Supreme Court Sets Higher Standards for Students With Disabilities

The high court’s ruling Wednesday bolsters the rights of millions of disabled children. Justices ruled for the parents of a Colorado boy with autism who had removed their son from a public school because he was screaming in class, climbing on furniture and making no progress. They enrolled him in a private school that specialized in autism where he flourished.

They then sued the school district for a reimbursement, citing the federal law that promises a "free appropriate public education" to all children with disabilities.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., speaking for the court, said that standard was too low. The federal law "demands more. It requires an educational program that is reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances," he said in Endrew F. vs. Douglas County School District.

A child’s individualized learning program "must be appropriately ambitious in light of the circumstances," Roberts said. "The goals may differ, but every child should have the chance to meet challenging objectives."

By David G. Savage

Full Story: http://www.governing.com/topics/education/tns-scotus-schools-autism.html