Sheff v. O’Neill
Sheff v. O’Neill is a landmark civil rights lawsuit that seeks educational equality. The plaintiffs continue to advocate for the State of Connecticut to uphold the constitutional rights of children in Hartford to an equal educational opportunity.
Please click here for Legal Documents, Press and Related Information about Sheff v. O’Neill.
Federal Laws, Regulations & Policies
- IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004
- OCR – Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students, 2013
- U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) IDEA Website – provides other federal guidance on IDEA
- US Dept. of Education: 15 Principles Regarding Seclusion and Restraint
Suggestions to state and local districts in formulating policies.
Connecticut Laws, Regulations & Policies
- Special Education Eligibility until Age 22, A.R. v. Connecticut State Board of Education. July 10, 2020
- CT Special Education Guidelines State Department of Education
- Connecticut Assistive Technology Guidelines for students with disabilities
- Uninterrupted Scholars Act: guidance from Commissioner Pryor, State Dept of Ed; and Commissioner Katz, Dept of Children & Families, 2014
- Mastery-Based Learning, Guidelines for Implementation, Connecticut State Dept of Education, 2015
- Connecticut Education Law, Connecticut State Board of Education, Jan 2015
Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education Resources
- Parent’s Guide to Special Education
- State of Connecticut Department of Education: Response to Intervention
Memo to Directors of Special Ed. on compliance with IDEA requirements from: Nancy M. Cappello, Ph.D., Interim Chief Bureau of Special Education. Sep. 12, 2006
Connecticut Special Education Forms
Helpful Websites and Resources on Special Education in Connecticut
- TIPS for attorneys on Special Education decisions
- State Education Resource Center of Connecticut (SERC)
- Mooney, Thomas B., A Practical Guide to Connecticut School Law, Fifth Edition, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, Inc., 2007 (available at Center for Children’s Advocacy)
- Special Ed: Protecting Your Child, Protecting Your Rights (ctlawhelp.com)
- State Department of Education Surrogate Parents Program: 860-713-6916
Special Education Resources from the Center for Children’s Advocacy
- Educational Advocacy: Red Flags for Early Identification Andrea Spencer, Ph.D., Dean Education, Pace University, and Education Consultant to Center for Children’s Advocacy
- Truancy: A Closer Look Report examining the link between truancy and unmet educational needs
- Life After Lock-Up Legal rights of youth coming back to the community
- Las Niñas Silenciadas Broken Links between Language, Culture and Learning: Obstacles to school achievement play critical role in truancy
- Why Should I Care About Absences and Tardiness in High School?
- 2550 State Department of Education Findings May 28, 2010
Dropout Prevention
- Expulsion Complaint: Alicia B., PPA through her Parent and Next Friend, Cynthia B; Tobias J., PPA through his Parent and Next Friend, Robert J. v. Governor Dannel Malloy; Dianna Wentzell, commissioner of the Sate Dept of Education; Allan Taylor, Chair, State Board of Education; Beth Schiavino-Narvaez, Superintendent, Hartford Board of Education; Matthew Geary, Superintendent, Manchester Board of Education; James Thompson, Jr., Superintendent, Bloomfield Board of Education. Dec 2015. Center for Children’s Advocacy, National Center for Youth Law, K&L Gates, LLP
- Alternative Schools – Avoiding “Push Out”
Presentation on the legal rights of students experiencing Push Out – pressure from the school to withdraw and attend an Alternative School or Program. Center for Children’s Advocacy, May 2013. - Preventing School PushOut
A report on the Center’s work to prevent school push out and its devastating effect on minority students in Connecticut’s poorest cities. Center for Children’s Advocacy, Sep 2013. - Report on Truancy: A Closer Look
A closer look at the link between unmet educational needs and truancy. Center for Children’s Advocacy 2006. - Listening to Latinas
Barriers to High School Graduation. National Women’s Law Center 2009. - National Dropout Prevention Center
- Improving the Odds
- School Connectedness
- School Climate Standards
- Bullying: Questions and Answers (English)
- Bullying: Questions and Answers (Spanish)
English Language Learners
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act
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- No Child Left Behind Act
- Free Tutoring
- SES Tutoring Request Form for Hartford, CT
The Supplemental Education Services (SES) program is part of NCLB.
- SES Tutoring Request Form for Hartford, CT
- No Child Left Behind: Connecticut Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief (PDF); State of Connecticut and the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut v. Margaret Spellings, in her official capacity as Secretary of Education.
Homeless Youth/Unaccompanied Minors
- A New IDEA – Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities who Experience Homelessness
Powerpoint presentation by Patricia Julianelle, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth - Assisting Unaccompanied Children and Youth: Overcoming Hurdles and Opening Doors
Powerpoint presentation by Patricia Julianelle, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth - Educational Rights of Homeless Teens
- McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
- McKinney-Vento Regulations, 34 C.F.R. Part 200
- U.S. Department of Education’s Guidance on the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
- U.S. Department of Education’s Guidance of the Education of Homeless Children and Youth with Disabilities
Discipline
- Teaching Discipline: A Toolkit for Educators on Positive Alternatives to Out-of-School Suspensions Connecticut Voices for Children, June 2010
- Pro Bono School Expulsion Project (CT)
- Memorandum of Agreement between Hartford Public Schools and Hartford Police Department ensuring consistent response to incidents of student misbehavior in non-emergency school disruptions; clarifying role of law enforcement; reducing involvement of police and court agencies for misconduct at school and school-related events. November, 2012
Truancy
- Truancy Intervention: National Models and Connecticut Initiatives
- Report on Truancy: A Closer Look
A closer look at the link between unmet educational needs and truancy. Center for Children’s Advocacy 2006.
