Legal Frameworks & Educational Law Flashcards

What is the key difference between an IEP and a Section 504 plan?

Answer: IEPs provide specially designed instruction under IDEA; 504 plans provide accommodations without necessarily including specialized instruction

An IEP under IDEA includes specially designed instruction as a core component, whereas a 504 plan focuses on accommodations and modifications to give a student equitable access without changing the curriculum.

A 'prior written notice' under IDEA is best described as:

Answer: Written notification schools must provide parents before proposing or refusing changes to a student's identification, evaluation, or placement

Prior written notice is a procedural safeguard under IDEA that keeps parents informed and allows them to exercise their rights before any significant educational decision is made about their child.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) primarily differs from IDEA in educational contexts because:

Answer: ADA prohibits disability-based discrimination but does not mandate that schools deliver educational services

The ADA is a broad civil rights law prohibiting discrimination; it does not independently require schools to provide special education services the way IDEA does.

Under which condition may a school disclose student records without parental consent under FERPA?

Answer: When a school official with a legitimate educational interest needs to review the records

FERPA includes a 'school officials with legitimate educational interest' exception, allowing access without consent when the official's duties require it.

The 'stay put' provision under IDEA protects students with disabilities by:

Answer: Keeping a student in their current educational placement while a due process dispute is being resolved

The 'stay put' provision maintains the student's current placement status quo during dispute proceedings, protecting the student from unilateral school-initiated placement changes.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 primarily prohibits:

Answer: Sex-based discrimination in educational programs or activities receiving federal funding

Title IX bars discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, covering areas such as athletics, admissions, and sexual harassment policies.

Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, students experiencing homelessness must be:

Answer: Enrolled immediately and allowed full school participation regardless of missing records or documents

McKinney-Vento removes enrollment barriers such as missing immunization records or proof of residency so that homeless students can access education without delay.