A Practical Guide to Understanding Massachusetts Special Education Regulations and Legal Decisions

We welcome you to a comprehensive and user-friendly resource on special education regulations in
Massachusetts, including key provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While covering the Massachusetts requirements for special education, we also guide the reader to related state laws, federal IDEA regulations, and decisions made by Massachusetts hearing officers and higher court judges. A Practice Guide to Understanding Massachusetts Special Education Regulations and Legal Decisions will help you to understand and become more familiar with how the regulations connect with the work of IEP teams. The authors have Included detailed explanations of processes such as referrals, IEP development, placement options, parent involvement, and other relevant areas. Using the text, you'll examine relevant case law and its impact on the application of regulations in practice, and gain robust resources to aid your understanding and partnership throughout the IEP process. The Guide is written to break down complex language, offers accessible visuals throughout, and helps readers to apply the knowledge to real-world scenarios. This resource is intended to be effective both as a quick reference tool for addressing immediate, situation-specific inquiries and as a comprehensive text for those seeking an in-depth understanding of special education in Massachusetts. If you are a general and special education teacher, school or district administrator, family member or caregiver of a student with disabilities, advocate or attorney, related service provider, or graduate student in education or special education law, this will be your go-to resource.
Blume, Hollenbeck, and Peltier are statewide leaders in training Massachusetts special education professionals and bring deep expertise and experience to the creation of this practical and user-friendly guide for navigating Massachusetts' special education systems and ensuring compliance with state and federal laws.