Copyright 1999 P.G. Publishing Co.
Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette
December 18, 1999, Saturday, SOONER EDITION
SECTION: LOCAL, Pg. A-10
LENGTH: 281 words
HEADLINE:
PRINCIPALS MAY HAVE TO EVALUATE PUPILS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
SERVICES
BODY:
Pittsburgh school board
members will decide Wednesday whether to require principals to evaluate students
in regular classes who have a history of discipline and
attendance problems to determine if they should receive special
education services.
If the board approves the measure,
it will be accepting the terms of a proposed settlement for a federal
class-action lawsuit filed against the district last year. The lawsuit, which
also was filed against the state Department of Education in
U.S. District Court, was filed by the Education Law Center. It
charged that city school officials did not comply with federal Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act requirements to "identify, locate
and evaluate" all students with disabilities and provide them
with the proper special education services.
The
complaint said city school officials failed to provide alternatives to
suspending or expelling children who would benefit from special services, while
the state did not ensure the district complied with IDEA requirements.
The student whose case was used to present the lawsuit was identified as
A.S. She was described as a 16-year-old student who had a history of severely
disruptive and destructive behavior at Carrick High School. She also had been
repeatedly admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
The lawsuit said that
rather than provide A.S. with the special services she needed, she was
disciplined with suspensions.
The resolution the board will consider
Wednesday is designed to address how to fairly treat and evaluate students who
have multiple problems in school such as suspensions, bad grades, truancy and,
possibly, some history of psychiatric care.
LOAD-DATE:
December 21, 1999 
