Self-help information through various links, documents, publications, etc. Check the Community Directory Channel for more resources.
There are 26 resources
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Building Strong Rural Schools: The Foundations We Need
(Separate Website)
Report on the state of South Carolina's rural schools and what we need to enable them to improve. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Civil Rights about Education
(Separate Website)
This site provides answers to frequently asked questions about civil rights and education.
By: U.S. Department of Justice
Education Evaluation
(Separate Website)
Children with disabilities have a right to a free appropriate public education under both the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
By: Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
Education Law Association
(Separate Website)
The Education Law Association, formerly NOLPE, is a national, nonprofit, nonadvocacy member association that promotes interest in and understanding of the legal framework of education and the rights of students, parents, school boards, and school employees.
By: South Carolina Legal Services - Columbia
Education Law Association
(Separate Website)
The Premier Source For Information On Education Law
Education Rights and the Law
(Separate Website)
Answers to frequently asked questions concerning attendance, enrollment and home schooling, high school exit exam, and fees. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Bar Association
Education: Information for Parents and Families
(Separate Website)
These web pages contain information for parents and families about the education of children, including: (1) Preparing my child for school, (2)Finding K-12 schools & aftercare programs in my community, (3) Helping my child learn to read, (4) Ensuring my child's school success, (5) Helping my child with special needs, and (6) Helping my child prepare & pay for college
By: U.S. Department of Education
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act
(Separate Website)
FERPA gives parents the right to ALL educational records of their child—not just the special education file. The statute specifies that parents have access to all “personally identifiable information” of the student. "Educational record" is defined as records that are directly related to a student, and maintained by an educational agency or institution.
By: Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
Filing a 504 Education Complaint
(Separate Website)
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 makes it illegal for any agency or organization receiving federal funds to discriminate in any way against qualified people with disabilities. Under this law, school districts must make sure that children with disabilities are not excluded from educational services and provide accommodations to children who need them to benefit from those services.
By: Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
Filing a Complaint with the South Carolina Department of Education
(Separate Website)
Under IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), parents have three options available to them for resolving disagreements about the education of their children: (1) the impartial due process hearing system; (2) the less formal mediation process; or (3) the complaint system operated by the State Department of Education (SDE).
By: Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
Head Start: A Community Institution
(Separate Website)
The Head Start Program and Community Development. This report explores Head Start programs as an excellent model for community participation.
By: National Economic Development and Law Center
Immigrants and Education
(Separate Website)
PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
JustChildren Parents' Manual
(Separate Website)
This handbook is designed to give parents a general understanding of their children's rights to receive financial assistance, medical assistance, and educational services. The handbook also explains a child's rights in relation to disciplinary actions at school, encounters with the police, and confinement in detention facilities.
By: American Bar Association
Least Restrictive Environment-Full Inclusion-Mainstreaming
(Separate Website)
Call it whatever you want, but the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires school districts to ensure: “…to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities,…are educated with children who are not disabled and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.” [20 U.S.C. 1412(5)(B)]
By: Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
Mediation-An Alternative to Due Process
(Separate Website)
When a parent and school district disagree in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting, many people immediately consider going to a due process hearing. However, mediation is another way of dealing with a disagreement between the school district and the parent. Parents may want to try this less formal method before asking for a due process hearing.
By: Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
No Child Left Behind
(Separate Website)
No Child Left Behind is designed to change the culture of America's schools by closing the achievement gap, offering more flexibility, giving parents more options, and teaching students based on what works.
Under the act's accountability provisions, states must describe how they will close the achievement gap and make sure all students, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve academic proficiency. They must produce annual state and school district report cards that inform parents and communities about state and school progress. Schools that do not make progress must provide supplemental services, such as free tutoring or after-school assistance; take corrective actions; and, if still not making adequate yearly progress after five years, make dramatic changes to the way the school is run.
Prior Written Notice-A Good Special Education Strategy
(Separate Website)
One easy and effective strategy available to parents who disagree with a school about special education for their child is to request that the school (or school district) notify the parents in writing of all proposed changes in, or refusals to change, their child’s special educational program. IDEA regulations (34 C.F.R. Sec. 300.503) require a school to give parents written notice a reasonable time before it acts regarding their child’s identification, evaluation or educational placement. Though required, prior written notice is rarely given unless parents request it.
By: Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
Protections for Students not yet Classified as Special Education
(Separate Website)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides several protections for students with disabilities. Some of these protections extend to students not yet identified as IDEA eligible when they are suspended or expelled from school. These safeguards apply only IF the school district had knowledge that the student had a disability before the behavior that led to disciplinary action.
By: Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
Related Services-A Very Important Part of Special Education
(Separate Website)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires Related Services to be given to a student with a disability who needs them in order to benefit from the education being offered.
By: Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
School Attendance Brochure
(Separate Website)
PDF document (may load slowly).
Adobe Acrobat Reader required. (If you are using a screen reader that does not support PDF format, copy the PDF link, and use the Access Adobe online form to convert this file to HMTL text.)
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Referral Finder
(Separate Website)
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