Photo of the U.S. Supreme Court.(2017, December 7) | Useful to: Parent Centers, families, and other stakeholders interested in how this Supreme Court decision impacts implementation of IDEA.

Background Information

On March 22, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District Re-1, 137 S.Ct. 988. In this decision, the court held that “to meet its substantive obligation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a school must offer [a child] an IEP [individualized education program] reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances.”

Read the complete Endrew F. decision at:
http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/endrew-f-v-douglas-county-school-district/

ED’s Question and Answer Document

On December 7, 2017, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) released of a 9-page Question and Answer (Q&A) document addressing the Endrew F. decision. OSERS has issued this Q&A document to provide parents and other stakeholders information on the issues addressed in Endrew F. and the impact of the Court’s decision on the implementation of IDEA.

Read ED’s Q&A at:
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/qa-endrewcase-12-07-2017.pdf

OSERS is interested in receiving comments from families, teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders to assist ED in identifying implementation questions and best practices. If you are interested in commenting on this document or have additional questions, please send them to OSERS by email at EndrewF@ed.gov.