This summer series helps leaders stay cool under pressure while navigating some of the hottest legal issues under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)—from Child Find to individualized education program (IEP) implementation to discipline decisions. Participants will explore real-world scenarios and legal trends to build their ability to identify risk early, use system data to inform action, avoid costly disputes, and strengthen the systems that support student progress and free appropriate public education (FAPE). Each session also points to how the American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) and the PROGRESS Center can support leaders beyond the series with tools, resources, and technical assistance for sustained improvement. Learn more and register for each session in the series below.
Session 1: When the Clock Starts Ticking: Knowing When Child Find Obligations Begin
July 22 from 2-3 p.m. ET
Child Find cases often turn on one central question: when should the school have acted? Participants will examine how informal parent concerns, intervention processes, and district data practices intersect with evaluation timelines, with practical guidance on tracking referrals, avoiding unnecessary delay, and strengthening defensible decision-making.
Session 2: Missed Minutes, Major Risk: When Local Educational Agencies Don't Deliver
August 19 from 2-3 p.m. ET
This session examines one of the fastest-growing areas of special education risk: gaps between what services an individualized education program (IEP) requires and what a student actually receives. Participants will explore how staffing shortages, vague service language, and missed minutes can create legal exposure, with practical guidance on documentation, parent communication, service analysis, and proactive compensatory responses.
Register for Session 2
Session 3: When Behavior Meets Discipline: Navigating Behavior Supports and Manifestation Determinations for Children with Disabilities
September 22 from 2-3 p.m. ET
When behavior escalates, legal questions escalate too. Participants will examine how manifestation determinations, removals, and the adequacy of behavior supports intersect—and where districts can face exposure when teams focus too narrowly on discipline alone.
Register for Session 3
AIR does not provide legal advice and cannot respond as an attorney to due process complaints or otherwise provide legal advice related to any formal or informal complaint or set of facts. All services and supports provided by AIR are provided as general information purposes only and as technical assistance in the understanding and implementation of state and federal special education requirements to achieve compliant systems and improved student outcomes.
