Education Law

PA Specific

Pennsylvania Special Education Law

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
New Jersey CLE Approved 7.2 Total
New York CLE Approved 7 Total
Pennsylvania CLE Approved 6 Total
West Virginia CLE Approved 7.2 Total
OnDemand
5 hours 56 minutes
Tanya Alvarado
Aimee Rankin
Timothy Gilsbach
With Tanya A. Alvarado from Alvarado Law, LLC + 2 others
Recorded April 30, 2026.
Product ID 101727

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Overview

Comply With the Latest Special Education Laws to Avoid Liability

With increasing numbers of students qualifying for special education services, professionals working with students with disabilities know that an understanding of special education law is crucial. You need to know the law in order to deal with complex questions that arise on a regular basis. Who pays when a disabled student is placed in private schooling at the parents' election? How can a school create the least restrictive environment and promote inclusion to the best interests of all students? It can be costly if you don't know. Register today!

  • Strengthen your knowledge of how recent special education legislation affects school policies and operations.
  • Learn what to do and what not to do in 504 plans.
  • Evaluate the legal protection offered by the Individualized Education Program (IEP).
  • Successfully handle disciplinary actions for students with disabilities.
  • Explore the role of manifestation determination reviews (MDRs) in disciplinary actions.
  • Understand the rights of disabled students so you can avoid inadvertent illegal actions that may lead to a lawsuit.

Abbreviated Agenda

  1. Establishing the Framework of Special Education Law
  2. Section 504 Plan Documentation: What You Need to Know
  3. Unraveling the Requirements of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
  4. Successfully Handling Disciplinary Actions for Students With Disabilities
  5. Ensuring Successful Due Process Procedures
  6. Protecting the Rights of Children With Disabilities

Related Topics

Product ID 101727

Credit Details

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
New Jersey CLE Approved 7.2 Total
New York CLE Approved 7 Total
Pennsylvania CLE Approved 6 Total
West Virginia CLE Approved 7.2 Total
Select Jurisdiction
CLE

Agenda

All times are shown in

  1. Establishing the Framework of Special Education Law

    1. Overview of Laws That Govern Special Education
    2. Summary of Recent Developments in Special Education Law
    3. Relevant Case Law

  2. Section 504 Plan Documentation: What You Need to Know

    1. Review of Section 504
    2. Determining When an Evaluation Is Necessary
    3. Information Required to Document a Disability
    4. Americans With Disabilities Act and 504 Plan Eligibility
    5. Proper Notice of Evaluation and Placement
    6. 504 Plan Dos and Don'ts: With Examples

  3. Unraveling the Requirements of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

    1. What Are Early Intervention Programs?
    2. Defining State and Local Eligibility for Services
    3. Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
    4. Conducting Evaluations and Re-Evaluations of Students With Disabilities
    5. The Role of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the IEP Team
    6. Availability of Personnel Who Know How to Meet the Needs of Disabled Students
    7. Specific Issues About Exceptional Needs Children Enrolled in Private Schools
    8. How, When, and Why Reauthorization Occurs

  4. Successfully Handling Disciplinary Actions for Students With Disabilities

    1. Providing Services During Disciplinary Removal
    2. Defining Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs)
    3. What Are Behavioral Intervention Plans?
    4. How Manifestation Determination Reviews Apply
    5. Protections for Children Not Yet Eligible for Special Education and Related Services
    6. Changes in Placement
      1. Suspensions and the Ten-Day Rule
      2. Legal Rules Governing Removal or Expulsion
      3. Interim Alternative Educational Settings
    7. Other Available Remedies
    8. "Stay Put" Placement During Pendency of Due Process
    9. Expedited Due Process Hearings

  5. Ensuring Successful Due Process Procedures

    1. Actions to Take Upon Receipt of Request for an Impartial Hearing
    2. Complying With Notice Requirements
    3. Examining Essential Timing Issues
    4. Providing for the Option of Mediation
    5. How to Prepare for a Due Process Hearing
    6. Crucial Elements in an Impartial Due Process Hearing
    7. When De Novo Reviews Apply
    8. Effective Ways to Avoid Due Process Litigation

  6. Protecting the Rights of Children With Disabilities

    1. Promoting Parent Awareness of Legal Rights and Recourse for Their Child
    2. Understanding Placement Issues
      1. Least Restrictive Environment and Inclusion
      2. Requirements for Unilateral Placements by Parents Seeking Public Payment
      3. Compensatory Education
    3. Preventing Disability Bullying and Harassment in the Schools
    4. Protecting Confidentiality of Information
    5. Special Education Damages Liability (Including Section 1983 Liability)
    6. Using the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to Ensure Compliance

Who Should Attend

This basic-to-intermediate level seminar is designed specifically for professionals who work with children with disabilities in a school setting. Those who should attend include:

  • School Administrators
  • Superintendents
  • Board Members
  • Principals
  • Counselors
  • School Psychologists
  • Teachers
  • Attorneys

Speakers

Tanya A Alvarado
Tanya A.
Alvarado
Alvarado Law, LLC
Aimee Rankin
Aimee
Rankin
Rankin Legal LLC
Timothy E Gilsbach
Timothy E.
Gilsbach
McNees, Wallace & Nurick LLC
Speaker bio
Tanya A Alvarado

Tanya A. Alvarado

Alvarado Law, LLC
Tanya Alvarado

is the owner and founder of Alvarado Law, LLC in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Alvardo Law, LLC is a bilingual law firm specializing in representing families in special education matters and obtaining reasonable accommodations for high stakes exams, like SAT/ACT, graduate school admissions, and licensing/certification. She has 30 years of experience, is fluent in Spanish and was born in Ecuador. Ms. Alvarado earned her B.A. degree from Cornell University and her J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law.

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Speaker bio
Aimee Rankin

Aimee Rankin

Rankin Legal LLC
Aimee Rankin

is an education attorney at Rankin Legal LLC. Prior to opening her own practice, she was a partner at Weiss Burkardt Kramer, a leading Pittsburgh education law firm representing public school district clients. Ms. Rankin has represented clients at all levels of state and federal court, as well as administrative agencies such as the Pennsylvania Office for Dispute Resolution, Office for Civil Rights and Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. She has expertly handled special education cases, student discipline matters, employment matters, and Title IX investigations. Ms. Rankin earned her B.S. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Mount Union and her J.D. degree from The University of Pittsburgh, where she participated as senior research editor for The University of Pittsburgh Law Review. She was named a Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2020-2022 and proudly serves as co-chair of the PBA Exceptional Childrens' Committee. Ms. Rankin is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania.

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Speaker bio
Timothy E Gilsbach

Timothy E. Gilsbach

McNees, Wallace & Nurick LLC
Timothy Gilsbach

is Of Counsel with McNees, Wallace & Nurick LLC, where he practices education and employment law. He has represented school districts, intermediate units, and charter schools for more than a decade in special education matters; from providing guidance, to attending IEP meetings, to litigating special education matters at administrative due process hearings and appeals through the federal courts. Mr. Gilsbach also advised school entities on a wide area of other student related issues and employment issues. He also advises both public and private employers on issues related to employee use of medical marijuana. Mr. Gilsbach is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law and Messiah College.

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