A NATIONAL DATABASE OF INFORMATION ON STATE-LEVEL DUE PROCESS HEARING DECISIONS

IN SEPTEMBER 1989, THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY ISSUEDA REPORT FUNDED BY CONGRESS CALLED, "THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: WHERE DO WE STAND?" ONE OF THEFINDINGS OF THE REPORT IS THAT THERE IS NO NATIONAL DATABASETHAT INCLUDES THE ROUTINE COLLECTION OF DATA REGARDING SPECIAL EDUCATION DUE PROCESS HEARINGS. SPECIAL EDUCATION DUE PROCESS HEARINGS ARE ADMINISTRATIVE-LEVEL ARBITRATION PROCEDURES RESOLVED BY AN IMPARTIAL HEARING OFFICER. THESE PROCEDURES ARE MANDATED BY FEDERAL LAW. ISSUES IN CONTENTION, TYPICALLY BETWEEN PARENTS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL RELATE TO THE PROVISION OF FREE AND APPROPRIATE SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES TO HANDICAPPED CHILDREN. THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR PHASE I OF A TWO-PHASE PROJECT TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL DATABASE OF STATE-LEVEL DUE PROCESS HEARING DECISIONS. IN PHASE I A PRELIMINARY DATABASE SYSTEMWILL BE DEVELOPED AND DUE PROCESS HEARING DECISIONS FROM FOUR STATES WILL BE ENTERED. IN PHASE II THE DATABASE SYSTEM WILL E REFINED AND EXPANDED TO INCLUDE STATE-LEVEL DUE PROCESS HEARING DECISIONS FROM ALL 50 STATES. THE RESULTING DATABASE WILL BE MADE NATIONALLY ON FLOPPY DISKS AND WILL RUN ON MOST IBM-COMPATIBLE PERSONAL COMPUTERS. THIS PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO YIELD A VALUABLE REFERENCE TOOL FOR PARENTS, LAWYERS, HEARING OFFICERS, AND EDUCATORS. PHASE I WILL EXPLORE AND DEVELOP THE BASIC DATABASE CONCEPT.THE DATABASE RESULTING FROM PHASE I CAN BE EVALUATED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND A DECISION CAN BE MADE ON WHETHER TO DEVELOP AND REFINE IT INTO A FULL-SCALE NATIONAL DATABASE IN PHASE II.