Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: break down the rulings in major cases concerning the rights of disabled students, including PARC ( Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children) versus Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Mills versus Board of Education of DC, Honig versus Doe, and others; explain the intricacies and impacts of major government acts that affected the rights of people with disabilities, such as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act; dissect the government's role in education at the local, state, and federal levels; summarize the federal guidelines for special education, how students qualify for services, and the difference between Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 plans; understand and analyze each part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, paying specific attention to the importance Free Appropriate Public Education and Least Restrictive Environments; evaluate Individualized Education Plans, understand how they are created, and explain the individual parts and their importance to a student's family; develop a behavioral intervention plan that takes into account the disciplinary protections in place for students with disabilities; and appraise recent trends in special education such as the long-term effects of the No Child Left Behind Act as well as the efforts to include students with disabilities in general classrooms.