The Effect of District and Student Characteristics on California's Special Education Due Process Hearing Decisions

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Beyond the Letter of the Law: Social Science Analyses of Special Education Laws and Regulations

Abstract

This research examined the relationships among California’s special education due process hearing decisions (2005-2020) and school districts’ free/reduced price meal (FRPM) rates, students’ attorney representation, and whether the parents used a translator. The probability of a student prevailing increased significantly with attorney representation and when the student was the plaintiff. Districts were more likely to prevail if the student required a translator during the hearing. Perhaps surprisingly, the higher the FRPM rate, the lower the chance the district had of prevailing. We conclude with a discussion on policy implications.

Authors

• Tiina Itkonen, California State University - Channel Islands

• Bryan Tomlin, California State University - Channel Islands

• Luis Sanchez, California State University - Channel Islands

• Manuel Correia, California State University - Channel Islands

• Tracie Schneider, California State University - Channel Islands

• Karmyn Luong, California State University - Channel Islands