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
- IDEA Regulations for school-age special education programs, 30 C.F.R. Parts 300 and 301 (effective October 13, 2006)
- IDEA Regulations for children with disabilities under age 3, 34 C.F.R. Part 303
- Assistive Technology Guidelines for students with disabilities
- 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
- Title 504/Americans with Disabilities Act “Protecting Students with Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities”
Answers to common questions about educating children with disabilities, including the differences between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. - US Dept. of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) The mission of the Office for Civil Rights is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights. The OCR serves student populations facing discrimination and the advocates and institutions promoting systemic solutions to civil rights problems.
- 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
- Special Education Hearing Decisions
- Special Education: Protecting Your Child, Protecting Your Rights, Connecticut Legal Services
- Five Year Comprehensive Plan for Education (2006 – 2011) adopted by the Connecticut State Board of Education, January 3, 2007
- Special Education Procedural Safeguards
- 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
- Connecticut Special Education Due Process Hearings (English)
- Connecticut Special Education Due Process Hearings (Spanish)
- Directory of Approved Private Special Education Programs
- List of Approved Private Special Education Programs
- Evaluation Timelines Guidance – Topic Brief
- Extended School Year – Topic Brief
- 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 - Writing Transition Goals and Objectives – Topic Brief
- Transition Bill of Rights for Parents of Students Receiving Special Ed Services, May 2016
Through legislation that went into effect July 1, 2015, the Connecticut State Department of Education was required to create a bill of rights for parents of children receiving special education services which informs them of their rights regarding transition planning and includes resources available through the CT SDE. Memos from Commissioner of Education. Memos from Chief of the Bureau of Special Education.
Connecticut Special Education Forms
- Transition IEP Checklist
- Complaint Resolution Process
- IEP Manual & SDE Forms
- PPT Worksheet to Determine Eligibility for Special Ed due to Emotional Disturbance
Helpful Websites and Resources on Special Education in Connecticut
- TIPS for attorneys on Special Education decisions
- CT State Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education
- 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)
- CT Resources for Families
- 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
- Extended School Year (ESY) Programs for Special Needs Students Summary of eligibility requirements
- 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. - Las Niñas Silenciadas
Broken Links between Language, Culture and Learning. Center for Children’s Advocacy 2009. - 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
- U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights: Signed Agreement with Hartford Public Schools to Provide Services for English Language Learners, March 2013
- U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights website
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act
- No Child Left Behind Act
- U.S. Dept. of Education’s website on NCLB
- How to Make Sure Your Child Is Not Left Behind: A Connecticut Parent’s Guide to Advocating for Equal Educational Opportunities
Parents’ Guide published by CT Appleseed, ConnCAN, CT State Conference of NAACP Branches & Lawyers’ - 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
- School Choice
Public School Choice in Connecticut: A Guide for Students and Their Families, published by the CT State Department of Education 2007 – 2008
English, 2010 edition Spanish, 2007 edition - 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
- National Center for Homeless Education
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)
- Rules, Regulations & Rights in School, Connecticut Legal Services
- 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. - Las Niñas Silenciadas
Broken Links between Language, Culture and Learning. Center for Children’s Advocacy 2009.
