Eighth Academy for IDEA Administrative Law Judges and Hearing Officers

July 7 - 10, 2009

Seattle University School of Law

Program Highlights

• A concentrated segment on decision-writing, for which attendees will be asked to prepare and submit a writing sample and alternate programming for those who prefer not to participate.
• Programming for state-level persons involved in other types of dispute resolution procedures.
• Sessions on mediation.
• Discussion groups to consider ways in which to improve the equity and efficiency of due process.

Schedule and Topics

• Hearing officers will be enrolled in the writing thread unless they choose to opt out on their registration form.
• State-level persons involved in other dispute resolution entities (non-due process) may choose to attend the entire training or only the first two days of the training, i.e., Tuesday and Wednesday, July 7 & 8. This option is not available to hearing officers.

Time	Hearing Officer Writing Thread "A" Sessions		Dispute Resolution Nonwriting Thread "B" Sessions
Tuesday, July 7
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.	1A	Review and discussion of "Plain English for Lawyers"	1B	Mediation (part 1)
10:45 a.m. - noon	2A	Organizing and supporting a legal argument	2B	Mediation (continued)
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
9 - 10:30 a.m.	3A	Writing session	3B	Processing and disclosure of due process decisions
10:45 a.m. - noon	4A	Compensatory education awards	4B	Complaint resolution procedures
1:15 - 2:30 p.m.	5A	Expert Witnesses	5B	Overview of dispute resolution systems
2:45 - 4:30 p.m.	6A	FERPA and access to records	6B	Voluntary code for advocates
Thursday, July 9, 2009
9 - 10:15 a.m.	7	Functional Behavior Analysis: quality components demystified
10:30 a.m. - noon	8	Functional Behavior Analysis: quality components demystified (continued)
1:15 - 2:30 p.m.	9	Classroom observation - what's reasonable, what's not
2:45 - 4:30 p.m.	10	Top 10 Decisions - Hearing Officers' Perspective
Friday, July 10, 2009
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.	11A	Small group discussion of revised opinions; general discussion	11B	Improving due process: can legal technicians make a difference?

Presenters

Greg Abell, Sound Options Group, LLP, Bainbridge Island, WA

Lynwood E. Beekman, Special Solutions LLC

Jo Anne Blades, Program Manager, Special Education Resolution Center, Oklahoma State University

William A. Coats, Vandeberg Johnson & Gandara, Tacoma, WA

James Gerl, Hearing Officer, Lewisburg, WV

Rebekah Hanley, University of Oregon School of Law

Suzy Harris, Attorney, Portland, OR

James Hollis, Feldman & Rogers, San Antonio, TX

Howard M. Klebanoff, Klebanoff & Alfano, PC, Hartford, CT

Pamela McPartland, Program Supervisor, Washington State Office of Public Instruction

Holly Almon Morris, M.S., BCBA, Consultant/Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Bellevue, WA

James Mortenson, Hearing Officer, Washington, DC

Sharon R. Ramage, Hearing Officer, Frisco, TX