Maryland Special Education Due Process Hearing Decisions: A Closer Look at the Issues and Outcomes

• In Event: 46.061 - Litigation Trends in K–12 Education Relating to Employees and Traditionally Underserved Students

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to determine if there are trends within Maryland special education due process complaints. This study will provide an analysis of Maryland special education due process hearing decisions to look at the frequency of the issues, certain demographics, and the outcomes/remedies and to determine if there are any trends related to their interaction. We analyzed approximately 100 Maryland special education due process hearing decisions from 2009-2013. Preliminary results show that the majority of the special education decisions are related to the issue of IEP development and implementation. Furthermore, preliminary results reveal that when the parents were successful in proving a denial of FAPE, tuition reimbursement was a common remedy.

Author

• Tiffany Puckett, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign