This document discusses laws, policies, expectations, and standards regarding special education. It begins by defining special education and outlining the Child Find mandate requiring schools to identify and evaluate students with disabilities. It then discusses key laws like IDEA, Section 504, and FAPE that ensure students receive individualized support and accommodations. The document outlines expectations for special educators, including developing IEPs, advocating for students, and valuing diversity. It also summarizes the code of ethics for special educators around maintaining integrity, developing family relationships, and not harming students. Finally, it provides examples of professional standards like advocating for all learners and demonstrating collaboration.

1. Learner Rights and
Teacher Responsibilities
Tykevia Williams
MTE/512
November 23, 2020
Rebecca Ellis

2. Welcome
Today we will be discussing:
● What is special education?
● Laws and policies at the state and federal level to include the Child Find mandate
● Expectations of the profession
● Codes of ethics
● Professional standards of practice,

3. What is Special Education?
Special education provides students with disabilities specific instruction
designed to meet their unique learning needs, therefore providing them the
opportunity to perform to their fullest potential. In the United States, special
education is delivered and free of charge through the public education system
(Masters in Special Education Program Guide, 2020).
Types of special education include autism, blindness, deafness, emotional
disturbance, hearing Impairment, speech or language impairment, etc.
("Understanding Special Education", 2019).

4. Child Find Mandate
● The Child Find requires all school districts to identify and evaluate all
children with disabilities, no matter the severity of their disabilities (Wright,
2020).
● If school employees know or have reason to suspect that a child has a
disability, these school employees have an affirmative duty to act (identify
and evaluate) on the child's behalf (Wright, 2020).

5. Laws and Policies
1
Individuals with
Disablities
Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA ensures that schools create an
Individualized Education Program
(IEP) to meet the unique educational
needs of each student in the least
restrictive where a special needs
student can obtain the most
academic success possible (Bradman
University).
2
Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act
This section of the
Rehabilitation Act was
created to ensure that State
and Federal programs
provided variations of
services to assist students
with special education needs.
3
Free Appropriate
Public Education
Incorporated by IDEA, Free
Appropriate Public Education
ensures that all educated related
services meet handicapped
persons’ individual needs of a
handicapped student just as it
would the needs of non-
handicapped students (Bradman
University, 2020).

6. Expectations of the Profession
Professionals in this field should:
● Identify children with specific learning needs and assist them
● Become familiar with special education laws
● Protect the rights of special education students and advocate for them when their
rights are violated or not fulfilled
● Value diversity of students
● Develop IEPs
● Provide opportunities for children with specific learning styles to learn in regular
educational programs.

7. Code of Ethics
According to Council for Exceptional Children (2020) professionals in special
education should be committed to:
1. Maintaining professional ability and integrity and exercising professional
judgment to benefit individuals with exceptionalities;
2. promoting meaningful and inclusive participation of individuals with
exceptionalities in their schools and communities;
3. developing relationships with families based on the foundation of mutual
respect and involving families and individuals with exceptionalities in
educational decision making; and
4. not encouraging or tolerating any practice that harms individuals with
exceptionalities.

8. Professional Standards of Practice:
● Practices for advocating to meet the needs of all learners
● Practices to promote learners meeting their full potential
● Practices to demonstrate respect for learners as individuals with differing
personal and family backgrounds and various skills, abilities, and interests
● Practices to demonstrate collaboration with learners, families, and
colleagues

9. Professional Standards of Practice
Advocating to meet the needs of all
learners
● Listen and find out students’ talents,
interests, needs, and goals.
● Know student’s rights by becoming
familiar with laws and policies.
● Foster strong relationships with
school leadership and colleagues
(Fink, 2020)
Promote learners meeting their full
potential
● Identify and activate student
strengths.
● Build on existing skills and
knowledge.
● Connect learning with students’
lives.
● Assess growth in every learning
experience.
(Waldman, 2019).

10. Professional Standards of Practice
Practices to demonstrate respect for
learners as individuals:
● Assess your own behavior.
● Get to know your students.
● Make your classroom a judgment-free
zone.
● Adapt your teaching practices.
● Teach for all cultures.
(Deady, 2020).
Practices to demonstrate collaboration with
learners, families, and colleagues:
● Utilize various forms of communication.
● Work alongside parents and include their
input.
● Work with colleagues to provide support
and better serve the special education
community.

11. References
Bradman University. (2020). 4 Special education laws and policies every teacher should know. https://www.brandman.edu/news-and-
events/blog/special-education-laws
Council for Exceptional Children. (2020). Special education professional ethical
principles. https://exceptionalchildren.org/standards/ethical-principles-and-practice-standards
Deady, K. (2020). 5 steps to becoming a culturally responsive teacher. https://www.teachaway.com/blog/5-steps-becoming-culturally-
responsive-teacher
Fink, K. (2020). Stand Up for your students with these small steps. https://www.weareteachers.com/advocate-for-students/
Masters in Special Education Program Guide. (2020). What is special education?. https://www.masters-in-special-
education.com/what-is-special-education-2/
Understanding special education(2019). https://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/13-categories-of-special-education.html
Waldman, C. (2019). Six ways to help students reach their potential. https://all4ed.org/six-ways-to-help-students-reach-their-potential/
Wright, P. (2020). The child find mandate: What does it mean to you?. https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/child.find.mandate.htm