Fall 2026 Presentation Topics

Ensuring Parent Participation and Avoiding Predetermination

School districts have encountered many legal challenges in making sure that parents have the opportunity to participate in the development and implementation of their child’s IEP. Scheduling IEP meetings, ensuring parents understand the proceedings, holding meetings without parents, providing alternate means of participation, and making team decisions are all issues that districts must approach carefully so that parents of students with disabilities are partners in the IEP process. Look with us at the statutes, regulations, and cases addressing these topics and get practical tips on how to comply with the myriad of legal requirements to avoid the perils of a predetermination claim.

Manifestation Determinations . . . and More

The numerous legal rules governing when and how to conduct appropriate manifestation determinations (“MDs”) continue to create challenges for school districts. In addition to a refresher on all of the legal procedures and timelines for conducting an MD review, this session highlights the most common MD pitfalls for districts, provides solutions to those problems, and offers numerous practical lessons and tips learned from recent case law to help avoid unnecessary conflicts and costly litigation. Plus, we will cover what happens after the MD is completed, including reconvening the IEP team when necessary, addressing placement issues, and more.

Legal Update

This highly popular session provides an overview of the most important recent cases from OAH and the courts—and why they matter to special educators. We also highlight recent guidance on relevant topics, as well as proposed legislation impacting students and districts. And, of course, we will provide any late-breaking legal developments that you need to know.

Targeted Questions and Answers

To wrap up the day, F3 special education attorneys field your inquiries on a variety of topics in an expanded Q&A session.