Pennsylvania
Special Education Hearing Officer
DECISION
Child’s Name: XB
Date of Birth: xx/xx/xx
ODR No. 01689-10-11-KE
OPEN HEARING
Parties to the Hearing: Ms.
School District of Philadelphia 440 North Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19130
Representative:
Judith A. Gran, Esquire Reisman Carolla Gran, LLP 19 Chestnut Street Haddonfield, NJ 08003
Jennifer Nestle, Esquire
Office of General Counsel
440 North Broad Street, Suite 313 Philadelphia, Pa 19130-4105
Dates of Hearing: December 14, 2010; January 25, 2010; February 8, 2011
Record Closed: March 1, 2011
Date of Decision: March 16, 2011
Hearing Officer: William F. Culleton, Jr., Esquire
INTRODUCTION AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
The captioned Student is an eligible resident of the captioned District, (NT 14-14 to 19), and is nearing the end of Student’s high school years, (NT 12-24 to 13-12.) The Student is identified with Other Health Impairment and Speech and Language Disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §1401 et seq. (IDEA). (NT 13-14 to 14-14.) The captioned Parent requests due process under the IDEA and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. §794 (section 504), seeking compensatory education for prior years and prospective relief. (NT 21-10 to 32-24.) The District asserts that it provided appropriate services at all relevant times and that the Parent is not entitled to relief under the law.
On the District’s pre-hearing motion, I limited the scope of the matter to a two year period beginning on October 21, 2010, and ending on December 14, 2010 (in this decision called the relevant period). (NT 145-12 to 156-16.) This matter was heard in three sessions and the record closed upon receipt of written summations.
ISSUES
- During the relevant period, did the District provide an appropriate evaluation of the Student?
- During the relevant time period, did the District fail to provide the Student with a free appropriate public education with regard to educational needs in reading, writing, mathematics, motor skills, speech and language and post secondary transition?
- Should the hearing officer award compensatory education to the Student for all or any part of the relevant period?
- Should the hearing officer order prospective relief, including Wilson training, auditory reinforcement strategies, aural instructional materials, daily speech and language programming, assistive technology, counseling and post secondary transition evaluation and planning?