Five Years Since Endrew F.: How the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal Have Applied the Endrew F. U.S. Supreme Court Ruling and Why This Matters for Special Education in Schools

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the U.S. Circuit Court cases following the most recent U.S. Supreme Court decision related to special education: Endrew F. v. Douglas County Sch. Dist. (2017). This article will be helpful for school leaders who are on the front lines of implementing special education law as several implications of the Endrew F. case are considered: (1) reasonable progress is the legal standard, (2) crafting an IEP is an individualized, fact-intensive endeavor, (3) parent involvement is critical, (4) beware procedural errors, (5) the law favors the LRE, and (6) be prepared to fully implement the IEP.