A Statewide Study of FAPE and School Discipline Policies

Abstract

Telephone interviews were conducted with 141 randomly selected special education coordinators, principals, and special and general education teachers to explore their knowledge, experience, and opinions about common practice related to the mandate for a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and school discipline procedures. Qualitative research methods were used to identify themes common across interviews. Both the IEP documents and process were viewed as too cumbersome and procedural to be used as a “workable” plan for intervention, especially for behavioral or social/emotional concerns. Educators reported that they did not always review IEPs to make discipline decisions. Findings are discussed with regard to FAPE.

The Utilization and Effects of Positive Behavior Support Strategies on an Urban School Playground

“…In an effort to create safe play environments for students and reduce the number of injuries that occur annually, active supervision has been identified as a vital characteristic. In addition, it has been noted in the literature that America's schools are concerned with making improvements in discipline and safety in all school settings (Bear, 1998;Butera, Klein, McMullen, & Wilson, 1998). One popular approach in numerous schools across the country has been the use of systemwide procedures to address and deal with student behavior.…”

The Enemy Among Us

“…One administrator reasoned: Teachers have not been trained to address behavior, especially some of the teachers who have been in the county the longest and are not really prepared to address the behaviors we’re seeing today. (Butera et al, 1998, p. 112)…”

An Investigation of the Technical Adequacy of a Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC) for Monitoring Progress of Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Special Education Placements

“…In a typical school district, considerable time, effort, and resources are dedicated toward the establishment of an IEP that includes individualized academic and behavioral goals for the child. However, qualitative (Butera, Klein, McMullen, & Wilson, 1998) and quantitative (e.g., Reiher, 1992;Smith, 1990) studies have indicated a general disconnect between impaired areas of functioning and IEP goals. This disconnect may be even more pronounced in situations in which a child has multiple teachers (e.g., middle school; attending classes in special and general education classrooms) and when all teachers may not be routinely reviewing the child's IEP.…”