Mitchell L. Yell, Ph.D., is the Fred and Francis Lester Palmetto Chair in Teacher Education and a Professor in Special Education at the University of South Carolina. He earned his Ph.D. in special education from the University of Minnesota. His professional interests include special education law, IEP development, progress monitoring, and parent involvement in special education. Dr. Yell has published 124 journal articles, 6 textbooks, 32 book chapters, and has conducted numerous workshops on various aspects of special education law, classroom management, and progress monitoring. His textbook, Special Education and the Law, is in its 5th edition. He also had been awarded almost $16 million in grants. Dr. Yell also serves as a State-level due process review officer in South Carolina. Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Yell was a special education teacher in Minnesota for 14 years.
July 2 was the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This law, clearly one of the most important pieces of legislation in our nation’s history, was the first of a number of civil rights laws. Title VI […]
Today’s blog post was written by Dr. Kimberly Knackstedt, She previously has served in disability policy positions in Congress and the White House. From 2019 to 2021, she was the senior disability policy advisor for Senator Patty Murray on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in the U.S. Senate. In […]
In today’s blog I will discuss an interesting case out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th, Circuit, Powell v. School Board of Volusia County, Florida (2023). The case is available on the 11th Circuit website. It is of special interest because the school district prevailed at the […]
When we think of parents filing complaints against school districts regarding special education services, we usually think of mediation, resolution sessions, due process hearings, and possible court cases. However, there are additional, less well-known, complaint resolution systems that the parents of students with disabilities may use. This blog post will […]
Using out-of-school suspensions with students with disabilities protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has long been a problem. Despite the issues that have arisen with the overuse and inappropriate use of discipline in general and OSS specifically, it had only been addressed by courts, including the U.S. […]
On March 21, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling in Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools. In the 9-0 ruling, which was written by Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, the High Court reversed and remanded the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit for further […]
School district officials respond to challenging and disruptive behavior in a variety of ways and determining the appropriate response to students’ problem behavior is a difficult and complex issue. This becomes especially true when a student has a disability. Different rules and regulations apply to disciplining students with disabilities under […]
On Tuesday, January 18 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools. The student, Miguel Perez, alleged that the Sturgis school district violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide him with appropriate special education services. For example, […]
On January 18, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a special education case, Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools. In this case, the Supreme Court will consider whether families that have settled claims under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) can pursue lawsuits under the Americans […]
Researching Special Education Law Online Mitchell L. Yell, Ph.D. With the availability of online resources, today’s administrators and teachers can become more legally literate about special education laws, policies, and procedures. Moreover, they should be better able to identify legal issues and applicable laws or legal standards and apply relevant […]
The essential obligation of special educators is to collaboratively develop an individualized program of special education and related services for eligible students with disabilities that confers a free appropriate public education (FAPE). When a student with disabilities exhibits serious problem behavior, providing a FAPE often means including behavioral programming in […]
The OSEP-funded Progress Center (promotingprogress.org) is hosting a free virtual program titled “Prepping for PROGRESS! Adding New Tools to Your Backpack (Toolbox) for the Start of School.” The purpose of the event is to assist teachers who are looking for resources and strategies to help prepare educators to promote progress […]
