This assignment requires you to conduct a comprehensive analysis of Alabama's special education laws and policies

Laws on Special Education: Analyzing Alabama's Current State Policies Name Subject and Section Professor’ name Date Introduction Special education laws remain at the core of providing students with disabilities with appropriate education services. These laws define various entitlements of students and specify the responsibilities of schools and advocates (Zirkel, 2023). Based on the Franklin County Law Library (2024), every state in the US has formulated its policies and regulations in conformity with federal laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In this essay, the author critically evaluates the definitions, rules and regulations, and effects of special education laws on the students and the teachers with reference to the state of Alabama. Remarkably, thematic areas addressed include compliance with IDEA regulation, behavioral interventions and suspension and expulsions, assessment and moderation, certification and credentialing, and professional development. This paper regards how Alabama provides for learners with disabilities and growth opportunities. Moreover, special education in Alabama is anchored in the Alabama Code, with regulations provided in the Alabama Administrative Code, and the management falls under the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE). The state has established IDEA, which requires that all children aged 3 - 21 with a disability receive special education. The state of Alabama defines special education as special instruction delivered to cater to the needs of children with such special needs and other services like transport, speech and language services, and aids, among others. Nevertheless, the only correlation between Alabama laws and IDEA is the procedural safeguard for parents' participation in the IEP. Like IDEA, parents and guardians must be involved in developing an IEP in Alabama and determining that the student's learning objectives are proper and quantifiable. This is, however, not entirely true because Alabama has developed some state-level supports, such as transitioning services, that assist older children with disabilities in making adequate preparations for postsecondary education (Alabama State Department of Education, 2023). However, some challenges have been specified below, even though there is compliance with IDEA. For example, difficulties in financing special education in Alabama mean compliance in rural districts is a concern. There is a need to tackle these disparities for fairness in applying federal and state-formulated policies (Tryens-Fernandes, 2022). Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Alabama’s Special Education Law In Alabama, FAPE means education at a reasonable cost to parents, including special education and related services designed to meet children's special needs and given in accordance with an IEP. However, importing this definition would have massive consequences. Through FAPE, Alabama makes sure that learners with disabilities have equal opportunity to education as those without disability. This involves a range of placements, from fully inclusive classrooms in general education schools to segregated settings based on the needs of the student. However, problems like lack of consistency in the quality of services offered to students across the districts can become real barriers for FAPE (Alabama State Department of Education, 2023; (Alabama Administrative Code r. 290-8-9-.05, n.d). Guidelines for Disciplining Students with Disabilities Based on the above effects of IDEA, the rules governing the punishment of students with learning disabilities in Alabama fully support the provisions of IDEA in as much as it banned discrimination actions against students with disabilities. According to the Alabama Administrative Code, when identifying measures for disciplinary action, the behavior concern must indicate whether it is a result of a student's disability. Specifically, Special procedural protections include suspension or expulsion for more than ten days and require that a manifestation determination review (MDR) be conducted. If an identified misbehavior stems from a disability, the school must change the IEP or the BIP rather than start with the usual disciplinary procedures. The guidelines make it clear that student rights will be protected equally to guarantee accountability (Alabama Administrative Code r. 290-8-9-.09., n.d.). However, one of the biggest challenges for the current teachers and school administrators is ensuring they understand these processes in detail. In this case, potential approaches include training teachers a...