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Grading, Reporting, Graduating...and the Law

By: Miriam Kurtzig Freedman

This easy-to-read flipbook helps teachers and administrators understand and implement the legal requirements of grading, reporting, and graduating for all students.

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781071803066
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2020
Page Count: 256
Publication date: May 11, 2020

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Description

Your quick flipbook guide to grades, report cards, and graduation requirements

The legal issues around grading, reporting, and graduating can be complex, and it is important that educators clearly understand them in order to implement best practices for students.

Written by teacher-turned-lawyer Miriam Kurtzig Freedman, this easy-to-read flipbook helps K-12 teachers and administrators gain confidence in how they implement and understand the legal requirements of grading, reporting, and graduating, and helps parents support their children in school. Readers will learn:

How to handle the legal requirements for accessible and valid grades, report cards, transcripts, honors, and diplomas for all students, including those with disabilities
How to provide and receive honest feedback that inspires trust
How to explain legal requirements to colleagues, students, and parents in plain language

With its glossary and list of relevant case law, this handy and inspiring guide will help readers confidently handle difficult issues like graduation requirements, weighted grades, testing accommodations, modifications and adaptations, and more—freeing them to focus on better teaching and learning for all students.

Author(s)

Miriam Kurtzig Freedman

Passionate to help our public schools be excellent for ALL students, attorney Miriam Kurtzig Freedman works with people who want better schools and helps practitioners move from confusion to confidence when dealing with legal requirements. Why? So they can get back to the all-important mission of education!

Miriam has authored eight books and had contributed articles to The Wall Street Journal, Education Week, Education Next, the Journal of Law and Education, the University of Chicago Law Review on line, among other publications. She also contributes to Medium.com.

A school attorney, Miriam is of counsel to the Boston law firm of Stoneman, Chandler & Miller LLP. She provides clients and national audiences with lively and practical keynotes, training, and consultation—all in “plain English!” A former teacher, Miriam “gets” it--what school folks need to know and do.

Miriam co-founded the annual Special Education Day (December 2) to both celebrate the success of special education and to spur reform. info@specialeducationday.com. Among its reforms is SpedEx, the successful, voluntary, trust-building, child-centered dispute resolution model. A summary of her writing, speaking, and consulting is available at www.schoollawpro.com.

She received her law degree from New York University, masters from the State University of New York, Stony Brook, and bachelor of arts from Barnard College (Columbia University). When not engaged in public education activities, Miriam loves to hang out at the cafe and spend time with her family, especially her granddaughter!

Table of Contents

About the Author

Author’s Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction: You’re kidding! Another law book for educators and parents! We’ve had enough!

Chapter 1. What are the legal requirements for grades and report cards, and setting policy—for all students, general and special education?

Chapter 2. Getting more specific about grading policies and promotion/retention

Chapter 3. Graduation requirements: Graduation, ceremony, diplomas

Chapter 4. For students with disabilities: Section 504, ESSA, and the IDEA

Chapter 5. What are accommodations and modifications?

Chapter 6. Report cards, transcripts, honors, graduation, and diplomas: What’s okay?

Glossary

Additional Resources

References and Cases

Reviews

"Miriam Freedman's Grading, Reporting, Graduating...and the Law is a valuable resource for school administrators, special education teachers, general education teachers, and parents. She explains laws and regulations in an easy-to-read format with visuals and legal cases to drive home the important issues."

Jody O'Brien
Director of Student Services, Marlborough Public Schools, MA

"Read this. Keep it close at hand. Miriam has a knack for clear and simple explanations for the most perplexing issues related to special education. Her friendly and reassuring style coupled with easily understood examples make this a model for professional development. This is a resource you will find yourself using frequently."

Mary Bevernick
Irvine Unified School District, CA

"In the practice of special education, grading, report cards, and graduation can be confusing and viewed as complex and “muddy”. This little book proves practical, insightful, and straight forward guidance for all educators. It is a quick, yet powerful read. I use it as a resource to provide explanation and training to colleagues in the field. Miriam does it again…leading us to a no-nonsense approach that steers clear of the mud."

Anne Delfosse
Executive Director, West Orange County Consortium for Special Education, CA

Other Titles in: Resources for Parents | Special Education Assessment & Testing | Grading

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