Dispute Resolution Services
Dispute Resolution
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to have a formal process for parents and districts to resolve special education related disputes. Information about Idaho’s Dispute Resolution System can be found on the State Department of Education’s webpage:
Idaho’s State Department of Education Dispute Resolution Page.
For a basic understanding of all of the options toward resolving disputes in Idaho, be sure to download this downloadable PDF Comparison Chart
For more information about the Dispute Resolution processes, please reference the Idaho State Department of Education Special Education Manual
This is a link to a PDF of the Idaho’s Educator Code of Ethics
Idaho has a new law that covers Restraint and Seclusion – read about it here.
The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education
The Center for Approriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE)
CADRE’s major emphasis is on encouraging the use of mediation, facilitation, and other collaborative processes as strategies for resolving disagreements between parents and schools about children’s educational programs and support services. CADRE supports parents, educators, administrators, attorneys and advocates to benefit from the full continuum of dispute resolution options that can prevent and resolve conflict and ultimately lead to informed partnerships that focus on results for children and youth.
The Cadre Continum – This is a searchable data base of dispute resolution practices in special education. Users are able to move from broad process descriptions to specific practice details and can learn information related to program design and oversight, professional standards, public awareness and outreach, and evaluation.
IDEA Dispute Resolution Parent Guides – CADRE was asked to create a set of companion resources for parents and families, and developed four parent guides: Mediation, Written State Complaints, Due Process Complaints/ Hearing Requests, and Resolution Meetings. These are in multiple languages.
In the Best Interests of the Child: Individualized Education Program (IEP) Meetings When Parents Are In Conflict – This publication was developed to better understand issues related to when parents or caregivers are having difficulty working together, especially during IEP team meetings. The document includes both preventative and responsive strategies and approaches from a variety of sources, including research on the effects of parenting a child with a disability on parent and family relationships, literature on conflict resolution practices, and data collected through surveys and interviews.
CADRE Advocacy Information
From CADRE (the national center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education) we have 2 PDF handouts about advocacy.
The first handout covers collaberative advocacy’s guiding principles:
“Collaborative Advocacy is an approach to advocating for children with disabilities that utilizes collaborative problem-solving skills and relationship-strengthening strategies to resolve disagreements. This approach can be used by anyone serving as a third-party advocate to focus on improving educational and developmental outcomes for students with disabilities.”
Download the PDF on Collaborative Advocacy’s Principles here.
The second handout is a guide for parents in selecting an Educational Advocate:
“An educational advocate, also known as a parent advocate, child advocate, student advocate, or independent advocate, assists parents of students with disabilities in navigating the complex world of special education. For a fee, professional advocates provide information, guidance and support throughout the IEP process to encourage decisions that meet the needs of the student.”
Download the PDF flyer on selecting an Educational Advocate here.
