Special Education Spotlight Series for Administrators

Traditional behavior management in schools often prioritizes compliance and control while often failing to address the root causes of behavioral challenges, leaving administrators and educators stuck in reactive cycles. This session will challenge special education administrators to rethink behavior through the lens of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), shifting from a discipline-first approach to a proactive, instructional approach that supports engagement, self-regulation, and executive functioning. By identifying environmental barriers and implementing UDL-aligned strategies, administrators can foster more inclusive, predictable, and supportive learning spaces that reduce behavioral incidents and empower students. By attending, you’ll learn:

• Key environmental and instructional barriers that contribute to behavioral challenges.
• Turnkey UDL principles that can be applied to behavior support, moving beyond compliance to engagement.
• Concrete strategies for fostering student self-regulation and autonomy.
• Proven tools and conversation starters to support teachers in redesigning learning environments to better meet student needs.

The Prior Written Notice (PWN) requirement stands as one of IDEA’s most crucial procedural components, yet it frequently becomes a source of compliance challenges for special education departments. With each IEP team decision requiring clear documentation of actions, refusals, and rationales, administrators must equip their teams with practical tactics for creating legally defensible PWNs. In Part 1 of this 2-Part series, special education attorney Jose Martín will unpack the complexities of the core elements of effective PWNs in today’s environment. By attending, you’ll deepen your understanding of the why, when, and how of PWNs and walk away with:

• Streamlined frameworks to draft comprehensive PWNs that satisfy all IDEA requirements in minimal time
• Efficient systems for determining PWN responsibility and optimal completion timelines
• Recent legal rulings to identify emerging best practices in PWN development
• Practical tactics to avoid common procedural errors that expose districts to complaints
• Turnkey training protocols to elevate PWN quality and consistency across your department

Despite being a fundamental IDEA requirement, PWNs often lack essential information or are implemented incorrectly, leaving districts vulnerable to legal disputes. In Part 2 of this 2-Part series, special education attorney Jose Martín will dive deeper into PWNs and illuminate the frequently overlooked aspects of PWNs while providing practical, implementation-ready strategies for your team. His expertise will help you transform this compliance obligation into a powerful communication tool that protects your district and enhances parent partnerships. By attending this session, you’ll leave with:

• Real-life scenarios and relevant case law providing fresh insights on effective PWN implementation
• Time-efficient techniques your team can use to draft PWNs that deliver meaningful content using the fewest possible words
• Plug-and-play systems defining who should complete PWNs and optimal timing for drafting
• Tips to distinguish between proper PWN content for different situations, including child-find, placement disputes, and eligibility determinations

Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDR) involving students with ADHD, autism, and emotional disabilities present unique challenges that can quickly escalate to due process hearings if handled incorrectly. With increasing parent advocacy in these areas, special education administrators need sophisticated strategies to navigate the complex relationship between disability characteristics and behavioral incidents. In this targeted session, education attorney Rebecca Bailey will dissect the MDR process through disability-specific lenses, examining recent case law trends and providing practical frameworks for making legally sound determinations. You’ll walk away with concrete tools to strengthen your district’s approach to these high-stakes decisions. During this session, you’ll learn:

• How courts evaluate manifestation determinations for ADHD, autism, and emotional disabilities via recent case law
• Strategic approaches to MDR team discussions that reduce legal vulnerability
• Practical tactics for addressing parent challenges to your MDR conclusions
• Essential documentation practices that support defensible manifestation decisions

IEPs for students with Dyslexia face increasing legal scrutiny as parents become more informed about reading science and evidence-based interventions. Special education administrators must ensure their teams understand the precise legal requirements and instructional components that distinguish a compliant IEP for students with Dyslexia from one vulnerable to due process challenges. This session will equip you with practical frameworks to guide your staff in crafting IEPs that demonstrate both legal compliance and educational appropriateness for students with dyslexia. Education attorney Rebecca Bailey will share proven strategies through real-world scenarios, helping you build confidence in your team’s ability to develop defensible IEPs that withstand legal review. By attending this session, you’ll learn:

• How to think through the eyes of the courts when examining dyslexia-related legal challenges
• Precision techniques your team can use to craft IEP components that meet unique dyslexia needs
• Proven collaboration strategies your team can use to strengthen the legal defensibility of IEPs for students with Dyslexia
• Common legal pitfalls in IEPs for students with Dyslexia and proven methods to avoid them

