County School District, 267 F.3d 877 (9th Cir. 2001).
2.
BatemanB. (2011). Individual Education Programs for children with disabilities. In KauffmanJ. M.HallahanD. P. (Eds.), Handbook of special education (pp. 91–106). London, UK: Routledge.
3.
Deal v. Hamilton Board County Board of Education, 392 F.3d 840 (6th Cir. 2004).
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Doug C. v. State of Hawaii Board of Education, 720 F.3d 1038 (9th Cir. 2013).
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1414 et seq. (2004).
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Regulations, 34 C.F.R. §300 et seq. (2012).
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W.G. v. Board of Trustees Target Range School District, 960 F.2d 1479 (9th Cir. 1992).
8.
Winkelman v. Parma City School District, 550 U.S. 516, 533 (2007).
9.
YellM. L.KatsiyannisA.EnnisR. P.LosinskiM. (2013). Avoiding procedural errors in Individualized Education Program development. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 46, 57–64.
10.
YellM. L.ThomasS. S.KatsiyannisA. (2012). Special education law for leaders and administrators of special education. In CrockettJ. B.BillingsleyB. S.BoscardinM. L. (Eds.), Handbook of leadership and administration for special education (pp. 69–96). London, UK: Routledge.
