This is a redacted version of the original hearing officer decision. Select details may have been removed from
the decision to preserve anonymity of the student. The redactions do not affect the substance of the
document.
AT 8495/07-08
Name
Xx/xx/xx
Date of Birth
3/25/08; 4/7/08; 4/18/08; 5/1/08
Dates of Hearing
Closed
Type of Hearing
Parties to the Hearing:
Parents’ Names
Address
Upper Moreland
School District
1580 Fort Washington Avenue Maple Glen, PA 19002-3315
School District Address
Dr. Michael Pladus
School District Superintendent
Claudia Huot, Esq.
484 Norristown Road, Suite 100 Blue Bell, PA 19422
School District Counsel & Address
Frederick Stanczak, Esq. 179 North Broad Street Doylestown, PA 18901 Parent Counsel & Address
05/07/08
Date Transcript Received
5/22/08
Date Record Closed
6/10/08
Date of Decision
Anne L. Carroll, Esq. Hearing Officer Name
Anne L. Carroll
Signature of Hearing Officer
I. BACKGROUND
Student, began receiving early intervention services at age 2 due to developmental delay, severe speech/language deficits, behavior and attention/focus issues. When Student entered the Upper Dublin School District as a kindergarten student during the 2006/2007 school year, she was placed in an inclusion class with primarily typical peers. Her early difficulties continued in the beginning of kindergarten, manifested primarily in communication issues and very problematic classroom behaviors.
During kindergarten, Student’s Parents and teachers worked closely together, adjusting Student’s program to provide additional or revised supports and services in order to address problems and increase her ability to benefit from instruction. With the assistance of a one to one classroom aide, her problem behaviors diminished and her ability to focus and attend in the classroom improved. With speech/language therapy, Student’s communication skills advanced significantly in the regular kindergarten setting.
In late 2007, during Student’s first grade year, Parents expressed dissatisfaction with Student’s academic progress based upon the results of an independent educational evaluation they had obtained during the summer of 2007. Upon receiving the independent evaluator’s report in November 2007, the District sought and obtained Parents’ permission to conduct a reevaluation of Student and subsequently developed a revised IEP. Prior to completion of the reevaluation report and new IEP, Student’s Parents enrolled her in Private School. Parents then filed a due process complaint seeking tuition reimbursement, reimbursement for the costs of the private evaluations they obtained during the spring and summer of 2007 and compensatory education for denial of FAPE during Student’s kindergarten and first grade years.
III. ISSUES
- Are Student’s Parents entitled to reimbursement for the tuition they paid to Private School along with transportation costs and/
or reimbursement of transportation costs? - Are Student’s Parents entitled to reimbursement for the costs of
private evaluations they obtained?
3. Is Student entitled to compensatory education, and if so, for what period and in what form and amount?
AT-Upper-Moreland-ODRNo-8495-07-08