Following the Supreme Court’s unanimous June 2025 ruling in A.J.T. v. Osseo, the legal landscape for Section 504 has shifted. Parents no longer need to prove “bad faith or gross misjudgment” to obtain monetary damages—they only need to demonstrate “deliberate indifference,” creating new urgency for districts to strengthen their Section 504 processes. When Section 504 Plans are created with a lack of meaningful data or teams take a “kitchen sink” approach, implementation fidelity suffers, opening districts to deliberate indifference allegations. In this critical session, school attorney Alefia Mithaiwala, Esq. will equip you with proven strategies to create legally defensible Section 504 Plans that your teams can implement with confidence and fidelity. By attending this session, you’ll gain:

• Key insights from the A.J.T. v. Osseo Supreme Court decision and its implications for your district
• Step-by-step methodology for developing meaningful, data-driven Section 504 Plans
• Practical strategies to ensure consistent implementation fidelity across your schools
• Turnkey approaches to strengthen your Section 504 processes and reduce legal vulnerability

The special education teacher shortage crisis continues to intensify as educators face unsustainable stress levels, complex responsibilities, and insufficient support systems. Special educators manage broader responsibilities, navigate stricter compliance deadlines, and often receive less institutional support than their general education colleagues, creating a perfect storm for burnout and turnover. Yet forward-thinking districts have discovered practical, cost-effective solutions that transform special education into a more sustainable and rewarding career path while improving student outcomes and protecting district resources. Join Nate Levenson, a recognized national expert and author who has consulted with hundreds of school districts across the country, as he shares actionable strategies from the most successful retention initiatives across the country. During this session, you’ll learn:

• Research-backed methods you can implement to help special educators specialize in their areas of strength, reducing stress and boosting achievement
• Streamlined approaches to your district’s meetings and documentation that maintain full compliance while reducing administrative burden
• Cost-effective strategies for strengthening site-based support and improving administrator-teacher communication
• Proven frameworks for creating more sustainable special education positions in your department that attract and retain quality educators

Student behavior management remains one of the most complex and legally challenging aspects of special education, with Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) at the center of increasing litigation. Recent case law and federal guidance have created new expectations for how districts must approach behavioral supports under IDEA, making it critical for administrators to understand evolving legal standards and their practical implications. When FBAs and BIPs fall short of legal requirements or fail to effectively address behaviors, districts face significant compliance risks and potential due process challenges. In this session, special education attorney Brandon K. Wright, Esq., will analyze key legal trends and provide practical guidance to help your teams develop legally defensible behavioral interventions. By attending this session, you’ll gain:

• Critical insights into recent case law trends affecting FBA and BIP requirements under IDEA
• Updated understanding of federal guidance and how it aligns with current legal expectations
• Practical strategies for ensuring your district’s behavioral interventions meet FAPE standards
• Turnkey approaches to strengthen your district’s FBA and BIP processes

While many students with disabilities nationwide continue performing below pre-pandemic levels on NAEP assessments across all grades and subjects, one state has achieved remarkable success that breaks all previous records. Through strategic planning and effective implementation, Louisiana school districts transformed their approach to teaching students with mild to moderate disabilities, resulting in unprecedented growth that moved the state from 49th in the nation to exceeding the national average in mastery—the only state to show such dramatic improvement over a six-year period. This extraordinary achievement demonstrates that significant gains for students with disabilities are not only possible but replicable with the right strategies and commitment. In this inspiring session, Nate Levenson, who helped lead Louisiana’s transformation, will share the actionable strategies behind this historic success story that districts nationwide can adapt and implement. By attending this session, you’ll gain:

• Three common-sense best practices that drove Louisiana’s record-breaking student achievement gains
• Practical insights into what made Louisiana’s approach successful and how your district can replicate these results
• Strategic frameworks you can implement in your schools to build effective general education and special education partnerships

As an experienced administrator, you’ve likely navigated countless IEP challenges and built strong systems to support your teams. Yet from the courtroom perspective, school district attorneys are witnessing a concerning pattern: even well-run districts with seasoned leadership are making common IEP design mistakes that consistently result in legal disputes. With courts and hearing officers increasingly scrutinizing specific aspects of IEP design, administrators need updated guidance on the most widespread design mistakes that pose the greatest risk and how to steer their teams away from these dangerous waters. Join special education attorney Brandon K. Wright, Esq., for this session that cuts through fluff and complexity to give you a new perspective on the IEP design elements that matter most legally. During this session, you’ll gain:

• Clear identification of the most common IEP design mistakes that create serious legal vulnerabilities
• Updated analysis of how courts and hearing officers are currently ruling on these design issues so that you can prepare your teams accordingly
• Proven solutions your teams can implement to eliminate these common high-risk mistakes
• Practical guidance for coaching your IEP teams toward legally sound decision-making